Little Citizen Scientists: Get Ready for The Big Butterfly Count!

People of all ages are needed this July and August for the world's biggest wildlife survey — the Big Butterfly Count.Calling all children and their families — people of all ages are needed this July and August for the world’s biggest wildlife survey — the Big Butterfly Count! So, whether you’re a child or an adult, you can play your part. This is a great activity for under-fives too as it’ll be fun, educational, and incredibly worthwhile. What’s more, they’ll become little citizen scientists by taking part. The nature-based activity takes as little as just 15 minutes and costs nothing at all. Children don’t need any special abilities other than a little patience and good observation — both great skills for them to practise. Let’s take a look and see what the Big Butterfly Count is all about and how children can take part this year.

Calendar Calendar

The Big Butterfly Count 2025

The Big Butterfly Count is a nature survey that anyone can take part in during July and August each year.The Big Butterfly Count is a nature survey that anyone can take part in during July and August each year. For 2025, it takes place from Friday the 18th of July to Sunday the 10th of August, a period in which temperatures are usually warm and butterfly populations are likely to peak. In essence, all that is required is for butterflies to be counted during a 15-minute period (more detail follows later in this guide). The survey event is open to everyone and, indeed, the more people who take part, the better. So, if you, your child, your family, or your friends want to play a part in protecting butterflies and nature as a whole, please get involved.

What is the Purpose of the Big Butterfly Count?

Nature is under threat. Whether it’s from global warming, habitat loss, or the use of nasty chemicals in gardens and farming, there has been a marked decline in the number of pollinators like butterflies in recent decades. In fact, experts are now calling it a nature emergency:

“Following the results of the Big Butterfly Count 2024, Butterfly Conservation have declared a butterfly emergency, and we need your help more than ever before.” — Butterfly Conservation.

With this in mind, the Big Butterfly Count aims to monitor the populations of a select number of butterfly species over the years. By monitoring populations, trends in butterfly populations can be spotted over time and any problems identified. The findings are worrying, so continued monitoring is essential. Through the Big Butterfly Count, children and families can play their part in this important initiative. By helping to count butterflies in their area, families are helping to get the bigger picture across the nation.

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Why is The Big Butterfly Count Important?

By helping to count butterflies in their area, families are helping to spot trends in butterfly populations across the nation.The populations of butterflies can be used as a barometer for the health of pollinator numbers and nature as a whole. With some butterfly species already disappearing from our gardens and countryside and others nearing extinction, there is no time to lose. Only by identifying the issues can we, as a nation, begin to reverse some of the decline. By reversing it, it will be good for butterflies, good for other pollinators like bees, good for nature as a whole — and good for humans too! After all, without pollinators, the supply of foods like cereals, fruit, vegetables and legumes would start to run out. So, taking part in the Big Butterfly Count is extremely worthwhile and we urge little ones and their families to take part.

“Counting butterflies can be described as taking the pulse of nature and we depend on you, our citizen scientists, to help us assess how much help nature needs.” — Butterfly Conservation.

How Families Can Take Part in the Big Butterfly Count:

Quick Overview

Taking part in the Big Butterfly Count is easy! To become a little citizen scientist, it takes just a few simple steps:

  • Spend 15 minutes in a sunny spot outdoors and count the butterflies you see from the event’s list of target species.
  • Submit your sightings at bigbutterflycount.org or log them using the free smartphone app.
  • (Optional): You can do as many 15-minute surveys as you like, so long as the location is different each time.

Detailed Instructions

The steps needed in order to take part in the Big Butterfly Count are explained in much greater detail below.

Step 1:

The 'Big Butterfly Count' smartphone app is available for Android and Apple IOS.First, ensure you have downloaded and printed out the Big Butterfly Count target species reference sheet — follow the bold, green link if you are taking part in England. (You’ll need to fill in a short form but no purchase or sign-up is necessary. Other areas and languages are available via the same link).

Alternatively, families can take part using the free ‘Big Butterfly Count’ smartphone app, which is available for Android and Apple IOS. Scan the QR code with your smartphone camera to download it.

Preview of the ID sheet for 2025's Big Butterfly Count.

Although there are potentially many more types of butterflies that can be spotted around the UK, for 2025, the survey and printed ID sheet for England focus on 20 different species of butterfly or daylight-flying moths. That said, in other parts of the UK, you may see a different number featured along with possible extras if using the smartphone app (space is not so limited on the app).

Step 2:

Choose a spot that's sunny, sheltered, and full of flowers or blossoms.Choose a spot for your butterfly survey. It should be somewhere outside where butterflies are most likely to be seen. Sunny, sheltered spots are good, particularly where a variety of different sizes and types of flowers or blossoms are in bloom.

TIP! Why not prepare for next year by planning your own pollinator-friendly spot in your garden or nearby open space?

Step 3:

Spend 15 minutes making a note of how many of each type of butterfly you can see.Sometime in the period from Friday the 18th of July to Sunday the 10th of August, you/your child should spend 15 minutes making a note of how many of each type of butterfly you can see. Concentrate only on the species included in the event organiser’s reference from Step 1. You must count how many of each single species you see at the same time. So, if you see three Painted Ladies at the same time, then record that as 3. However, if you see one Painted Lady on three separate occasions during the 15 minutes, that would only count as 1 — otherwise, it could simply be the same butterfly revisiting.

OPTIONAL: If your child likes, they can do more than one 15-minute butterfly survey. The only proviso is that they change location each time.

Step 4:

Submit your butterfly survey counts. This can be done easily within the phone app or, if you/your child used the physical ID sheet, submit online at bigbutterflycount.org noting that you will not be able to submit surveys until the event opens on the 18th of July. You can submit surveys up until the 31st of August 2025.

Congratulations little ones — you are now citizen scientists! By taking part in the world’s biggest wildlife survey, you are playing a part in helping nature and making the world a better place — well done! You will also be helping your own knowledge, health, well-being and even grades by getting closer to nature. Learn more about the benefits of nature to children here.

Families can download our own free poster that features 36 different butterflies commonly seen in England.Did You Know?

Did you know, children and families can also download our own free butterfly identification poster? What’s more, it features almost twice as many UK butterfly species as featured in the Big Butterfly Count. Learn more and download your free butterfly poster here.

Little Acorns Nursery, Hindley Green

Little Acorns Nursery & Preschool in Hindley Green, near Wigan, Bolton & ManchesterLittle Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green is rated as a good childcare provider by Ofsted.Nature and outdoor play feature significantly in children’s time at Little Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green. We have extensive grounds with wild zones, nature areas, and lots of opportunities for playing and exploring in the fresh air. We also know how important spending time around nature and outdoor play are to children in their early years — and they enjoy it hugely! Of course, we have fabulous facilities and resources indoors too, with a warm, home-from-home environment where children have fun and thrive in readiness for school as they approach the age of five. Free childcare funding options are available for eligible children aged from just 9 months too.

If you are looking for high-quality weekday childcare in the Wigan area and would like your child to benefit from everything our Hindley Green nursery has to offer, please get in touch using one of the options below:

Little Acorns Nursery, in Hindley Green near Wigan, may also suit families living in nearby locations like Atherton, Leigh, Ince-in-Makerfield, Platt Bridge, Westhoughton, Bickershaw, Tyldesley, and Bolton.

