There’s something magical about seeing a child run through long grass, gather conkers in autumn, or pause wide-eyed at the sight of a beautiful butterfly on a flower. At Little Cedars Nursery, we know how valuable these moments are — nature has always been the greatest playground, the richest classroom, and the most inspiring storybook. Indeed, research consistently shows that children who spend time in nature benefit in countless ways, from improved concentration and physical health to emotional wellbeing and creativity. In fact, we’ve written a whole article about nature’s benefits to children, here.
But beyond the evidence, there’s also inspiration. Generations of writers, educators, and parents have tried to capture in words what nature gives to children. With that in mind, we’ve gathered together some of our favourite quotations, each one a reminder of why the great outdoors is such a vital part of childhood — take a look.
A Gallery of Inspiring Words
Below you’ll find a curated collection of quotes that celebrate children, nature, and the adventures that happen when the two come together. They’re perfect for reflecting on, sharing with friends, or printing out as a little reminder to pause and head outside with your child. Click for a larger view.
Quotations That Inspire
Feel free to download, print out, and keep your favourites from the quotations featured today. Pop them on your fridge, frame one for your child’s room, or share them with family and friends who love the outdoors too. Sometimes all it takes is a small reminder to make space for big adventures.
Nature doesn’t have to mean a faraway forest or a long car journey. For little ones, it can be as simple as listening for birdsong on the walk to nursery, picking daisies at the park, or watching raindrops race down a window. However you enjoy it, the important thing is that children have the chance to connect with the world around them — to feel the earth beneath their feet, the wind in their hair, and the joy of discovery. For children in their early years, time outdoors sparks curiosity, builds resilience, and nurtures a sense of wonder that will stay with them for life.
We hope these words inspire you to make time for those moments. Because every adventure, no matter how small, helps a child grow into someone curious, confident, and ready to take on the world.
Exploring Nature at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham
Little Cedars Day Nursery, Streatham, encourages children to get closer to nature — we know how profoundly beneficial it is to them. As well as being close to local natural spaces like Tooting Common, children at Little Cedars are also able to grow seedlings, vegetables, and plants in the nursery’s very own planting area. Growing their own gives them a whole raft of new skills, teaches them about nature, the world, and the circle of life. It is also a wonderfully hands-on way to show little ones where food comes from — and that they can grow their own with some care, responsibility and nurturing. Nature is a wonderful teacher!
If you have a baby or child under five and live in or around the Streatham area, consider Little Cedars Nursery for your weekday childcare provision. It’s a high-quality nursery and preschool in Streatham, near Streatham Hill and Streatham Common and is also suitable for families living nearby in Tooting, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood. Ofsted rates Little Cedars Nursery a Good Provider, so you know your child will be in safe hands. We also support free childcare funding for eligible families. If all of this sounds like something you’d like for your child, please get in touch:
Safety Outdoors
Children, especially the very young, should always be supervised and accompanied by a responsible adult when playing and exploring outdoors — there are many dangers out there! Also check out our tips for child safety outdoors for a few pointers.
National Children’s Gardening Week is a wonderful annual event that’s designed to inspire children’s curiosity around growing plants and gardening-related activities. It takes place during what is typically a warm period of the year. That’s important because it means seeds and plants will grow faster and need minimal protective measures from inclement weather. Speedy growing results will appeal to little ones!
National Children’s Gardening Week coincides perfectly with the Spring Bank Holiday and May half-term school holiday, taking place from the 24th of May to the 1st of June 2025. It’s usually a lovely warm week and is perfect timing for children to make the most of the event and to maximise the many benefits of spending time around nature.
National Children’s Gardening Week also raises money to support children in hospices through the national charity Greenfingers. They create inspiring gardens and beautiful outdoor spaces where hospice children with life-limiting conditions can play, rest, relax, and spend time with family and friends. Such outdoor spaces allow affected children to spend quality time away from the bedside in well-designed outdoor areas where they can enjoy all the benefits of fresh air and a natural environment.
