The BBC's Let It Grow initiative is all about transforming dull and grey spaces into wild and colourful places.
Whether it's a vegetable patch in the garden, some pots on the kitchen windowsill or an old wellington boot that's been turned into a planter in the back yard, there are loads of ways to join in. You could get planting with your class or whole school.
To get you started this spring and to inspire your pupils, we've pulled together a collection of the best BBC resources. Just scroll down and click the links to explore or have a browse of this article for teachers full of cheap, practical - and easy - ideas to help you get planting with your class. And check out green-fingered actor and presenter Cel Spellman's introduction to the resources in the video too.
Let It Grow is a project inspired by Wild Isles, the latest Sir David Attenborough series celebrating the natural wonders and wildlife of Britain and Ireland – as well as highlighting their fragility and asking what can be done to help nature thrive again.
Visit the Wild Isles website to find out more about Wild Isles and how you can get involved, including top tips for how to manage spaces like school grounds to support nature and branding you can download to run your own Inspired by Wild Isles event or activity.
In this short video Cel Spellman introduces some of the BBC resources that can be used to support you to get planting with your class or whole school.
PRESENTER V/O: Let It Grow is about transforming dull and grey spaces into wild and colourful places.
PRESENTER: You could get planting with your class or whole school, and explore nature and what wildlife needs to thrive using these inspirational BBC resources.
PRESENTER V/O: BBC Teach's hub for schools is a great place to start, with links to resources like this - great video content explaining how seeds grow into plants and flowers.
PRESENTER V/O: And if you're looking for hands-on activities, how about this from Rory, demonstrating how you can make a bird feeder out of fruit.
PRESENTER: There's a host of resources for children of all ages, encouraging pupils to get closer to nature and help look after our planet.
PRESENTER V/O: BBC Bitesize's The Regenerators' resources include videos like this one, which explore easy ways for families to bring their everyday lives closer to nature.
WOMAN: We are off to collect some items for our hedgehog house.
GIRL: This can be a bird feeder.
PRESENTER V/O: Or this one, where Chantelle shows how children can use a tally chart to count the creatures they encounter on a walk.
CHANTELLE: So you've just found yourself five ants. So we're going to put four little lines, that's one, two, three, four, and then for number five we're gonna add it on sideways to turn it into a gate.
PRESENTER V/O: Or even this interactive game, The Climate Detectives.
PRESENTER: You can also discover a whole host of nature-inspired programmes on CBeebies, CBBC and BBC iPlayer.Here's some of the best from across the age ranges, including some upcoming shows.
PRESENTER V/O: Ranger Hamza took these children to learn all about the allotment in Ranger Hamza's Eco Quest.
RANGER HAMZA: Lovely. Take a shovel and dig just a little bit. And then take a potato.
GIRL: This fat one.
RANGER HAMZA: Perfect. And put that in. And then cover it back up again.
PRESENTER V/O: Blue Peter has been leading the charge in making environmental content for years.
MWAKSY Now, these guys alone have planted 855 trees, which is a big deal because it reduces pollution, it increases wildlife, and it's proven that greener spaces really improve our mental health. So if you ask me, these guys are absolute legends.
PRESENTER V/O: Coming soon, OZT Goes Wild In Britain, showcasing the opposite ends of planting, from slinging moss in bogs near Salford…
BOTH: Oooh!
MAN V/O: The plant we are lobbing is called sphagnum moss, and it's the secret behind keeping the peat wet.
PRESENTER V/O: …To planting underwater seagrass off the coast of Portsmouth.
WOMAN V/O: We've planted about 10,000 seeds by hand. It is an impressive amount, but it's still just a drop in the ocean in the whole of seagrass restoration.
PRESENTER V/O: Roots & Fruits cover these topics for our youngest age groups.
PRESENTER: For more information and all the links and resources in one place, just head over to the BBC Teach website.Keeeep planting! Couldn't resist!
Curriculum-linked classroom videos
Links to our best nature-inspired educational videos, for use in your primary school classroom.
KS1: Plants. collection
Three short films exploring the KS1 Science topic Plants - how to identify and categorise plants; pollination; plant reproduction and seed dispersal. Naomi Wilkinson and her young helpers find out about plants - what a plant is, what plants need in order to grow and how plants reproduce.
KS1: The Great British Year. collection
A collection of spectacular videos for primary schools exploring British plants, animals and landscapes throughout the four seasons of the year. Each video is free from narration and set to atmospheric music.
KS1: Plant life cycles. video
A short video for KS1 pupils explaining how plants change and reproduce over time.
Ivy's Plant Shop. collection
A collection of short films for primary schools exploring the incredible science behind plants. Including the anatomy of plants, what plants need to survive and how to classify plants.
KS2: Food and farming. video
In this short video for primary schools Newsround presenter De-Graft Mensah explores farming across the UK and beyond. With the help of two green-fingered locals, he plants vegetables at a rooftop farm in Manchester.
Watch again: Big Schools’ Winterwatch 2023 – Live Lesson. video
Head behind the scenes at Winterwatch in this thirty-minute science lesson for 7-11 year-olds with special guest Chris Packham.
The Regenerators
Links to BBC Bitesize resources to inspire children and teenagers to live a greener life and encourage others to look after the planet.
The Regenerators - Lessons age 5 to 7. collection
Lessons to support learning about the environment for Year 1 - 2 and P2 - P3.
The Regenerators - Lessons age 7 to 11. collection
Lessons to support learning about the environment for Year 3 - 6 and P4 - P7.
The Regenerators - Climate Detectives Game. game
Help Agent Sustain and Agent Able as they investigate climate change and sustainability mysteries! Suitable for pupils practising their KS2 science and geography skills.
The Regenerators - Lessons age 9 to 13. collection
Resources, simple ideas and inspiration for being green and making a difference.
The Regenerators - Lessons age 14+ collection
Resources, simple ideas and inspiration for being green and making a difference.
The Regenerators - Green Classroom. collection
Videos, activities and study guides for secondary schools to support learning about sustainability, climate change and the environment.
Nature-inspired BBC Children's programming
Links to some of the best nature-inspired children's programmes on CBeebies and CBBC.
Let It Grow with Blue Peter. collection
A collection of Blue Peter resources, including a new Let It Grow game were you help the natural world spring into life by creating and nurturing a beautiful garden to attract a variety of insects, birds and animals.
Ranger Hamza's Eco Quest. collection
Join Ranger Hamza and the Ramblers on an eco quest to discover one of nature’s wonders and the important role it plays in our environment.
Roots and Fruits. collection
The ultimate five (minutes) a day, starring fruit and veg performing and revealing fascinating facts about themselves in the most nutritious variety show around.
For parents
Links to articles and resources for parents, brimming with outdoor activity ideas and expert advice.
Benefits of introducing children to nature. document
Experts explain the benefits of nature and the outdoors for your child’s mental and physical development.
Exploring nature activities with toddlers. video
Check out some ideas and activities aimed at helping 2-3 year olds have fun with nature.
Activites for babies: Visit the ducks. video
A short video exploring ways to turn a trip to a local park into a learning opportunity for your little one.
Seven ways to get your kids outdoors. document
Some tips from several parents and outdoors enthusiasts on how to encourage our teenagers to step away from their smartphones and head outdoors into nature.
Hunt for mini-beasts and make a bug pooter. document
A guide to help your child spot some of our most common bugs and insects and even make their own 'pooter', so they can study their specimens up close.
Parents' Toolkit: Outdoor activities. collection
A collection of outdoor activity ideas for learning and having fun outside with your family.
