HEALTH BENEFITS OF FAMILY GARDENING GIVE YOUR KID THE GIFT OF A GREEN THUMB
Springtime often means nicer weather and more time spent outside, but it also means it’s gardening season. It’s time to roll up your sleeves and play in the dirt. If you’ve been searching for a way to get the kids away from technology and engaged with the real world, gardening is the perfect activity for the whole family to enjoy. Not only is it fun, but it’s also beneficial for your kids’ development. For example, gardening can improve your children’s analytical abilities. As Dr. Wendy Matthews says, “Gardening exercises important reasoning, initiation, planning, and organization skills.” Furthermore, several studies, including one at Texas A&M University, suggest that gardening improves a child’s attitude
toward fruits and vegetables and may make them more likely to choose them as snacks. Gardening helps kids identify with where their food is coming from, and nothing tastes better than a freshly picked strawberry or pea pod they grew themselves. Jack Gilbert, a scientist at the University of Chicago and a parent himself, and his co-author, Rob Knight, emphasize the health benefits of garden time in their book, “Dirt Is Good: The Advantage of Germs for Your Child’s Developing Immune System.” The two found that exposure to different microbes, like those found in a garden, strengthens a child’s immune system and makes them less likely to develop allergies.
If this is your first time gardening, you don’t need much to get started. Grab a few shovels, a pair of gloves for each family member, and fresh potting soil, and you’ll be set. Then, you can decide together which plants you’d like to grow! Carrots are fun because of the surprise factor — just imagine your child discovering that the part they eat grows below the ground! Peas are tasty and fairly easy to grow, as are strawberries. The options really are endless. Depending on the growing season in your area, you can choose to buy seeds or opt for rooted plants. Last but certainly not least, the best part of gardening as a family is the healthy, fresh produce you’ll get to enjoy all summer long!
SPOILER ALERT! THEY’RE HERE TO STAY WHAT’S THE FUTURE OF ONLINE LESSONS?
At Minnesota School of Music, we are SO excited to have you all back in the office. We miss your faces and giving our talented musicians pats on the back for all their accomplishments and hard work. At the time of writing, we don’t have an official location reopening date, but we still have information to share regarding the future operations at our school. In preparation for our reopening, we have some great news: In the future, you’ll be able to choose whether you want to see us in-person or online! Despite the initial bumps in our learning process, we’ve had unexpected results through our distance learning process — many teachers, parents, and students love it. Our location will stay open for in-person classes, too, of course. Our school is not going completely digital, but we’ve found that for some, online learning works well. For instance, some parents were making a 40-minute commute to our school, but they appreciated our education so much that they were willing to do it. However, online learning has proven to be a great option for them. It’s also a
great opportunity for students with busy schedules who want to continue to expand their musical expertise.
As we transition back to in-person lessons again, we’ll continue to offer distance learning as an option for people who prefer that platform. If you’d like regular lessons online, you can choose to stay with that option. You have the choice! We’re always going to be here for you. That’s not all: We’re also going to offer distance learning in the event of weather emergencies. Traditionally, we’d schedule missed music lessons during a student’s spring or summer break. Unfortunately, that causes great inconvenience for students and teachers alike. Our teachers need vacations, too! Thus, in the event that we have to close the school for any reason in the future, lessons can continue to be held online.
Our whole team appreciates your passion for musical learning. We look forward to seeing you all again soon!
2 • www.mnschoolofmusic.com
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