SHOWCASE MAGAZINE | 2018
an advantage in their growth and
development. Even if kids may
not love the foods they grow at
first, teach them to keep tasting
and trying and to train their taste
buds to enjoy the bounty of their
garden.
How gardening can affect the
BODY:
When children participate in
gardening, the fruits and vege-
tables that they are inspired to
eat will no doubt have a positive
effect on their body. But the act
of gardening itself can also pro-
mote a healthy body. Kids LOVE
to get their hands and feet in
the dirt, which can run counter
to the modern parenting style of
compulsively keeping hands and
surfaces cleaned and sanitized.
However, consider the “hygiene
hypothesis,” a theory that a lack
of childhood exposure to germs
actually increases a child’s sus-
ceptibility to diseases like asthma,
allergies and autoimmune con-
ditions by suppressing the devel-
opment of the immune system.
So getting dirty while gardening
may actually strengthen a child’s
immunity and overall health.
These days all kids could benefit
from a little more physical activity
and sunshine they’ll get while gar-
dening. Activities like moving soil,
carrying a heavy watering can,
digging in the dirt and pushing a
wheelbarrow can promote gross
motor skills and overall strength
for a more fit body. Plus, these
activities, known as “heavy work,”
have been shown to help kids stay
calm and focused.
How gardening can affect the
SOUL:
In this electronic age, kids need
time for meaningful family con-
nection. Time in the garden allows
for team building and promotes
communication skills. Planning a
garden, planting the seeds and
watching them grow give kids a
sense of purpose and responsibili-
ty. Making sure that the plants get
enough fertilizer, water and sun
fosters mindfulness. The concepts
learned while gardening, like
composting food scraps for fertil-
izer or using gathered rainwater,
can show kids a deep respect and
responsibility for taking care of
our planet.
Furthermore, studies show that
when children have contact with
soil during activities like digging
and planting, they have improved
moods, better learning experi-
ences and decreased anxiety.
Most important, the self-esteem
a child gets from eating a perfect
cucumber that he grew himself is
priceless.
importance of music in development of toddlers
Categories: Development
Very early in their life, children
will start to identify rhythm and
even move to the beats of music.
After all, music is meant to touch
our souls! Besides that, music
provides cognitive benefits that
support children’s early develop-
ment. In this article, we talk about
the benefits of getting musical
around your toddlers.
Here are our top five reasons why
music can be beneficial to the
development of your child.
1. Music increases toddler’s sen-
sory development
Just as taste, textures and colours
aid a child’s sensory development,
so does music. Exposing your
child to different types of music
can help create more pathways
between the cells in their brains.
This effect increases even more
when you link music to different
activities such as dancing.
2. Music can improve literacy and
numeracy
From an early age, babies can
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hear the difference between
different types of sounds. After
just a few weeks, a baby is able to
identify their mother’s voice from
other people’s. Exposure to music
enhances a child’s natural ability
to decode sounds and words.
By singing nursery rhymes to
your child, you can help them to
identify sound patterns and learn
through repetition. In addition
to that, music also helps children
anticipate what is coming next in
a poem or a song and they know
how to put these patterns in a se-