The Children’s Obesity Fund-sponsored organization Gardenworks for Kids will be hosting a day of hiking and nature walking for families. Gardenworks for Kids is a nonprofit organization that gives elementary school children the chance to learn about organic gardening, nutrition and environmental responsibility. Michael Omidi discusses the work of Gardenworks for Kids, as well as the obesity epidemic in the United States.
Gardenworks for Kids, a nonprofit organization sponsored by Children’s Obesity Fund, will be hosting Indian Hill Family Hike Day in Twin Peaks, California on November 2nd. The day will be spent enjoying the pine forests and beautiful vistas along the trail. The outing is free of charge, and families are encouraged to attend.
Gardenworks for kids is dedicated to introducing children to healthy lifestyles and eating habits by teaching them to appreciate the joys of the organic garden. The programs are tailored to children from kindergarten through 5th grade, and the curriculum offers kids the opportunity to grow their own vegetables, fruits and herbs. In addition to working in the outdoors and learning about horticulture, the kids are able to embrace environmental responsibility and the natural habitat of local fauna.
From a nutritional perspective, Gardenworks for Kids gives children invaluable instruction on the benefits of natural foods and a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. After a semester of gardening, the kids use the vegetables to make vegetable soup and garden pizzas. The older children use the fruit from their orchard to learn how to dehydrate fruits and make their own nutritious snacks.
Getting children to understand and enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables is critically important in curbing childhood obesity. Kids who grow their own fresh foods are more likely to recognize the benefits of eating healthily, and consequently develop a curiosity about and appreciation for unfamiliar foods, rather than stick to easy, nutritionally void processed snacks.
Kids who live in urban environments are rarely able to experience nature and all of the beauties therein. Unfortunately, childhood obesity is a rampaging issue among children in large cities. However, Gardenworks for Kids programs brings the outdoors to children who aren’t normally exposed to greenery, and provides these kids with rigorous work that ultimately yields wonderful results not only for their environment, but also for their young bodies. There is a great deal of sweat and cardiovascular activity involved in gardening, planting trees and sowing seeds, and at the end of the season, the kids have a bountiful harvest.
The Indian Hill Family Hike Day will take place between 9am and 2pm.