Your kids probably won't agree, but child development experts feel doing chores is an important aspect of making sure your children grow into healthy, responsible adults. Just a few benefits (besides taking a load off you) include:

Physical Activity: Gardening involves various physical tasks like digging, planting, and watering, which help kids stay active and healthy.

Responsibility: Taking care of plants teaches children responsibility as they learn to nurture and maintain their garden.

Educational Opportunities: Gardening provides hands-on learning about biology, ecology, and the environment, fostering curiosity and knowledge.

Patience and Perseverance: Watching plants grow from seeds to mature plants teaches kids patience and the value of perseverance.

Stress Relief: Spending time outdoors and engaging with nature can be calming and reduce stress for children.

Healthy Eating: Growing their own fruits and vegetables encourages kids to eat healthier and understand where their food comes from.

The trick is figuring out how to encourage your kids to complete the yard chores assigned to them. 

Plant a Garden

Planting a garden may seem like a lot of work, but it is a great method for getting kids of all ages interested in yard work. Younger children love playing in the dirt and older kids enjoy seeing seeds they have planted grow into fruit, vegetables or flowers. Spending time in the garden with your kids offers a wonderful opportunity to nurture both your plants and your relationship. As an added bonus, your children can enter the produce and flowers they grow in local county 4-H Fairs!

Here are some great ideas to start a garden with your kids:

Sunflowers: Easy to grow and visually striking, sunflowers are perfect for kids. They can have fun planting the large seeds and watching them grow tall

Strawberries: Kids love picking and eating strawberries. Growing them helps children understand where food comes from

Carrots: Harvesting carrots is like digging for treasure. They come in various colors and are packed with nutrients

Beans: Fast-growing and easy to handle, beans are great for teaching kids about plant growth

Pumpkins: Fun to grow and perfect for autumn activities like carving and decorating

Lamb's Ear: Soft and fuzzy, this plant is great for sensory experiences

Start them Young

Children who help with yard work at an early age are a great deal more likely to continue to help with outdoor chores as they get older rather than those who are not assigned any chores until they are teens. Obviously, your 5-year old is not ready to handle your John Deere Ztrak, but they can help pick up sticks and pull weeds. Give your younger child a set of child-sized tools to make a game out of their simple yard chores.

Be Clear about your Expectations

When asking your child to assist with yard work, be sure you are clear about what you need them to do, how to handle the chore, and when you need it completed. If you have a teenager, anticipate they are not listening to the words coming out of your mouth (not that we speak from experience), and give them a written to-do list.

Make it Family Time

Turn the to-do list into something the whole family can be a part of at the same time. Not only does this allow you to keep an eye on your child so you can be sure they are doing their chores properly and safely, butit also creates a family bonding experience. Once the yard work is done, go on a family outing for dinner or ice cream as a treat!

Be Appreciative

Rather than being overly critical when it takes your child longer than expected to complete their assigned yard chore or when they do not do them the way you would have done them (again, speaking from experience) you will find they respond better to praise instead of criticism.

Overall, yard chores are a wonderful way to promote physical, emotional, and intellectual growth in children. These strategies not only help your children develop essential life skills but also strengthen family bonds and create lasting memories. Remember, the goal is to encourage and support your children as they grow into responsible, self-reliant adults. Happy gardening and chore-doing!

Don't forget, South Plains Implement has everything you need to keep your yard and garden looking great year-round! Come see us!