Alert Alert

Outdoor Safety

Young children should always be supervised by a responsible adult while playing and exploring outdoors, with potential hazards and dangers of many kinds explained to them.

Leaf Scavenger Hunt Activity for Children (With Free Reference Poster!)

A simple leaf-hunting activity will get children exploring outdoors, enjoying the fresh air, having some fun, and learning about the natural world.Wherever you look, nature’s flowers and trees are bursting with life during spring and summer. This got us thinking about the many nature-based activities that are possible for children and under-5s to enjoy at this time of year — under appropriate supervision, of course. One of them is a simple leaf-hunting activity that’ll get little ones exploring the outdoors, enjoying the fresh air, having some fun, and learning about the natural world. With this in mind, we’ve put together a Leaf Scavenger Hunt reference poster for children and families. It can serve as inspiration for some common leaves to look out for during the warmer months of the year. The poster is free to download, right here today, and highlights 16 different types of leaves. Included are oak, sycamore, beech, lime and many more. Children will probably be familiar with some — especially oak leaves with their wonderful little acorns — while others may be unfamiliar. However, all of our examples were sourced on a single morning’s outing, so it’s feasible to find all 16 kinds with a bit of eagle-eyed persistence! So, download the poster for your children, print it out, and explore the outdoors to see how many of the 16 leaf types your little one can find. See if they can identify the differences which make each species of leaf/tree/plant unique — and learn their names if they can. The free identification poster and some help from an adult should help. Have fun out there!

Download the Free Leaf Scavenger Hunt Poster

Download a high-resolution version of the reference poster by clicking the preview image below (left- or right-click, depending on your specific browser settings). Children can also zoom in on their device’s screen if they would like to see more detail.

Leaf Scavenger Hunt activity poster (PDF, 2MB)

Identification Tips

Some of the leaves will be easier to identify than others, but our free reference poster will help.Some of the leaves will be easier to identify than others. For example, Horse Chestnut (a.k.a. ‘conker tree’) leaves are quite distinctive with their fan of multiple sections (see the 2nd row, last image on the right on the poster for our example). In contrast, hazel and lime leaves are quite similar to one another. One easy clue to tell them apart is that lime leaves are slightly shiny, whereas hazel leaves are extremely matt. And, of course, they have very different seeds once those appear (the lime seed clusters are quite beautiful as you can see on the poster in the 3rd row, 2nd image from the right).

Ash and Elder may initially also be harder to tell apart. However, children will soon note that Ash leaves have many more ‘compound’ leaves on each stem (up to 15) compared to Elder leaves, which tend to have between just 5 and 7. See the top row of the poster to compare them.

Ivy leaves, meanwhile, are one of the more distinctive leaves that often form a blanket over tree trunks, buildings, or garden sheds. Children can tell they’re ivy easily as they have clusters of unique flowers brimming with pollinators from summer onwards (see the first image on the 3rd row).

Leaves are Not Only Green

Leaves come in many different colours with deciduous leaves changing often to yellow, beige and/or brown in autumn.Another interesting factor to point out to children is that some of the leaves come in different colours. Beech leaves, for instance, can be green or deep burgundy, brown or dark purple depending on which variety of beech a child locates. It’s similar for acers, which can be green, yellow, red or a deep purple/maroon. Acers however, are more likely to be found in gardens and parks than in the countryside. Some are a little like miniature sycamores, only rather more delicate and fancy! And, come autumn, they also have ‘winged’ seeds like sycamores. Soon after this, deciduous leaves will turn brown for the autumn leaving only evergreens remaining green — as the name suggests — over the winter. Nature is fascinating and very educational!

The Wonders of Nature

Nature is incredibly beneficial to children. It reduces stress, improves mental well-being, supports the EYFS, boosts exercise, helps with concentration, improves academic grades, and more.This activity is a great opportunity for children to open their eyes to the natural world. By looking at nature more deeply, they’ll see the finer details that may have been overlooked. Nature is incredibly varied and interesting when you take the time to look closely and discover it properly. It’ll teach children about the natural world, the seasons, the changes in plants and trees at different times of the year, the circle of life, and so much more. Getting out, close to nature, is also incredibly beneficial to children. From busting stress, improving well-being, supporting the EYFS and boosting exercise, to improving concentration and even academic grades, nature’s benefits are immense for children as well as adults. Click the bold green link to learn more.

So, download the free Leaves Scavenger Hunt reference poster today and get outdoors to explore, discover, learn, and have fun with your little one in the Great Outdoors. It’s called Great for a good reason — enjoy!

Leaf Leaf

More Leaf Activity Ideas!

Example of a leaf rubbing.Once children have collected them, leaves can inspire various other creative activity ideas for children. For example, has your child ever tried leaf rubbing (putting a leaf under paper and scribbling over it to reveal the leaf structure), leaf pressing (pressing leaves between pages of a heavy book to allow them to dry and flatten), or leaf printing (painting a leaf with paint then pressing it onto paper to offset the leaf’s form as an image)? These are just a few of the fun activities children can do with leaves. We plan to write a more detailed post about such activities in the future, so regularly revisit our blog area to discover more activity ideas for children.

Little Acorns Nursery: Weekday Childcare in Hindley Green, Wigan

Little Acorns Nursery & Preschool in Hindley Green, near Wigan, Bolton & ManchesterLittle Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green is rated as a good childcare provider by Ofsted.

Little Acorns is a nursery in Hindley Green, near Wigan, Greater Manchester. Recognised by Ofsted as a Good Provider, the setting offers high-quality weekday childcare from 7:30 am to 6 pm throughout the year (excludes bank holidays and one week over Christmas). Our extended opening hours provide convenience for working parents who need wraparound care for children. We also support free childcare hours for eligible children including babies as young as just 9 months, via the government’s childcare funding schemes. If you’d like to explore the possibility of your child attending this fabulous setting, please get in touch by using one of the options below. We’ll be delighted to meet both you and your child, show you around the setting, and answer any questions. Please choose a button to get started:

Little Acorns Nursery is located in Hindley Green, so it may also be a convenient choice for families requiring childcare near Wigan, Atherton, Leigh, Ince-in-Makerfield, Platt Bridge, Westhoughton, Bickershaw, Tyldesley, and Bolton.

Alert Alert

Parental Supervision & Safety Reminder

Some leaves, like holly leaves, require particular care as they are usually very prickly. Other leaves may also present a hazard for some other reason. Examples include possible choking hazards (toddlers and the youngest children should steer clear of acorns, for example) or poisonous berries that can appear on some trees and bushes at certain times of the year. So, adult supervision is essential for this activity, especially for the youngest. Young children should be accompanied when outside exploring parks and the countryside (we plan to write a separate blog post about child safety outdoors, so watch this space). They should also be taught to keep their hands away from their mouths and wash them thoroughly with soap and water once outdoor activities are over.

