Pots of fun at Royal School

Alan Titchmarsh opens pupils' eyes to the wonder of nature at The Royal School

Posted by Rianna Newman | July 07, 2017 | Events

• #gardening
• #education
• #nature
• #event

The Royal School enjoyed record numbers at its seventh annual ‘Grow For It’, a gardening and wildlife event hosted by Alan Titchmarsh. 

This was a wonderful opportunity for The Royal School to share its beautiful grounds and exceptional outdoor learning facilities with over 600 children under 11 taking part in activities from pond dipping to mini-beast hunting, making a butterfly feeder to painting a rock bug, sowing grass caterpillars and planting a pot to take home. 

The free event, brainchild of Alan Titchmarsh, is about connecting children with nature, increasing their understanding of the world around them and having fun outdoors! With technology playing an increasingly dominant role in our lives, Alan is concerned that children view the natural world as a spectator, rather than getting involved. Grow For It encourages children to get outside and get their hands dirty!

“I want to open children’s eyes to the wonder of nature in a fun and engaging way. The aim of the event is to help children develop an understanding of and respect for our living world and to foster a desire to protect our environment. Helping families get children outdoors is very important. It allows children the opportunity to observe what is around them and understand their place in the world,” explained Alan. 

Alan also explained that issues such as climate change can feel too large to deal with as an individual, but that if we all do something small to improve our outdoor space then those little things can make a huge difference. 

“Small things do make a difference,” continued Alan. “For example, if you plant a flower that is good for pollinating insects you will have bees and butterflies there in hours! The power of gardening and gardeners should not be underestimated.”

When he was asked why gardening is so important, Alan responded, “I believe gardening feeds our bodies and our souls. Being outdoors allows children (and adults!) to feel a sense of release and lets the imagination soar.”

Grow For It culminated in a wonderful Q&A session with enthusiastic questions from the children including, “What is your favourite plant?” and “What can we do about worms inside our raspberries?”