May’s World Bee Day is a wonderful and very worthwhile International event. It’s also one that’s perfect for children, including under-fives, to get involved in. Not only does it raise families’ awareness of the importance of bees and pollinators, but it’s also a great opportunity to introduce little ones to some of nature’s adorable little creatures and get them more interested in the natural world. Nature is fabulously good for children, benefiting them in a myriad of different ways, so creating a buzz around World Bee Day is sure to be fun, educational, and hugely beneficial to children. With that in mind, today’s post explains more about World Bee Day and activities that children can take part in to celebrate the event.
What is World Bee Day?
World Bee Day arrives on the same date each year — the 20th of May. The annual event celebrates bees and other pollinators and the important role they play in the world. Without them, there would be no food crops, fruit, vegetables, or nuts, leaving animals — including humans — in real mortal danger. The event also raises awareness of the plight and dwindling numbers of bees and other pollinators around the world, shining a spotlight on ways to reverse their decline.
So, by drawing children’s attention to bees, they’ll learn more about bees and pollinators, more about nature, where food comes from, and how human practices impact the natural world. Such a focus is a great way to both educate and instil in them the need to look after nature and all its flora and fauna. After all, today’s children are tomorrow’s stewards of this precious planet.
How Can Children Get Involved in World Bee Day?
There are many ways to create a buzz and get children involved in World Bee Day, so read on to discover some excellent bee-related activity ideas for under-fives below.
Create a Bee-Friendly Garden
Children naturally take to planting seeds, tending seedlings as they grow, and watering plants and flowers. That’s great because it gives many opportunities for children to make gardens wildlife-friendly in readiness for World Bee Day each year. They can sow wildflower seeds, water existing flowers and bulbs in the garden, or even plant some low-cost flowers or seedlings in pots for the family’s windowsills, patio, balcony or garden. And, when flowers are blooming in May, the bees and pollinators will come! Whether it’s honeybees, bumblebees, or other pollinators like hoverflies, each one is adorable and a delight for children to see.
TIP! Bees love brightly-coloured flowers including those which are yellow or white. However, they are particularly attracted to those which are blue, purple, violet, and ultraviolet.
Teach Respect & Empathy
Remember to teach respect and empathy; bees are busy little things, going about their business, so it’s important for children to look but not touch. Encourage children to watch them and not disrupt their lives — they have feelings, their own lives, and incredibly important jobs to do after all.
Make a Bee Oasis
During hot days, bees can get very weary and can therefore sometimes be seen on the ground motionless as if they’re dying* or ill. Often they’re simply exhausted from all their hard work, flying in hot weather, and might also be dehydrated. To help bees avoid getting to this stage, children can put out little saucers (like those that go under flowerpots) with shallow water in them. They can simply be placed on flowerbeds and lawn edges close to the flowers that bees visit to collect nectar. However, it’s essential to include stones or small rocks that protrude from below the waterline into the air above. Bees, along with other pollinators, will then be able to use these to land on, crawl along, and sip at the water’s edge. The stones or rocks are also useful as an escape route should they accidentally end up in the water — bees can’t swim!
* Also learn how you can help a bee that needs reviving with sugar water here.
Take Children on a Bee-Spotting Walk
Wherever there are flowers, children will find bees, particularly if the flowers are brightly coloured and fragrant. A walk around the local neighbourhood, park, or natural open spaces will be both great exercise and an opportunity for little ones to spot some lovely bees and pollinators. Getting outdoors (appropriately supervised* and dressed) is beneficial to children in many ways, and a bee-spotting walk will be a simple way to introduce them to these important and cute little creatures. Can they spot a bumblebee? Can they spot a bee collecting nectar in their leg pouches (also known as pollen baskets or corbiculae)? Which type of bees are they seeing? Can they tell the difference between a common wasp (generally with yellow stripes) and a honeybee (generally with brown stripes)? And do they like the smell of some of the beautiful flowers that they’ll see on their bee walk? Such an activity is a delight to the senses!