Children and families can take part at home as well as in participating schools, childcare settings, community groups, ‘outdoorsy’ retail outlets and even some National Trust properties.
Sowing Wildflower Seeds
Herbs and some vegetables can be grown from seeds, cultivated, and harvested from simple flowerpots or yoghurt pots. They can also be ‘re-grown’ through various devious means that will fascinate children including under-fives. We wrote a whole post about that too, so take a look — it’s quite ingenious, is incredibly educational, and results in free food! What’s more, it can be done indoors. 
Another ‘indoor gardening’ activity is growing these comical ‘egg heads’. Grown simply from cress seeds, they can be grown in egg shells as shown, or another alternative would be yoghurt pots. When the cress is ready to be harvested and used in salads or as a garnish, the little characters can have a haircut! 
Another activity that children can get involved in for National Children’s Gardening Week is to create bee-friendly gardens. Our recent post about World Bee Day explains how to make a bee oasis (from where bees and pollinators can get a refreshing drink) and a bee-friendly garden. 
Plants love compost and so do minibeasts. So, another wonderful activity for children in National Children’s Gardening Week is to make homemade compost. Our dedicated
Once the flowers are blooming outside, children can experiment with pressing flowers. Pressed flowers are a wonderful way for children to save flowers semi-permanently as keepsakes or to use as part of an art activity.
The youngest children will love this activity! Children will need some scavenged moss, pebbles, sticks, seashells and perhaps small pieces of driftwood from a beach. Children can then use these to transform the soil in a large pot or on top of a log into 
Families: get ready for World Wildlife Day! On 3rd March each year, we celebrate UN World Wildlife Day, an important event that is all about protecting nature’s flora and fauna. At nursery age, little ones are naturally curious and eager to learn more about the world around them. World Wildlife Day is therefore the perfect opportunity to inspire a greater love for nature and wildlife in our young. Exploring the wonders of plants, trees, and the animal kingdom teaches them more about the world and also helps children develop key skills like language, creativity, and empathy. Whether through outdoor play or wildlife-themed activities, engaging with nature’s wildlife can therefore create valuable early learning experiences. With that in mind, today’s post outlines some simple activities that children, including those under five*, can take part in to celebrate World Wildlife Day. We also highlight some of the benefits of nature to children towards the end of the post.
Getting outdoors is the best way to see wildlife, especially if your family lives near a park or the countryside. Rambles, picnics, and simple walks are all obvious options and, of course, wildlife sanctuaries are a good choice if you have one nearby. That said, while such outdoor options are amongst the best ways for children to connect with nature, sometimes they’re simply not possible. However, when that’s the case, there are plenty of other possibilities including bringing the wonders of wildlife into your nursery, home, or garden. Here are some engaging, age-appropriate activities that will allow children to take part in World Wildlife Day whatever their circumstances:
Most children naturally take to drawing, so encouraging them to draw wild animals, plants and birds will be a popular suggestion, especially around the time of World Wildlife Day. For example, they could try drawing British mammals like rabbits and squirrels, jungle animals like elephants and tigers, or sea creatures like dolphins and whales. To make it easier, perhaps give them some visual reference to inspire them. They could choose from a variety of media, be it pencils, crayons, paints, or collages — or something entirely different. Playdough or salt dough models are also an option. Children naturally love to create and, once complete, perhaps display their pieces to encourage future progress.
