Researchers wanted to see if letting kids garden at school would help them develop healthy habits. They studied 30 children for 16 weeks—half did gardening activities while the other half didn’t. The kids who gardened ate healthier foods, learned more about plants, and got more physical activity. Both groups made friends better, but the gardening group had bigger improvements in eating and exercise. While the results look promising, the study was small and short, so scientists need to do bigger studies to be sure these benefits really work for all kids.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Does letting young children grow plants and vegetables in school help them eat better, exercise more, sleep better, and learn about nature?
  • Who participated: 30 children in early childhood education (preschool/kindergarten age), split into two groups of 15 each. One group did gardening activities for 16 weeks, while the other group continued with regular school activities.
  • Key finding: Children who gardened showed meaningful improvements in eating habits (7% better), plant knowledge (34% better), and physical activity (25% better) compared to children who didn’t garden. Both groups improved equally in making friends and social skills.
  • What it means for you: Gardening at school may be a fun, natural way to encourage kids to eat healthier and be more active. However, this was a small study, so parents and teachers should see it as promising but not definitive proof. More research is needed before making big changes based on these results.

The Research Details

This was a controlled experiment where researchers divided 30 young children into two equal groups. One group participated in structured gardening activities over 16 weeks, while the other group continued with their normal school routine. The researchers measured five different areas: how well kids ate, their sleep quality, how much they knew about plants, their ability to make friends and work together, and how much physical activity they got. Teachers filled out questionnaires to track changes in eating habits and other behaviors. The study lasted 16 weeks, which is about 4 months.

The gardening group did hands-on activities like planting seeds, watering plants, and learning about where food comes from. Researchers used standardized tools to measure each area fairly, comparing the gardening group’s progress to the control group’s progress to see if gardening made a real difference.

Using a control group (kids who didn’t garden) is important because it helps researchers know whether improvements came from gardening or just from kids getting older and developing naturally. By measuring multiple areas of health and development, the study looked at whether gardening affects kids in different ways. This approach helps separate real effects from coincidence.

This study has some strengths: it used a control group for comparison, measured multiple outcomes, and tracked children over several months. However, there are important limitations to know about. The sample size is quite small (only 30 children total), which means the results might not apply to all children everywhere. The study lasted only 16 weeks, which is relatively short for seeing lasting changes. The researchers didn’t randomly assign children to groups, which could mean the groups were different in ways that affected results. Teachers’ observations about eating habits, while useful, are subjective and might be influenced by knowing which kids were in the gardening program.

What the Results Show

Children in the gardening group showed clear improvements in three main areas. First, their eating habits got better—their scores went from 66 points to 71 points (a 7% improvement), and this difference was statistically significant, meaning it’s unlikely to have happened by chance. Second, their knowledge about plants improved dramatically—from 58 points to 77 points (a 34% improvement), which makes sense since they were learning about plants directly. Third, their physical activity levels increased noticeably—from 34 points to 42 points (a 25% improvement), probably because gardening involves moving around and doing physical work.

Interestingly, both groups improved in social skills at similar rates. Children in both the gardening group and the regular group became better at making friends and working together. This suggests that social skill development happens naturally in school settings, and gardening didn’t give an extra boost in this area—but it also didn’t hurt it.

The improvements in eating habits are particularly interesting because they suggest that hands-on experience with growing food might help children appreciate and want to eat healthier foods. The big jump in plant knowledge is expected since the gardening group was directly learning about plants. The increase in physical activity makes sense because gardening involves movement and outdoor work.

The study measured sleep quality, but the results for sleep weren’t as clear or strong as the other findings. While the researchers looked at sleep patterns, the improvements weren’t as obvious or statistically significant as the eating, plant knowledge, and activity improvements. This could mean gardening doesn’t directly affect sleep, or it might take longer than 16 weeks to see sleep benefits. The social skills finding is important because it shows that gardening doesn’t replace the normal social development that happens in school—it just doesn’t add extra benefits in that particular area.