Teach Children the Bee Waggle Dance!
Honeybees dance! Did you know? When they want to communicate the discovery of a source of nectar to other bees in their colony, they will do what’s called the ‘Waggle Dance’. It’s a real thing! Scientists have studied the dance and have discovered that it tells other bees the direction, quality, and distance of the new food source from the hive. It consists of a wiggle while walking forward in the direction of the food source. The number of repetitions and specifics about the wiggles give other bees clues about the distance, location, and quality of the food source. They’ll then know which direction to head in and how far they’ll to need to fly. The accompanying video explains more. Inspired by this, why not encourage children to do their own waggle dance to music?
Create Bee Art!
If the weather is unsuitable for outdoor activities, one of the easiest bee-related activities that children can take part in is making bee art. They can try drawing bumblebees, flowers, and hives with pencils, pens, or markers. Alternatively, they can get even more creative using paints or collages. Cutting up coloured tissue paper shapes and making bee-related images using appliqué is sure to be fun and impressive (child-safe scissors being used by parents or under super-close supervision). Parents can perhaps cut out any tricky shapes for the youngest children and then help guide them as they glue bee, flower, or hive elements into place.
Bee Crafts!
Bee art can be extended further by creating three-dimensional models and shapes. With a little help from parents or older siblings, even children under five can take part. They will enjoy sticking shaped paper or cardboard pieces and other recycled materials into place to form three-dimensional bees and flowers. Useful materials for such models could be things like corrugated card, tissue paper in various colours, coloured pipe cleaners, fabric, kitchen roll cores, paper plates and cups and, of course, coloured paints to decorate the final piece. Such creations can be as simple or complex as families like. This is a great activity to boost fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination!
Bee Fancy Dress
Children can get into bee-inspired fancy dress while doing their waggle dance! Striped clothes will help. Perhaps parents can help them make wings from card or material and shaped wire. Some antennae should not be too difficult to make from a headband, some pipe cleaners and some homemade pom-poms or foam balls from a craft shop. Children will love such creativity and the fun that ensues with friends once they’re all dressed up!
Create a Buzz About World Bee Day This May!
The bee-related activity ideas suggested in today’s post will be a fabulous way to introduce children to these magical little creatures, the wonderful work they do for us and the planet, and the measures little ones can take in their own lives to improve the plight of the natural world. The activities will also be fun and educational — indeed supporting many areas of the EYFS — and allow children to benefit from the enormous number of ways that nature can help them. From greater well-being and lower stress levels to greater focus and improved grades, nature is amazing for children and adults alike. What’s more, spending time around bees and nature will help children become more ecologically conscious, give them a sense of empathy and responsibility, and live more sustainably as they grow older. We wish everyone a happy World Bee Day this May.
Lessons from Nature at Little Cedars Nursery, Streatham
We know how important nature is to children at Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham and that’s why the setting has its own planting and vegetable area for the children. Nurturing flowers, growing fruit and vegetables and tending plants will teach children a lot about the natural world, the importance of taking responsibility for other living things under their care, empathy, and where food comes from. Such activities also give them new knowledge, new skills, and a sense of achievement. They’re just one element in the full spectrum of early years learning and development opportunities at Little Cedars.
Get in touch today if you’d like your baby or child to visit Little Cedars Nursery — it’s by far the best way to see how well they will fit in. We can show you both around, answer questions, and tell you more about nursery places here in Streatham.
Little Cedars Nursery in Streatham is designated a ‘Good Provider’ by Ofsted and supports childcare funding for eligible children from 9 months of age. Located in Streatham close to Tooting Common, it will be a convenient choice for those living in and around Tooting, Furzedown, Balham, Norbury and Colliers Wood.
* Young children should be supervised at all times when exploring or playing outdoors. Read our safety tips for outdoor play for more ways to keep them safe outdoors.
