Exploring nature with your children
As the iconic Chelsea Flower Show returns for anthro– and dendrophiles around the world, it brings with it more than just glitzy floral displays. For parents and their children, it offers a timely reminder to explore and embrace our natural surroundings. And with May half term coming up, there’s no better time to swap screens for seeds and learn about the green goodness that blankets our country at this time of the year.
Why gardening and nature matters for kids
Children are naturally curious about the world around them. Gardening taps into that innate curiosity, offering an immersive, hands-on experience that blends science and creativity. Forget germinating a seed in cotton wool in a dingy school science lab – get outdoors to identify flowers, trees or bees, or let simply let younger kids dig around in the soil to give them a sense of connection to nature, the food they eat and the wider cycles of life.
It also offers something increasingly valuable to us here at Oppidan HQ: a break from screens. Children are constantly learning and finding distraction in equal measure through phones, TVs and AI-powered novelties, exploring the outdoors offers something technology can’t replicate. The garden is a space for play, physical movement and sensory immersion. It’s messy, unpredictable and gloriously real. It’s a chance to slow down and look up and around, something that we’ve seemingly lost the ability to do.
In case you missed it, The Princess of Wales recently released a truly stunning video celebrating the virtues of nature and her connection to it. The video coincided with Mental Health Awareness Week, and she reflects on how nature has provided comfort and calm during her health struggles. “The natural world’s capacity to inspire us, to nurture us and help us heal and grow is boundless”, she says, reminding us all – parents and children alike – that being in the outdoors brings peace and perspective.
What to do this May half term
If the Chelsea Flower Show is the spark, then this half term is the perfect time to dive in. With longer days, warmer weather and a sea of flowers and green leaves washing over parks, gardens and countryside, May is an ideal month to make outdoor plans with your children. They’ll start to notice the smells, textures and colours of late-spring flowers and trees, and see pollinators busily at work.
Here are a few ideas for half term:
Start a sketchbook: children can draw, colour and write about the plants they on a walk or around the garden.
Plant a small herb garden: easy to grow in small pots, herbs like basil, rosemary, mint and chives are a perfect starter and can be used in family meals.
Go on a ‘rainbow’ scavenger hunt: find one flower or plant for each colour of the rainbow!
Grow sunflowers from seeds: fast-growing, beautiful and loved by children, sunflowers are a great gateway plant to grow with your kids.
Of course, these are only a handful of ideas to get started. You may have your own which is great – the main thing is to get them outside and keep them engaged!
What’s currently in season?
To make the most of May, here are a few beautiful and educational flowers and plants currently in season. These are perfect to spot either in the wild or buy to plant at home:
Nature as an antidote
Our children today inhabit a world that’s increasingly digital, fast-paced and hyper-connected, and it’s often the parents who set the worst example when it comes to excess screen time. Nature is our antidote – it slows us down, demanding attention and presence. Whether it’s the waiting game of a seed germinating or the quiet patience to spot a wood pigeon when you hear one, these moments are educational and character building for children.
This May, let the Chelsea Flower Show inspire you and use your half term to explore our great outdoors.