 

Bee-Friendly Flower Growing Activity for Under-5s — & World Bee Day

With World Bee Day arriving on the 20th of May and National Children's Gardening Week arriving on the 24th, it's an excellent time for a flower-growing activity for children.With World Bee Day arriving on the 20th of May and National Children’s Gardening Week arriving on the 24th, it’s an excellent time for a flower-growing activity for children — including under-fives. More specifically, the growing of bee-friendly flowers — from seeds — will be an excellent way to celebrate World Bee Day and support these adorable little creatures. Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators are incredibly important for the world, being largely responsible for pollinating the crops, including nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables, that we rely on for food. Yet they are under threat with numbers dwindling severely in recent years. Without bees and other pollinators, the world’s animals, plants, trees, and flowers would be in real danger. Today’s bee-friendly flower-growing activity is therefore an incredibly worthwhile one for children to get involved in. It’s fun, highly educational for little ones, and will help to make the world a better place! Little ones, let’s get growing!

Bee-Friendly Flower Growing for Children

Today’s activity for children starts with seeds. Children, especially under-fives, will love sowing them, watering the seedlings, planting them out, and watching them grow. Even better will be the moment the first bee, butterfly or hoverfly arrives to sample the sweet nectar from the flowers! Here’s what to do:

Source the Bee-Friendly Seeds

Families need to choose bee-friendly or pollinator-friendly seeds and flowers for this activity.Unless seeds are available from friends and family or harvests from previous years, parents of under-fives will need to source them. However, that’s easy and can be incredibly inexpensive. Most supermarkets sell seed packets and, if not, there is a whole range of online stores to choose from (here’s one great example with bee-friendly wildflower seeds available from as little as £1.49). Wherever they’re sourced from, the key to this activity’s success is to choose bee-friendly seeds. That’s easily done by ensuring packets are marked as bee-friendly or pollinator-friendly. Even better — choose those which are also marked as native to the UK as they’re likely to suit conditions well and be an ecologically sound choice.

Examples of bee-friendly seeds/flowers:
Families can choose bee-friendly wildflower seeds if they would like a variety of flowers to grow — and different pollinators to visit. If choosing individual flower varieties, bee-friendly options to consider include sunflowers, poppies, daisies, cornflowers, forget-me-nots, verbena, sedum, nasturtium, cosmos or calendula. Bee-friendly herbs are also an option with the added bonus that their leaves can be eaten. Examples include flowering mint, dill, basil and thyme.

Seed kits are another option for children, with many online stores offering inexpensive options that include not only the seeds (whether loose or in seed ball format) but also things like a magnifying glass, stickers, and so on. Here’s an example.

When to Sow the Seeds

The months of March through to May are a great time to sow bee-friendly flower seeds. Depending on the variety chosen, flowers can appear within just a few weeks (perfect for World Bee Day at the time of writing) up to a few months. So, read seed packets/information carefully before buying and perhaps favour the faster-growing seeds to keep young children engaged in this activity.

How to Sow the Seeds

Seed packets will usually have some basic sowing instructions. That said, there are generally 2 main ways to sow flower seeds:

  1. Simply scatter seeds outdoors in a suitable place (weed-free, prepared flower beds, for example). However, it will not be very controlled and, in any case, what fun is that?
  2. Sow seeds more methodically, with much more care, in seed trays of some kind. We suggest this option for children as it’s more fun, far more educational, and likely to have substantially better results. Children will learn more skills and knowledge with this approach.

For seed trays, children can use commercially-available seed trays, flower pots, or repurposed margarine tubs and yoghurt pots.If children are going with our recommended second option, they will first need to read packets to ensure their timing is right. For seed trays, they can use inexpensive, commercially available seed trays or use smaller options like flower pots. Another free alternative is to use repurposed margarine tubs, yoghurt pots, or similar. Whichever option they choose will need drainage holes added underneath by supervising parents plus a drip tray of some kind. Whether that’s a commercial one or something as simple as a saucer is up to families.

For the soil, commercially-obtained compost that’s suited to growing seeds and seedlings is ideal (especially if it’s peat-free as that’s more ecologically sound). For a free alternative, carefully transport some prepared soil/home-grown compost from outdoors and use that. It needs to be broken up and weed-free and this part of the activity will need to be heavily supervised* by an adult.

Seeds can be manually spaced out so that, once they grow, the individual plants will be easily separated.Once the soil is layered into the seed trays or pots, to a level an inch or so below the top, children can indent the soil/compost for the seeds to go into. Seeds can be manually spaced out into these indents so that, once they grow, the individual plants will be easily separated. We suggest scattering a shallow layer of sieved soil or compost over the seeds once placed into the indents and given a sprinkling of water.

Wash little hands with soapy water afterwards, of course*.

Water Regularly

Children may need to be reminded to check their seed trays every day and to keep the soil moist (but not soaked) through gentle watering.

Keep Watch for Sprouting Seedlings

One of the most exciting points in the whole activity will be the first time children notice little seedlings beginning to sprout from the soil. It may take somewhere from 10 days to a fortnight for this to occur but it’s quite a moment once it happens — and it’s (almost) all down to the child!

Thin Seedlings Out

Children need to check seeds every day, keep them watered, and thin them out once they're growing.Children should continue to water the seedlings regularly, when needed, and may also have to thin out any ‘clumps’ or plants that are too close together, otherwise, several plants may get tangled and have to compete with one another unnecessarily.

There will come a point (hopefully!) when the seedlings have grown big enough to be strong and ready to transplant outdoors. Whether choosing flower beds in gardens, window boxes, or outdoor flower pots, choose somewhere that’s again free of weeds (remove if necessary) and ensure plants have individual space to grow larger. The original seed packets will usually advise whether the plants will suit sunny, shaded, or semi-sunny locations. However, pollinators like butterflies like sunnier locations, so factor that in too.

Flowers Will Bloom

Children should continue watering the plants when required (soil should not be allowed to dry out) and, day by day, the plants will grow larger until buds, then flowers, finally appear.

Bees & Pollinators Will Arrive!

Once flowers appear, pollinators like honey bees, bumblebees, butterflies, and hover flies will arrive.Once flowers appear, children can expect pollinators like honey bees, bumblebees, butterflies, and hoverflies to appear. It’s going to be magical for children when that day first arrives! Bees and the other pollinators truly are delightful and adorable. Children should look but not touch*, after all, bees have important work to do!

“Children should look but not touch, after all, bees have important work to do!”

See if they can spot the little yellow/orange pollen baskets on the bees’ legs. Explain what those are for. Children can also get more advanced and see if they can learn the names of the different bee species.

Did you know? Worldwide, there are 25,000 to 30,000 species of bee!

Natural Benefits

This activity will raise awareness of bees and pollinators in children of all ages.This activity will raise awareness of bees and pollinators in children of all ages. It’s not only a wonderful way to introduce children to these adorable creatures, but also a great opportunity to raise awareness of the plight bees and pollinators are facing. They are under severe pressure from habitat loss, global warming, the use of harmful pesticides/weedkillers, pollution, invasive predators, and many other threats that have made their populations plummet in recent years.