Reading books about wildlife will introduce children to new animals and habitats. Great options for younger under-fives include ‘Dear Zoo’ by Rod Campbell and ‘Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?’ by Bill Martin Jr. (author) and Eric Carle (illustrator). Also, of course, children and families have the option to tell each other made-up stories. They’re a great way to encourage creative thinking and can be approached in a number of different ways. For example, a parent could tell a story first to give the child an idea of 
Try making some simple bird feeders with your children. There are lots of easy ways to make them as outlined in our dedicated guide, 
Create a simple scavenger hunt using pictures, words, or our free nature hunt sheets to encourage children to find different natural objects like leaves, feathers, and pine cones. This activity builds children’s observation skills, gives them deep insights into nature, and instils in them a better appreciation for the environment. Currently, free reference sheets are available for 
Engage children with easy science experiments, like 
Spending time in nature or learning about wildlife isn’t just fun—it has incredible benefits for early childhood development. To harness such benefits, families can incorporate nature-based learning into children’s routines in a variety of ways. Examples include organising outdoor exploration sessions, setting up small wildlife observation areas, and using nature-themed storytelling to engage the young learners. Connecting children with nature:
Incorporating wildlife into children’s activities doesn’t have to be limited to one day. Encouraging youngsters to notice the birds in the garden, look for insects on nature walks, or watch the changing seasons can gift them a lifelong love of nature. Parents and families can make wildlife observation a regular habit, perhaps by keeping a simple nature sketchbook where children can draw or glue in pictures of what they see, or by creating a wildlife corner at home with books, nature finds, and small child-safe plants. Even setting up a bird-watching station near a window can turn everyday moments into exciting learning opportunities. By celebrating World Wildlife Day, we can inspire the next generation of nature lovers—one little explorer at a time!
Home-made play dens are great fun both to construct and to use. Children will love constructing them, perhaps using fallen branches, sticks, or garden bamboo canes. If they show real ‘bush craft’ potential, they could even progress to covering them with large leaves, moss, fir tree fronds, or simply use a spare blanket or sheet from indoors. Once made, children will adore setting up camp, perhaps with cushions or soft moss, straw, or hay, used as a comfy base inside. Once built, their imaginations will run riot as they invent all kinds of games, role-play scenarios, and free-form play. This creative activity is such fun and has so much potential!
With a little help from an adult or using suitable reference from the Internet or a book, children will be able to 
Rocks, particularly the smooth pebble kind, are often magnets for children’s attention when they spot them outdoors. Parents and carers can encourage children to take their natural interest a few steps further by creating rock art and rock sculpture (using, of course, suitable rocks that are safe for them to use under supervision). Children will love painting rocks with patterns, flowers, or abstract designs and these can look hugely attractive. Rock sculptures are also something that children will love building, whether using painted rocks or natural ones. Scenes with multiple ‘towers’ of piled rocks look magical and children can even pretend these are part of their ‘castle’ or mark the boundaries of their kingdom and suchlike. Creating outdoors with rocks will be fun and creative, it’ll stimulate imaginations, and also hone art and motor skills.
Children will love creating their own picnic, whether it’s in the garden, local park, or out in the countryside. It’s a multi-faceted activity where they can first help prepare the food and drink, help pack it in backpacks or a cool bag, and then settle somewhere pleasant outdoors. There, they can set up camp, perhaps with a nice soft blanket to sit on, and lay out their picnic feast. It’ll be a great spot, too, to relax with friends or family, or use as a base from which to embark on other outdoor games and activities. Picnics are also a great way to extend the time children can spend outdoors because they’ll be fed and watered outside too. Magical!
Introduce children to the concept of rambling. It’s a term that also sounds much more interesting than ‘walking’ in any case, and is a great excuse to get little ones out and about, for example, in the countryside, local park, or green space. Rambling out in nature is good for children (and adults) and also presents lots of exciting opportunities for adventure for little ones. Whether it’s a fallen log that children can try to walk along, tree stumps that they can balance on, branches they can try to hang from by their arms, or little brooks and ditches that they can jump across, rambles can be wonderful adventures for children — under adult supervision, of course. They’re also great ways to stimulate imaginations as children can pretend they’re explorers, pirates, hobbits, and so on.
Children will also hugely enjoy making and then competing in their own obstacle race. Encourage them to set up a route through a suitable clearing, forest, field or park. Get them to mark boundaries and the course route with natural objects (sticks, rocks, stones, jumpers, etc.). Include obstacles like branches to jump over, tree trunks to run around, ditches or other similar hazards to jump over, and so on. Perhaps they can race several times and you, as the supervising adult, can time them. Whoever wins could be presented with a prize of some kind, whether it’s a purchased toy or simply a gold star sticker. It’ll be a great chance for children to let off steam, keep fit, and hone balance, coordination and motor skills.