Children of the UK, it’s time to get ready for World Book Day! Arriving in early March, it is a wonderful annual event where children across the nation get to immerse themselves in books, storytelling, and other book-inspired activities. Such activities are incredibly important for children. Did you know, for example, that children who regularly read for pleasure are happier children who also go on to have greater success in their lives? This uplift is even more significant for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Such is the power of reading for little ones! With all this in mind, today’s article outlines more about World Book Day and why it’s so important. It also suggests some activities that children and families can take part in to celebrate this year’s event.
World Book Day arrives each year on the first Thursday of March. So, for 2025 it’s celebrated on the 6th of March, then in 2026 it’s on the 5th, for 2027 it’s the 4th, and so on. Organised by the charity of the same name, the core mission of World Book Day is “to promote reading for pleasure, offering every child and young person the opportunity to have a book of their own.” The reason is simple: a life-long love of reading for pleasure results in improved life chances. It’s incredibly powerful for children of all ages, as indicated in the following findings from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development:
The World Book Day® charity published a 17-page impact report for the event that took place in 2024. One of the key findings was that something needed to be done to stop the significant drop in children reading for pleasure. Otherwise, children would be missing out on some profound benefits. The report concluded that there had been several reasons for the downward trend. For example, 20% of children said they felt judged for what books they read. Some said that reading felt more like a chore or ‘work’ because the books were foisted upon them by adults. Just over 8% of children simply didn’t have access to any books at home. Of those that did, over a third said they had no choice over what they read.
In the UK, children under 18 are eligible to receive a £1 book token through the event. This can be used to buy a special World Book Day title or go towards another book (
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 
As we previously reported, 
One of the ways you can optimise the success of any indoor play is to set aside a dedicated and safe play area or room for your child. Here, you can ensure that children have the space and tools available for stimulating play when needed, and quieter play at other times. Age-appropriate toys, books, and equipment are, of course, the first prerequisite for such an area. However, you may also consider other elements such as a quiet storytelling/reading corner, a play den or teepee, a relaxation area with cushions and blankets, a creative section with art and craft supplies, a play kitchen or play tools section, and so on. Giving your child such a space is sure to encourage them to immerse themselves in their play activities. And, as we know, children learn best through play.
As well as giving children the tools for imaginative and educational play at home, your proactive input will also boost the benefits they receive from such activities. So, get involved, lead them sometimes and at other times let them lead. They’ll discover and learn more in this way. Ask and answer questions, encourage them to be creative in their thinking and physical approach and highlight aspects and elements that they may not otherwise have been aware of. Such an approach can teach children so much. It may well also deepen the bond between you.
There are many types of play at home that can involve role-play, which is a powerful tool for learning. Role-play allows children to immerse themselves deeply into the game, story, or scenario they are acting out. As such it greatly boosts young imaginations and stimulates creativity skills. So, encourage such activities as dressing up in costumes, acting, and putting on pretend voices to embody characters. You and your child can take this a step further through the setting up of play equipment or props to create a new play scenario, for example, a play den, cave, pretend kitchen, or castle. Children will have immense fun whilst also learning huge amounts from such creative and imaginative activities.
Role-playing can also be brought into time spent reading with your child. 
While electronic screens have their occasional place in the education and entertainment of families, it’s healthy to ensure your child has regular screen-free time. Partaking in active play at home — rather than staring inactively at a screen — can only be a good thing, in so many ways. Social skills will be better when children are actively involved in physical play with others. Motor skills and fitness will also benefit. Creativity levels will go through the roof too when children play in real life. They will also learn so much about the world, everything around them and the endless possibilities available to them by playing in the real world. Ensuring children get access to such benefits and opportunities by switching off smartphones, TVs, tablets and game consoles is something every parent can easily do for their child. Doing so will allow for more traditional play, which will enrich their lives in an infinite number of ways.