“Close to 35 percent of invertebrate pollinators, particularly bees and butterflies … face extinction globally.” — United Nations

By involving children in activities — like today’s — for World Bee Day, they will be better informed and able to help bees and pollinators far into the future. It will help them to be more responsible citizens, caring and compassionate individuals, and lead to them towards living greener lifestyles as they grow older. The world’s future is in their hands, so that’s incredibly important.

“A world without pollinators would equal a world without food diversity – no blueberries, coffee, chocolate, cucumbers and so much more.” — United Nations

What’s more, today’s flower-growing activity will teach children new skills and new facts, and they will benefit from everything that nature has to offer (and that’s a lot!). Learn more about the incredible benefits of nature to children here.

Nature & Outdoor Play at Little Acorns Nursery

Little Acorns Nursery & Preschool in Hindley Green, near Wigan, Bolton & ManchesterLittle Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green is rated as a good childcare provider by Ofsted.

Our extensive outdoor spaces, nature zones and wild areas at Little Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green are a huge hit with children. There, they have a wonderful time exploring, discovering, learning through play, and benefitting from spending time close to nature. It’s a fabulous aspect of this nursery and preschool near Wigan, Lancashire. And, of course, we have fabulous resources, equipment and a home-from-home environment inside, where every child under five gets the very best start in life.

Get in touch today to explore the idea of sending your baby, toddler, or preschooler to Little Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green:

Little Acorns Nursery is also conveniently located for those living in Atherton, Leigh, Ince-in-Makerfield, Platt Bridge, Westhoughton, Bickershaw, Tyldesley, and Bolton.

*Health & Safety Note

Ensure children, especially the youngest, are supervised at all times by a responsible adult. Some bees and pollinators have stings, so it’s important for adults to ensure that children look but do not attempt to touch them. Additionally, some seeds and plants are poisonous, while some soil also contains hidden dangers. Adults should therefore ensure that children keep fingers well away from mouths and wash hands and fingers thoroughly with soap and water after contact with any such things. Plant food is also potentially very dangerous and should therefore only be used by adults and kept well away from little ones.

Let's Go on a Spring Nature Hunt – With a Free Reference Poster!

With signs of spring now all around us, it’s the perfect time to release our free ‘Spring Nature Hunt’ activity poster for children. We’ve highlighted 20 beautiful and fascinating things that children can look out for when outdoors during this wonderful season. The activity is a great excuse for children to get outside, open their eyes, and see some of the wonders that this season brings. When they take time to actively look, they can spot beautiful flowers like crocuses, snowdrops and daffodils blooming. Fascinating pussy willow buds and dangling catkins can be seen on country walks. Wonderful butterflies and bumblebees have started to arrive in gardens again, having been absent over the winter. Now spring is finally here, birds like house martins and swifts will also start to return to the UK skies — children will be able to watch them soaring through the air up high. Down on the ground, beautiful animals like lambs and baby rabbits are also sure to delight little ones during a nature walk. These are just a few examples of some of the natural things you can challenge children to look out for in spring and our free poster will be an excellent visual reference. So, why not download the free poster today, print it out for your children, and get closer to nature as a family? This nature-based activity is fun, educational, and really good for both children and adults — such is the power of the natural world!

Download Your Free Spring Nature Hunt Poster

Our free Spring Nature Hunt poster is downloadable below — simply click the preview image to either view or download (whether you left- or right-click will depend on your particular browser settings). Once downloaded and viewed in Acrobat Reader, the reference poster can be printed as large as A3 or as small as A4, A5, or A6 depending on your printer’s paper size. We suggest selecting the highest-quality settings and paper for the best results.

Preview of our free Spring Nature Hunt activity poster – click to view or download.

How Many Can Your Child Spot?

We’ve included little tick boxes, so family members can tick off each natural wonder as it’s spotted. Some, like bees, butterflies and daffodils, will be easier to spot than others. So, children get extra kudos if they spot a frog or frogspawn! For an extra element of fun, perhaps offer a prize, badge or sticker to the child who successfully spots and ticks off the most items on the nature hunt list.

Nature Activities are Hugely Beneficial to Children

Not only is today’s activity fun and educational, but spending time in and around nature is hugely beneficial to children — and adults! Study after study has found that it enhances cognitive function, bolsters sensory and motor skills, boosts creativity, and improves overall well-being. It’s a stress-buster. It leads to better awareness of environmental issues. Spending time close to nature even directly improves educational grades! Just a simple view of green outdoor spaces can do this — so it’s easy to see why nature is incredible and immensely important for children. These are just a few examples, so head over to our post about the importance of nature in early childhood here to learn more.

Get More Free Nature Activity Posters Here!

Download more of our free nature activity posters!

If you’d like to further encourage your child’s interest in nature and the outdoors, download additional free nature-based posters — available right here on this website. As well as today’s Spring Nature Hunt poster, we have one for a Winter Nature Hunt, an Autumn Nature Hunt poster, and others that introduce children to British butterflies, wild land mammals, birds, and minibeasts. Children love looking out for nature’s flora and fauna and the posters also make for attractive and educational displays on bedroom walls.

Nature at Little Acorns Nursery, Hindley Green, Wigan

Little Acorns Nursery & Preschool in Hindley Green, near Wigan, Bolton & ManchesterLittle Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green is rated as a good childcare provider by Ofsted. Children love spending time outdoors in nature, so we give them ample opportunities to do so at Little Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green, Wigan. Our extensive grounds include wild areas, nature zones, and lots of outdoor spaces and facilities. There, children under five can explore, discover, and learn about the natural world in a safe environment overseen by our childcare professionals. They can then reap all the benefits that nature and outdoor play have to offer — and there are many! It’s just one of the many benefits of sending your baby, toddler, or child under five to Little Acorns Nursery. It’s a lovely home-from-home environment where every child is valued, nurtured, and encouraged to be the best version of themselves in every area of their learning and development.

If you would like to explore the opportunity of sending your child to Little Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green, get in touch today. We’d love to meet you and your child, show you around, and answer any questions.

Little Acorns Nursery is a high-quality childcare setting for children under five in Hindley Green, near Wigan. Our location may also suit families living nearby in towns and villages including Leigh, Atherton, Westhoughton, Ince-in-Makerfield, Platt Bridge, Bickershaw, Tyldesley, and Bolton.

 

Alert Alert

Safety First!

Remember that children, particularly the youngest, will need to be supervised and accompanied when out in nature or on walks. There are many dangers out there and we’ll follow up with a separate post offering tips on child safety outdoors in due course.

World Book Day – A Parent's Guide to Celebrating with Under-5s

World Book Day is one of the most magical dates on the calendar for children and parents alike. Taking place on the first Thursday of March in the UK* (6 March for 2025), this annual celebration is all about inspiring a love of books and storytelling. But how can you make the most of it with your little one? Here’s a handy guide to help you embrace the joy of reading with toddlers and preschoolers!

What is World Book Day?

World Book Day takes place on the first Thursday of March in the UK.World Book Day is a special charitable event, celebrated globally, that encourages children of all ages to discover the joy of reading. Why? Because reading has the power to substantially improve children’s lives. Schools, nurseries, and libraries across the nation make the day extra special for children through storytelling sessions, fancy dress, and book-related activities.