Little ones are usually familiar with the concept of photographs, especially in today’s age, with cameras on every smartphone and tablet. And, of course, there are still simple stand-alone cameras available, whether digital or using traditional film. Either way, suggest that children — with care not to break or damage the device — take photos of natural things and scenery when they’re outdoors. There could even be a competition to see who can take the best photo of a flower, insect, or scene of some kind. This activity will stimulate their creativity, encourage an understanding of scientific concepts like light and shadows, and give them a sense of responsibility as they (hopefully) look after the camera or smartphone itself. Prizes or stickers could perhaps be available for the most successful and appealing shots.
Children will love having their own mini garden. Whether it’s a small area in the household garden or simply some flowerpots or grow-bags on a windowsill or patio, there is always somewhere a child can grow plants (or even vegetables or herbs) in a household. All they need is some light, soil, and water, after all. And, of course, the care and attention of someone to look after them. Children will naturally be fascinated by the concept of growing plants, flowers, herbs, vegetables, or fruit from seeds or seedlings. Tending to them and seeing them successfully grow will also give them a sense of responsibility, achievement, and perhaps even of empathy. Children can learn so much from tending to plants.
Our final outdoor activity idea for children is wildlife spotting. Whether it’s 
National Children’s Gardening Week takes place each year in the UK during what’s known as the ‘warm week’ beginning right at the end of May. This year (2024) it spans from 25 May to 2 June. However, children can get involved in gardening well outside of those dates*, of course.
This year (2024), National Children’s Gardening Week has teamed up with The World of Peter Rabbit and is encouraging children and their families to Grow With Peter Rabbit! 
Did you know, there are some incredibly 
Compost heaps are also wonderful homes for minibeasts, which are also fun and educational for children to spot. Use our previously published 
So, making a wildlife-friendly garden or area is a very worthwhile activity for children to take part in — and is educational on so many levels. See 
The benefits of gardening for children are many and varied and that’s why it’s such a wonderful activity to get them involved in. It will teach children many new skills and new knowledge. It’ll teach them about the circle of life, how to care and be responsible for other living things, and about the importance of looking after the planet. It will also give them an insight into where some food types come from. It is also great fun, will give children a huge sense of achievement, and may even open their eyes to the possibility of careers in horticulture, land management, food production, farming, and the like. And, of course, gardening makes the world a better place in so many ways. Let’s also not forget that 
Autumn is a magical time filled with vibrant colours, falling leaves, and a wonderful quality to the air. With rustling leaves covering the ground in a myriad of hues, it’s the perfect season to engage children with the wonders of a composting activity. Composting is fun, worthwhile, and educational. It not only teaches kids about the importance of recycling and sustainability but also provides an exciting outdoor activity that connects them with nature. In today’s article, we’ll explore the joy of composting with an autumn twist, where children can harness the abundance of fallen leaves to create a rich and fertile compost for the garden. Children of all ages will love this nature-based outdoor activity and it’s a win-win in every sense — for children, nature’s flora and fauna, and the garden itself.
Autumn leaves are rather like nature’s confetti and they play a crucial role in composting. Perhaps explain to children how leaves provide essential carbon and nutrients that are key ingredients for a successful compost pile. Encourage them to collect a variety of leaves in different colours and shapes, so this activity becomes a stimulating treasure hunt too.
To make composting even more enjoyable, you and the children could incorporate other autumn-themed activities. For example, they could create leaf art while waiting for the compost to develop, they could decorate the compost container through painting, or they could take part in 
Autumn is a time of the year when magical colour changes occur across gardens, parks and landscapes. Leaves can be seen in a multitude of different colours before falling along with seeds, ripening fruits and berries. In autumn, nature shows us a wonderful metamorphosis and it’s a time of beautifully crisp air and clear distant views. It’s all incredible to behold and also offers children some unique seasonal activity opportunities.