This research fits with what other scientists have found about outdoor activities and children’s health. Previous studies have suggested that nature exposure and hands-on learning help kids develop better eating habits and get more exercise. This study adds to that evidence by showing that structured gardening specifically can have these benefits. However, most previous studies on this topic have also been small, so this research doesn’t dramatically change what we know—it supports existing ideas with new evidence.

The biggest limitation is the small number of children (only 30 total). With such a small group, results might not apply to all children, especially children from different backgrounds, cultures, or geographic areas. The study only lasted 16 weeks, which is relatively short. We don’t know if benefits would continue after the program ends or if they would grow stronger over time. The researchers didn’t randomly assign children to groups, which means the gardening group and control group might have been different in ways that affected the results—for example, maybe more active kids ended up in the gardening group. Teachers knew which children were gardening, which could have influenced how they rated eating habits and behavior. The study didn’t measure whether kids actually ate more vegetables at home or if changes were only at school. Finally, the study didn’t explore why gardening helped—we don’t know the exact mechanism that makes it work.

The Bottom Line

Based on this research, schools and parents may want to consider adding gardening activities to early childhood programs. The evidence suggests moderate confidence that gardening can help young children eat better and be more physically active. However, this should be viewed as one piece of evidence, not definitive proof. Gardening should be combined with other healthy habits like nutrition education and regular physical activity, not used as a replacement. Parents interested in gardening with their children at home should know that this study suggests it could be beneficial, but individual results may vary. Teachers implementing gardening programs should track whether they see similar improvements in their own students.

Early childhood educators and preschool/kindergarten teachers should pay attention to these findings as they consider curriculum options. Parents of young children might find this research interesting if they’re looking for activities to encourage healthy eating and exercise. School administrators deciding how to allocate resources for outdoor learning spaces should consider this evidence. However, this research is most relevant to children in early childhood settings (ages 3-6). The findings may not apply to older children or teenagers. Children with severe plant allergies or physical limitations that prevent gardening should not be forced into these activities. The research doesn’t apply to children in areas without access to outdoor space or gardening resources.

Based on this study, improvements in eating habits and physical activity appeared within 16 weeks (about 4 months). However, this doesn’t mean changes happen overnight. Most children probably needed several weeks to adjust to the new activities and develop new habits. For the biggest benefits, gardening programs should probably continue for at least a full school year (9-10 months). Parents shouldn’t expect immediate changes—give it at least 4-6 weeks before evaluating whether gardening is helping your child. Keep in mind that benefits might fade if the gardening activities stop, so consistency matters.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track your child’s vegetable and fruit intake daily (number of servings or types eaten) and compare weekly totals before and after starting gardening activities. Also track outdoor physical activity minutes per day to see if gardening increases overall movement.
  • Start a small home garden or container garden with your child and involve them in planting, watering, and harvesting. Use the app to log which plants you’re growing and when you harvest them. When harvest time comes, plan meals together that include the vegetables they grew, and track whether they’re more willing to eat those foods.
  • Use the app to create a weekly check-in where you rate your child’s willingness to try new vegetables (1-10 scale) and their daily outdoor activity time. Take photos of the garden progress monthly to visualize growth over time. Set a goal to continue gardening for at least 16 weeks and review progress at the 4-week, 8-week, and 16-week marks to see if patterns match the research findings.

This research suggests that gardening activities may help young children develop healthier eating habits and increase physical activity, but the study was small and short-term. These findings should not replace professional medical advice, nutrition counseling, or treatment for eating disorders or developmental concerns. Parents and educators should consult with pediatricians or child development specialists before making significant changes to a child’s diet or activity level based on this research. Individual results vary, and this study does not prove that gardening will work the same way for all children. If your child has allergies, physical limitations, or other health conditions, check with a healthcare provider before starting gardening activities.