“Reading for fun is the single biggest indicator that a child will grow up to enjoy a happier and more successful life – more than their family circumstances, their parents’ educational backgrounds or their income.” — World Book Day

As part of the event, children under 18 in the UK can also receive a £1 book token. They can spend this on any one of the special World Book Day books allocated to the event. Alternatively, children can put the £1 token World Book Day £1 book token preview.towards another full-price book or audiobook of their choice, costing £2.99 or more, from participating UK booksellers. By the way, tokens cannot be redeemed against online purchases.

The 2025 closing date for redemption of the book tokens is the 23rd of March. Don’t worry if you are too late or would like additional books for your child without incurring significant costs — you can also organise book swaps with friends, neighbours and family at any time of the year.

The ‘Read Your Way’ Approach to Children’s Reading Success

It’s important that children choose their books. That’s because this has been shown to increase the child’s enjoyment and engagement with the book. Indeed, it’s a key reason for the event’s new ‘Read Your Way’ approach. This allows children to discover and enjoy books and reading on their own terms, without judgement, pressure, or expectation. In this way, it’s reading for pleasure and puts an end to reading being perceived by little ones as ‘work’. Here are the six key ingredients of the ‘Read Your Way’ approach for children’s reading:

  1. Letting children choose their own book results in better engagement.Find time for your little one to read.
  2. Read with them regularly.
  3. Make reading fun!
  4. Let your child choose which book(s) to read.
  5. Ensure there are books at home as well as at nursery/school.
  6. Ensure your child has trusted help to find a suitable book.

The Magic of Books for Under-Fives

For young children, books aren’t just about learning to read — they’re about sparking imagination, building vocabulary, and learning to love stories. Even toddlers who can’t yet read benefit hugely from being read to, pointing at pictures, and engaging with characters in their favourite books.

Reading with your child every day, even for a few minutes, helps develop their language skills and creates a wonderful bonding experience. Plus, it sets the foundation for a lifelong love of books. That is incredibly important. Learn more about the enormous benefits of reading with children here.

How to Celebrate World Book Day with Young Children

Are you looking for ways to make World Book Day extra fun and engaging for your little one? If so, here are some simple ideas:

  • Create a cosy reading and storytelling corner for your child and snuggle up together with a book.Dress up as a favourite character! There’s no need for elaborate costumes; a simple hat, crown, or themed outfit inspired by a beloved book character can bring your child’s favourite stories to life.
  • Create a cosy reading and storytelling corner! It’s easy to make a comfy nook with cushions, blankets, and child-safe fairy lights where you and your child can snuggle up together with a book. We even have a whole post about the wonders of a good storytelling corner or nook.
  • Bring stories to life with some simple ideas like using silly voices, props, or even puppets to make storytelling extra engaging.
  • Visit a library or bookshop with your child. It’s a great way to make choosing a book feel like an adventure and, as per the ‘Read Your Way’ approach for this year’s World Book Day event, ensure your child gets to pick the book.
  • Make reading interactive too by asking your child questions about the pictures, encouraging them to predict what happens next, or letting them turn the pages.
  • Children might also enjoy inventing and telling their own short stories. They can also get creative by designing a book cover or illustrating the unfolding story.
  • If your little one has older siblings, World Book Day is also a great opportunity for them to read to their younger brother or sister. It’s a lovely bonding activity and helps build confidence in early readers.

Make Every Day a Story Day

World Book Day is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate reading, but the love of books doesn’t have to stop there! Try to incorporate stories into your child’s daily routine, whether it’s a bedtime book, a story at lunchtime, or a quick picture book during a break. As we said before, accomplishing a love of reading in a child is the single biggest sign that they will grow up happier and more successful. So, grab a book, find a comfy spot with your child, and let the adventure begin! Happy World Book Day!

Childcare for Under-5s at Little Acorns Nursery, Hindley Green

A High-Quality Childcare Service for Babies, Toddlers & Preschoolers

Little Acorns Nursery & Preschool in Hindley Green, near Wigan, Bolton & ManchesterLittle Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green is rated as a good childcare provider by Ofsted.Interaction with books is something we strongly encourage at Little Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green — we know just how important books and reading are to the success and happiness of the little ones. Put simply, books and reading with children supercharges them for success!

Little Acorns is a good childcare provider as confirmed by Ofsted. It’s a wonderful setting where children are nurtured in every area of their learning and development. With our approach, they become the best versions of themselves, ready to hit the ground running when they leave us to begin school. We support Government-funded childcare funding schemes too, including free childcare for children as young as just 9 months for eligible families. To apply for a place for your child at Little Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green, please get in touch today:

Little Acorns Nursery is in Hindley Green, near Wigan, Bickershaw, Leigh, Atherton, Westhoughton, Ince-in-Makerfield, Platt Bridge, Tyldesley, and Bolton.

* Across the world, many countries celebrate World Book Day on the 23rd of April. However, the UK organisers moved the date to the first Thursday of March each year so as to avoid a clash with the Easter holidays and St George’s Day.

Winter Treasure Hunt Activity (With Free Reference Poster)

Today’s Winter Treasure Hunt activity is a great antidote to the cold temperatures and shorter days that families experience during this season. So long as the weather is not dangerous or insanely cold, families can still enjoy the outdoors if they are dressed appropriately and children are adequately supervised. Even in winter, there is still so much for children to discover in The Great Outdoors! What’s more, spending time in and around nature is generally very good for both children and adults (more about that later). With all that in mind, we’ve put together a free reference poster that families can download and use as the basis for an exciting Winter Treasure Hunt. There are all manner of magical things for children to search for and discover in the winter months — from leaf skeletons, pine cones, and frosted spider webs, to animal tracks, icicles and miraculously unique snowflakes. So, take a look and download a free reference poster for your child today — and check out others in the same series.

Poster Preview:

Winter Treasure Hunt reference poster preview - click to view or download.

Click the poster preview image to either view or download it in high resolution (Acrobat PDF format). It can be printed out as large as A3 or as small as A4 or A5 if preferred. Perhaps print out a copy for children to take with them when they embark on their winter treasure hunt. Families can use the little tick boxes to keep track of each treasure discovered.

When the time is right, this activity should encourage children to get outdoors* to see some of the magical things that nature provides during the winter. Nature lifts the spirits, helps children and families get exercise, gives children a sense of freedom and adventure, and also has a whole host of other incredible benefits. So, this is a wonderfully worthwhile activity for children to take part in.

Little Acorns Nursery, Hindley Green, Wigan

Little Acorns Nursery & Preschool in Hindley Green, near Wigan, Bolton & ManchesterLittle Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green is rated as a good childcare provider by Ofsted.Little Acorns is a superb childcare nursery in Hindley Green, near Wigan. Children here also get to enjoy nature and outdoor play as we have extensive grounds, nature zones, wild areas, and many other high-quality facilities. And, of course, our facilities and resources indoors give them a rich environment where they can play, discover and learn, all at their own pace. It’s a wonderful home-from-home environment where children under five have fun, thrive in their learning and development, and feel valued. All in all, we give children the very best start in life and ensure they become well-rounded and school-ready by the time they leave us to begin school.