Toys that allow open-ended play are the toys that young children will usually learn the most from. For example, allowing your child to play with building blocks and materials for arts and crafts will let your child’s imagination run riot. Through these, they will be able to create an infinite range of scenarios and possibilities. Dolls and action figures are also good examples that will allow children to immerse themselves in open-ended play, with you there to help expand those possibilities, scenarios and learning opportunities even further.
It doesn’t have to be just you and your child playing. Siblings and your child’s peers can also be encouraged to join in. Consider inviting your little one’s friends to your home or local park for a play date. Getting your child’s friends and peers together for group play will allow your child to learn and hone social skills like cooperation, teamwork, leadership, sharing and potentially even conflict resolution. And, with you there to oversee the group session, you can be sure that home play will be fulfilling, organised, fair and rewarding for all who take part.
Remember that you can facilitate learning through play outdoors with your child too. Whether in the garden, park or countryside, playing outdoors gives children a vast number of learning opportunities — and it’s great fun! By accompanying children outdoors, they can naturally explore and discover — and enjoy doing so in ways that are much more free than when playing indoors. Outdoor play is a feast for the senses, it will encourage the honing of physical skills like balance, coordination, motor skills and strength as well as fitness. Playing in the natural world is also incredibly good for children’s mental well-being and holistic development. Learn more about 
Getting children interested in nature, and spending time around it, is extremely good for them as we’ve reported before — 
Children and families, get ready for National Storytelling Week! For 2024, storytelling in the UK is officially celebrated from Saturday the 27th of January to Sunday the 4th of February. It’s a great opportunity for children and families to get creative and to entertain one another through the sharing of stories.
National Storytelling Week couldn’t come at a better time of year. As many across the UK have witnessed in recent weeks, January brings with it cold days, dull skies, and wintery weather. Even the daylight hours are short, limiting the number of activities children can undertake outdoors. With storytelling, however, families can be transported to any number of different locations, situations and climates, all in the blink of an eye. Indeed, storytelling can take children to places and scenarios that would simply not be possible in real life. Such is the power of this art form and the human imagination.
Stories stimulate imaginations;
Another great way to help children create new stories is to encourage them to be inspired by objects around them. For example, a teddy bear, toy character, or picture nearby may inspire them. This can be taken further by providing children with a basket of such props, for example, a toy animal, pine cone, toy crown, goblet, apple, and a rock. A ‘story scrapbook’ can be used by children in a similar way. Such things can significantly help children to become more creative and generate storyline ideas, sequencing, and plot twists.
Parents and children, don’t miss this year’s incredibly important birdwatching activity for the RSPB — and the planet — which occurs from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th January. The Big Garden Birdwatch only takes one hour, is free, and is an extremely worthwhile activity for children and families to take part in. It’s a great way to introduce children to the concept of conservation as well as getting them interested in spending time in and around nature. And, as we’ve reported before, nature is extremely good for children! In today’s post, we explain how easy it is to get your little ones involved and why taking part is a win-win-win for families, birds and nature.
Monitoring populations of bird species every year allows the RSPB and other conservation organisations to see how the various types of garden birds are faring. Whether or not they’re doing well will be a barometer of the state of nature itself as well as that of the individual bird populations. If the RSPB and other conservation organisations can see a problem, they can then mobilise to try to do something about it. Likewise, if they see a particular bird species doing well, they can learn from that and better understand what measures are helping that particular bird population to thrive.
In 2023, the bird species spotted the most was the House Sparrow, followed by the Blue Tit in second place, Starling in third, Wood Pigeon in fourth and Blackbird in fifth.
By registering you’ll also get a free guide to taking part in the event, which includes visual reference to the birds to look out for, as well as other perks like a discount on bird food and other bird feeding supplies available from the RSPB’s online shop.
If you’re keen to attract as many birds as possible to your Garden Birdwatch count, the RSPB has you covered. As well as providing useful 