Children–plant interaction using therapeutic horticulture intervention in a Romanian school

Abstract

Nature, childhood, and ecopsychology can to be connected in the landscape of a schoolyard. The landscape architecture of the natural environments serves as a wide-open green space for outdoor activities, creating imaginative and inventive urban environmental layouts and connecting natural elements. School-based green experience, either indoor or outdoor, can be a physical and mental activity for children. In the case of individuals, it makes` easy to access a natural, green environment and to be actively involved in a natural setting, developing either social and/or cognitive functions and improving concentration and creativity. Therapeutic horticulture activity, such as planting indoor plants, can be a good experience for developing team work, the proprioceptive (kinase) receptors, affectivity, socialization, permanent care, and responsibility. The potential benefits of ornamental plants for children involved in public education include spending time in outdoor spaces, fresh air and sunshine, experiencing a sense of control, and being exposed to sensory stimulations. Physical and psychological education based on therapeutic horticulture activities in Romanian schools, such as planting and green care, can provide important opportunities for children to develop their attachment to nature, offering sustainable education solutions to an active part of the natural environment.