Get in touch today to enquire about a possible nursery/preschool place for your baby, toddler, or child under five. We’d love to show you and your little one around and answer any questions:

Little Acorns Nursery is located in Hindley Green, near Wigan, Greater Manchester. Families in Bickershaw, Leigh, Atherton, Westhoughton, Ince-in-Makerfield, Platt Bridge, Tyldesley, and Bolton will also find that it’s conveniently close for their childcare needs.

*Safety Notice

Children, particularly the young, will need to be closely supervised and stay vigilant to potential danger when venturing outdoors. Ensure children take care not to slip on mud, snow, or ice. Teach them how to avoid hurting themselves, for example when stumbling on uneven ground or catching themselves on sharp things like thorns, brambles, and rocks. Water sources like ponds and lakes are particularly dangerous — especially so when iced over — and children need to take extra care near traffic. And, of course, they need to be aware of possible stranger danger. These are just a few examples and parents/supervising adults will need to do their own risk assessments and stay vigilant at all times when accompanying children outdoors.

A Big Garden Birdwatch for Little People: 24-26 January 2025
The Big Garden Birdwatch takes just one hour and allows families to be part of the world's biggest garden wildlife survey.Families, set your diaries for the wildlife event of the year, which happens this January from Friday the 24th to Sunday the 26th inclusive. It’s free, takes just one hour, and allows children and adults to be part of the world’s biggest garden wildlife survey. During the event, families and individuals across the nation simply count the birds they spot in the garden, park, local green space, or even balcony over the course of 60 minutes. The results of hundreds of thousands of these surveys are compiled by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to build a picture of the health of the nation’s bird populations. It’s important scientific and ecological work and children can become citizen scientists if they simply take part. Learn more about the Big Garden Birdwatch and how to take part in today’s guide for families with children.

“With birds facing so many challenges, it’s more important than ever to get involved in the Birdwatch.” — RSPB.

The Purpose of the Big Garden Birdwatch

Nature is in trouble (more info). Threats include disease, pollution, climate change, habitat loss, incompatible farming methods, and the use of harmful chemicals in gardening and agriculture. Such issues adversely affect nature, leading to declines in the health of the flora and fauna of Britain. Insects including important pollinators like bees and butterflies are in decline because of this, as are many of Britain’s bird populations. And, if nature is in trouble, so are we. That’s because we depend on nature in so many ways, not least in relation to the growing of crops for food.

“House Sparrows took the top spot, but counts of these chirpy birds are down by 60% compared to the first Birdwatch in 1979.” — RSPB.

With all this in mind, the RSPB has organised an annual citizen survey, which has taken place every January since 1979. By gathering and analysing results from the survey each year, trends can be identified in bird populations, including in specific species which might be in trouble. Through such information gathering and analysis, it’s possible to see whether things are improving or declining. Only then is it possible to know what steps are needed to help any species in danger.

“We’ve lost 38 million birds from UK skies in the last 60 years.” — RSPB.

The Birdwatch is Worthwhile & Enriching for Children

Through the event, children will discover the wonderful feathered visitors in their neighbourhood and learn about some of the important issues affecting the natural world.Children will love being involved in this important nature-based activity. They’ll not only play their part in helping birds and nature, but they’ll also have fun and learn something along the way. They will discover some of the many wonderful feathered visitors who live in their neighbourhood and learn about some of the important issues affecting the natural world. They’ll begin to grasp the impact of humans on Britain’s flora and fauna and learn the importance of conservation and looking after the natural world around them. Through this endeavour, they’ll learn how they can make a positive difference. They will also become little citizen scientists! It’s fun, educational, and will give them a wonderful sense of achievement too. It may even change their outlook over the long term and help them think about their own impact on the planet, which is a wonderful outcome. And last but not least, spending time in and around nature is hugely beneficial to children.

Get Involved!

Families, children and individuals across the nation can play their part in this important annual survey. Apart from a little bit of time, it costs nothing to take part. The RSPB supplies free, downloadable, identification reference for the bird species that they’d like monitored, along with simple instructions.

How to Take Part in the Big Garden Birdwatch

Step 1: Register & Get the Free Guide

How to take part in the Big Garden BirdwatchRegistration for the January 2025 event is now* open. So, why not join the thousands of other families across Britain who have already registered and get ready for this truly worthwhile event? Sign up to register here. You’ll then be able to download your free Birdwatch guide. Downloadable and printed versions are available and you/your children can use these to identify birds in Step 4. Registering also gives you access to a discount in the RSPB shop, by the way, which may be useful if you want to buy things like birdseed to attract as many birds to your chosen patch as possible.

*(Time of writing: late Dec 2024).

Step 2: Decide on a Time & Date

Decide which hour your children or family will monitor birds. It needs to be some time during the period from Friday 24 and Sunday 26 January 2025 inclusive. You can do more than one survey if you like, but must choose a different location and hour for each separate one.

Step 3: Choose a Location

Decide where you will monitor and count wild birds. This could be your garden, local park or open space, or simply viewing from somewhere like a balcony.

Step 4: Count Birds

Record the highest number of each bird species you see at any one time.Once the chosen time and date arrive, all you/your children need to do is monitor birds landing on your chosen patch. Count those that actually land rather than any flying otherwise there’s a danger that one bird could be counted multiple times. What you need to record for the survey, though, is the largest number of each bird species that have landed at any one time during the hour. So, for example, if you spot two blackbirds that have landed at the same time in the first half hour, but later in the hour you can see 4 that have landed at the same time, then you need to record “4” for blackbirds.

“Record the highest number of each bird species you see at any one time.” — RSPB.

Submit your survey results even if you see no birds during your hour — such data is just as important as a positive result as it could indicate a problem in the bird population in your area.

Step 5: Submit Your Results

Once you have recorded your findings, submit them to the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch online by 23 February. That link may not allow submissions until the event has actually started, so you won’t be able to submit your bird survey early. Alternatively, you can submit via post so that it arrives no later than 18 February. The postal address is shown on the free guide that you downloaded or requested in Step 1 above.

  • You can submit more than one survey, so long as you choose a different location each time.
  • Submitting results online gives you a much longer list of birds than space allows on the paper/post version.
  • However, you can also include additional birds you see in the free text box if using the paper form.

“Every bird you do – or don’t – count will give us a valuable insight into how garden birds are faring.” — RSPB.

Children Love Nature at Little Acorns Nursery, Hindley Green

Little Acorns Nursery & Preschool in Hindley Green, near Wigan, Bolton & ManchesterLittle Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green is rated as a good childcare provider by Ofsted.If you/your child enjoyed this activity, also check out our own free nature guides for little ones. We have a children’s ID guide for birds, one for butterflies, one for mammals and another for minibeasts. Children love looking out for these wonderful creatures and learn so much from nature-based activities. That’s why, at Little Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green, we also have large grounds, nature zones, and wild areas for children to play in. There, they can explore, discover and learn from the natural world and better understand their place within it. It’s just one part of the comprehensive early years education that’s on offer at this wonderful nursery and preschool near Wigan and Bolton, Greater Manchester.

