Here are some of the benefits that horticultural therapy can offer for your child.
Now may be just the right time to enjoy springtime at home. And gardening is a great way to enjoy fresh air and sunshine while spending time with your child. If you didn’t already know, there is a method called horticultural therapy that some therapists use to work with children and teens with disabilities. Horticultural therapy is also something that you can try at home. Here are some of the benefits that horticultural therapy can offer for your child.
Regulating Mood and Stress
It can be hard to cope with the stress in the world, which is why time and again people have found that taking a break is so healthy. Especially for children, spending time outside can be a peaceful and healing experience. And if your child is not a fan of the outdoors, then horticultural therapy could be a way to help them get interested by giving them a task to focus on. Just a few minutes outside each day can reduce stress and improve your child’s mood overall.
Practice Skills
Although gardening isn’t something that most people do on a regular basis, it is a great way to practice many life skills. Your child can work on their fine motor skills with something as simple as pulling weeds, for example. They can also practice organizational skills by planning with you where and how to plant different seeds and plants. And horticultural therapy is also a great way to work on social skills in a no-pressure environment.
Improving Self-Worth
Another way that horticultural therapy is beneficial is in how much it helps a child build self-worth. If your child has a disability, then you have seen how they might struggle to do some things that other children do, which can become discouraging. Horticultural therapy gives you the opportunity to show your child how they can accomplish things. Although gardening can fit any skill level, it still takes diligence and care to make a garden grow successfully. Your child can focus on their strengths, all while learning about nature and how they’re helping improve the ecosystem. Most of all, you will eventually see the reward of their labor once the plants start to blossom.
The Connections Therapy Center
The Connections Therapy Center serves families of children and adolescents with disabilities and special needs. We are a team of experts in the fields of pediatric speech, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and behavioral sciences. As a team, we offer intensive hands-on therapy for children and adolescents, as well as informative and useful resources for families. If you are interested in learning more about what we can do to help your family, visit us online or give us a call at (301) 577-4333. Want to get more information on how to help your child thrive? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.