Even if you don’t have a green thumb, you can still find simple pleasures in gardening with your family. Spring is the perfect time to dust off the watering can, pick up some kid-sized gloves and select potting soil.

Not only is gardening a great hobby to help you unwind, but it’s a wonderful physical activity that might have excellent benefits for your child. The following are seven ways gardening can help with your child’s development.

1) Social and emotional development
One way gardening benefits young children is by helping with social and emotional development. Children are able to express joy when a flower blooms or disappointment if a plant doesn’t thrive. The harvesting period could take weeks or months, so gardening also teaches patience. Studies have also shown that spending time around flowers produces powerful positive emotions and can have a beneficial effect on mood and social behavior.

2) Improves physical activity
Kids spend a huge amount of time indoors watching TV or playing with electronics. Gardening can motivate them to get some fresh air. By bending over to pull up weeds, squatting to dig holes for seedlings, and simply moving around, children will become more active, which reduces the risk of child obesity.

3) Boosts language and communication
Discussing the growing process with your child can boost his or her vocabulary. Children can draw images and labels to help distinguish their plants. They can also chart the differences of leaves and flowers.

4) Teaches problem solving
Gardening teaches a child valuable problem-solving skills. The more time they spend outdoors in nature and understand the life cycle of plants, the more they sharpen their observation skills. Your child will begin to notice and compare shapes, sizes, and weight of seeds, vegetables and herbs. They learn to solve problems as they figure out how to pull up weeds and clear away rocks.

5) Helps a child become independent
Tending a garden encourages a child to take on responsibilities. As your child notices those first blooms or saplings starting to sprout, he develops a sense of pride in his abilities and feels accomplished working on his own in nature. Gardening boosts your child’s confidence and analytical abilities.

6) Increases literacy
Gardening is excellent for increasing literacy. Your child will learn the names of different plants and reading what their growth requirements are. Another fun writing activity could be making a map of your garden and labeling the plants and herbs in it.

7) Stimulates a child’s senses
Gardening has wonderful sensory benefits. Water, soil, leaves, and seeds all have different textures that kids can discover by touching. Vision is also involved in taking care of plants and flowers, since children are surrounded by a variety of colors and shapes. Smell is also stimulated by this outdoor activity. Children will appreciate the scent of herbs, vegetables and fresh soil, which can help reduce stress and anxiety.