High-Quality Weekday Childcare for Children Under Five, near Wigan

Why not come and see this unique childcare setting for yourself? Bring your baby, toddler, or under-five child with you and see how they’re suited. We’d love to show you around and answer any questions you may have and, if you think we’re a good fit, we’d love to enrol your child for a nursery place. Please choose an option below to start exploring the wonderful possibilities for your child at Little Acorns Nursery:

Let's Go on an Autumn Nature Hunt! (With Free Reference Sheet for Children)

Autumn is a beautiful season and one of the most magical times of the year. It is particularly fascinating for young children as they witness the wondrous changes that take place in nature. From the crisp, clean air and trees turning a myriad of colours, to leaves falling like leafy snowflakes, and nature providing an array of seeds, nuts and food for wildlife, it’s remarkable. At such a time, children can enjoy a wide variety of fun and educational activities out in the Great Outdoors. Such activities will demonstrate just how incredible Autumn and nature are and what a fascinating bounty of magical things they provide. There is so much to see and discover and all children need to do is get outside with family and friends and explore. With that in mind, we’ve put together a reference sheet that highlights 20 of Autumn’s treasures for children to look out for and collect, under adult supervision, at this time of year.

Download a Free Autumn Reference Sheet for Your Child

Click the preview image to download the Autumn Nature Hunt reference sheet in high resolution. Try printing it out using your best paper and printer settings for the optimum results, or view it on a tablet or smartphone to take with you and your child when you’re out and about. They’ll be able to use the reference to see which autumnal treasures they can find and then tick off from the sheet. It also makes a great poster, suiting prints up to A3 in size.

Preview of the Autumn Nature Hunt reference sheet. Click to download or view on screen.

Nature Teaches Children So Much

The Benefits & Importance of Nature to Children in Early ChildhoodFinding natural autumn treasures is a great opportunity for children to appreciate the magic and beauty of nature, understand the seasons, and learn about the circle of life. Parents or accompanying adults can explain how seeds and nuts grow into plants and trees or even encourage little ones to plant them in pots to grow at home.  Demonstrate how seeds from trees like sycamores can fly on the breeze like helicopters and spread the tree population to wider areas — children will love that! Explain how some of the season’s treasures provide a bounty of food that wild animals and birds can eat or even store for the winter. Children will find such conversations and insights fascinating. Spending time in and around nature is hugely beneficial to children. It will also help little ones better understand the world — and their place within it. Such conversations are also a wonderful starting point for children to explore further as, like the seeds, they grow and flourish.

“Let nature be your teacher.” — William Wordsworth.

More inspirational quotes about nature and childhood can be found here.

Little Acorns Nursery, Hindley Green, Wigan

Consider a Place for Your Child at our Hindley Green Nursery and Preschool, near Wigan

Little Acorns Nursery & Preschool in Hindley Green, near Wigan, Bolton & ManchesterLittle Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green is rated as a good childcare provider by Ofsted.Staff and children love nature at Little Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green, near Wigan. With our extensive grounds, nature-themed zones, wild areas, and high-quality facilities, children get to play, discover and learn in a rich environment. It’s a wonderful place where babies and under-fives have fun, thrive and flourish. Rest assured, too, that our early years practitioners do everything they can to help each child become the very best version of themselves in readiness for the start of their school life.

If you have a baby, toddler, or child under five and live in the Hindley Green or Wigan area, why not come for a guided visit with your child? We’ll show you around and you’ll see, first-hand, what a lovely home-from-home childcare setting it is — and how well your child will fit in. And, once you’re ready, we’d love you to register for a place so that we can welcome you to the Little Acorns family. Choose a button to get started:

Little Acorns is a high-quality nursery and preschool in Hindley Green. As such, we are also conveniently close to families in nearby towns and villages including Bickershaw, Leigh, Atherton, Westhoughton, Ince-in-Makerfield, Platt Bridge, Tyldesley, and Bolton, Greater Manchester.

Discover British Mammals – A Fun Nature Activity for Children (with Free Poster!)

Today, we’re publishing a lovely new poster in our wildlife series for children and their families to download. This one features 20 beautiful British wild mammals that little ones can learn to recognise, name, and look out for. It’s important to encourage little ones to have an interest in nature because nature is incredibly good for children, especially in the early years. That’s just one of the reasons we regularly publish free wildlife and nature-themed posters for families. Once printed out, children can display our posters on bedroom walls or perhaps print out smaller to take with them when they walk or play in natural spaces. With that in mind, take a look at the preview below, click to download it, and print it out for your child today. This British Mammals poster is a simple, fun, and educational way to get children interested in nature-based activities outdoors.

“The best education does not happen at a desk, but rather engaged in everyday living – hands on, exploring, in active relationship with life.” — Vince Gowmon

(Find more inspirational nature quotes for children here).

British Land Mammals Poster – Preview

Click the poster preview to view or download it in high-resolution Acrobat PDF format. (You probably already have it but, if not, Acrobat Reader is available free here. Whether you left- or right-click the preview image to view or download the poster depends on your individual web browser set-up). Once downloaded, the poster can be printed as large as A3 in high resolution, or reduced to A4 or A5 if preferred. Tip: choose your printer’s highest-quality settings and paper for the best results.

British Wild Mammals poster preview. (Click to view or download).

As you can see from the preview image, some of the featured animals are fairly common, such as grey squirrels, wild rabbits, and foxes. Others, however, are less commonly seen — although that makes it all the more exciting when they are finally spotted! Only last week, in fact, a close family member excitedly sent through a photo of a lovely red squirrel that they saw on holiday while on the Isle of Wight. It’s wonderful that such creatures, whose populations have declined, can still be seen in some areas of Britain. Anyway, though, whether it’s a tiny dormouse or a magnificent red deer, Britain’s land mammals are, without doubt, adorable and something that many children will love.

More Free Nature Posters to Download

Today’s mammal poster is one of a series of free nature-based posters that children and families can download and print out from this website. Others include a Minibeasts poster, a British Birds poster, and a wonderful British Butterflies poster. Click the bold green links to learn more and download the free posters for your child.

“Just like a bee needs a flower; a child needs nature.” — Brandi Rondinelli

Little Acorns Nursery:

Our First-Class Childcare Setting in Hindley Green, Near Wigan, Greater Manchester

Little Acorns Nursery & Pre-School in Hindley Green, near Wigan, Bolton & ManchesterLittle Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green is rated as a good childcare provider by Ofsted.Learning from nature comes naturally at Little Acorns, a first-class nursery in Hindley Green, near Wigan. With its extensive grounds, outdoor nature zones, and wild areas, it’s the perfect childcare setting for children to enjoy some fresh air and freedom (under supervision, of course) as well as benefit from everything else that such a good nursery has to offer. At Little Acorns, our childcare practitioners do everything they can to nurture children’s learning and development, knowledge, and skills so as to bring out the best in them. This sets them up to absolutely thrive as individuals and in readiness for school.

Explore the possibility of a childcare place for your child at Little Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green, near Wigan, today. We’ll be delighted to show you and your little one around, answer any questions, or simply register them for a place. Click a button to get started:

The nursery is located in Hindley Green but may also suit families in nearby towns and villages including Bickershaw, Leigh, Atherton, Westhoughton, Ince-in-Makerfield, Platt Bridge, Tyldesley, Bolton and, of course, the Greater Manchester region.

The Importance of Play in Early Childhood (Guide)

Our guide explains why play is incredibly important to children's learning and development.One of the most widely accepted truths among professionals involved in ‘early years’ education is that play is incredibly important to children. That’s not just because it comes naturally to them and is fun; play is the key tool through which children learn about themselves, each other, and the world around them. Indeed, the act of playing benefits children in a wide array of profoundly beneficial ways, including socially, mentally, physically, and emotionally. With that in mind, today’s post highlights some of the many benefits of play to children, particularly in their early years. So, if you have a child under five, take a look and you’ll soon see why encouraging your little one to play in a variety of ways will bring out the very best in them and help set them up for life.

“Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children” (Paediatrics Journal)

Physical Benefits of Play

Motor Skills

Active play helps children master gross and fine motor skills, balance, movement, and coordination.One of the most obvious things about children’s play is that often it gets them exerting themselves physically, as they run, climb, jump, make, create, and construct. Such activities help them to master gross and fine motor skills, balance, movement, and coordination. All such skills are enhanced significantly through play and are a fundamental building block of children’s development.

Fine-Tuning the Senses

Play also naturally gives children’s senses a workout. As such, babies and children under five will understand more deeply the relationship between what they sense during play and the physical world. Senses including touch, smell, hearing, sight, taste, and proprioception (body awareness) will all therefore become more honed as little ones play.

Strength & Fitness

As children play actively, strength, stamina, and fitness will also naturally improve. These are fundamental developmental requirements that will help children thrive physically as they grow older.

Cognitive Benefits of Play

From an early age, playing helps in the development of young minds and contributes to the rapid growth of new connections in the brain.Right from an early age, the act of playing helps in the development of young minds and even contributes to the rapid growth of new connections in the brain. This is true even for babies, whose key tool to learn about the world is through play, as they explore with their senses as well as by reaching out to grasp toys and objects around them.

Greater Creativity

Play is a superb way of boosting children’s imaginations and creativity. As they play, whether alone or with others, they will naturally imagine scenarios, role-play, find solutions to challenges, create, build, design, and invent. Such undertakings will exercise their developing brains to generate better creative skills, boost their imaginations, and help them realise new possibilities. What’s more, doing so will also be immense fun!

New Knowledge Through Natural Discovery

Play will inevitably lead to discoveries that children were previously unaware of. What may seem commonplace and normal to adults may be a new discovery to a child. For example, how gravity affects objects, how water turns to ice in the cold, how heat melts sugar, how cooking transforms dough into bread, and so on. All such things are new to a child at some point in their playful youth, and it’s often through play that such new facts, properties, reactions, and the wonders of cause and effect are first discovered. Play teaches children so much!

Enhancements to Maths & Science Skills

Playing as a child will invariably lead to activities which involve elements of science, mathematics and maths language. Whether sharing items equally between friends, adding building blocks to a tower, experimenting with liquid or sand volumes, measuring ingredients or the size of construction components, playing will involve maths and science properties at various points. Such opportunities will help children understand such concepts in the most natural of ways – during play.

Social Benefits of Play

There is a wide range of ways children can benefit socially through play.

Communication & Language

Playing boosts social skills in children.Whether playing with peers or with parents, the need to gradually master communication and language is imperative. Play helps that to happen in the most natural of ways. All the time they’re playing, children are naturally communicating, picking up new vocabulary, learning new phrases, getting to grips with grammar, and so on. Play is indeed a wonderful facilitator of communication and language.

“Children who engage in pretend play with caregivers have more advanced language skills, including a richer vocabulary and more complex sentence structures.” (Journal of Child Language).

Social Skills

Children can’t help but improve social skills when playing with peers. After all playing, at its heart, needs to remain fun and learning good social skills will help that to remain the case. Play will inevitably help children learn social skills like sharing, cooperation, teamwork, communication, conflict resolution, and good manners like taking turns and the like. Such social skills will gradually be learned naturally through the simple activity of playing. Supervising adults can, of course, nurture this by pointing children in the right direction (socially) during play.

Building of Friendships

Playing and friendships go hand-in-hand when children play nicely and communicate well. This is even more true when their social skills have been developed so that everyone is treated fairly, rules aren’t broken, peers share when appropriate, and everyone retains an agreeable approach. Many long-term friendships are born through play and these are incredibly important for children’s happiness and well-being. At their core, friendships also facilitate one crucially important benefit — that of fitting in and therefore belonging.

Emotional Benefits of Play

Playing is fun and makes children happy. That's important!Playing is an integral part of every happy childhood. It’s fun and, put simply, makes children happy. That’s wonderful for children’s emotional and spiritual well-being and the importance of that cannot be overstated.

“Play can lower cortisol levels, a hormone associated with stress, and promote a sense of well-being in children.” (Psychological Science).

Playing helps children to develop emotionally. When playing with peers, for example, they can start to think about things from each other’s perspective through activities like sharing, role-playing, playing games by agreed rules, and so on. Through endeavours like these, their emotional intelligence will grow, their ability to feel empathy will increase, and they will become more perceptive and understanding of others. These are important traits for their social and emotional growth, all achieved through the simple act of playing.

Play Benefits Children Holistically

Play benefits children in a completely holistic way.As we have seen in this article, play benefits children in a completely holistic way. Play enhances their lives through a multitude of benefits that include improved skills and abilities, a deeper understanding of the world and society, solid friendships and the myriad of opportunities that all of that will bring. Play also fosters a deeper love of learning, because play makes learning enjoyable. Indeed, through play, children explore, discover, and learn instinctively — with zero ‘friction’. As such, play should be at the very core of every child’s learning and development journey.

Learning Through Play at Little Acorns Nursery, Hindley Green

Little Acorns Nursery & Pre-School in Hindley Green, near Wigan, Bolton & ManchesterLittle Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green is rated as a good childcare provider by Ofsted.Settings like Little Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green understand well the importance of play in the early years. That’s why we encourage children under five to learn through play in our childcare setting. At Little Acorns, we ensure babies, toddlers and preschoolers have all the equipment, tools, resources and spaces to nurture exploration, experimentation, natural discovery and instinctive learning through play opportunities. Well-trained and experienced early years practitioners at the setting will help little ones to make the most of these learning opportunities, guiding them when necessary and employing both structured and unstructured play activities. Learning goals, tailored to each child, are all part of this too, as are continuous assessments to ensure every child is on track to reach personal bests in every area of their learning and development. In this way, every child at Little Acorns Nursery is set up to absolutely thrive.

To explore a possible nursery place for your child at Little Acorns Nursery in Hindley Green, please get in touch using one or more of the following options:

We are a first-class nursery & preschool in Hindley Green, near Wigan, and may also suit families nearby in Bickershaw, Leigh, Atherton, Westhoughton, Ince-in-Makerfield, Platt Bridge, Tyldesley, Bolton and Greater Manchester.