Grow. Wild. Play.
Grow Wild Play is the ultimate children’s gardening workshop and live show, created by Lee Connelly, The Children’s Gardening Coach, and built from over a decade of research, school visits, festivals, family events, theatre tours and hands-on experience working with children.
This is not just another gardening activity. Grow Wild Play has been carefully developed over more than 10 years to understand what really gets children excited about gardening. It brings together the three things Lee believes every child needs when discovering the natural world: growing, wildlife and play.
Designed for schools, libraries, festivals, garden centres, visitor attractions, museums, community events, family fun days, shopping centres, theatres, environmental events, outdoor learning days, holiday clubs and brand activations, Grow Wild Play gives children a fun, practical and memorable way to connect with gardening, pollinators and the world around them.
At the heart of the workshop is the chance for children to grow their own wildflower seeds. These wildflowers help support pollinators such as bees and butterflies, opening up brilliant conversations around nature, habitats, biodiversity and why even the smallest seed can make a big difference. Children learn why pollination matters, how bees help our food and flowers grow, and how they can create a little patch of wildlife at home, at school or in their community.
WorkshopsAs part of the workshop, children also create their own bug hotels, exploring the tiny creatures that live in our gardens and the important jobs they do. This includes a fun, educational section about bees, with the opportunity for children to hold bees during the workshop.
Real bees may not always be available. Please speak to Lee about this when booking.
The workshop also includes a gamified challenge where children take part in activities to help fill up their bug hotels. This keeps the session lively, interactive and full of energy, making sure children are not just listening, but moving, playing, creating and learning without even realising how much they are taking in.
At the end of the workshop, children get to take everything home with them, including their planted wildflower seeds and bug hotel. The experience does not stop there. Families and schools can continue the journey with a Grow Wild Play video, showing exactly what to do next, how to look after what they have made, and how to keep the excitement going beyond the day itself.
And now, this incredible workshop has also been transformed into a live action stage show.
Lee’s live shows have inspired families across the UK at major festivals and events including Camp Bestival, RHS Shows, BBC Gardeners’ World Live, theatres, school tours and family festivals. Over the past 10 plus years, Lee has toured, performed and spoken live on stage, building a unique style of children’s gardening entertainment that mixes comedy, storytelling, education, big energy and real audience participation.
Stage ShowsGrow Wild Play Live brings all of that experience into one ultimate show. It is exciting, fast-paced, immersive and designed to get children and adults involved from the very start. It takes everything Lee has learned about inspiring young people and turns it into a stage experience full of gardening, wildlife, laughter, games, surprises and moments that families remember long after the show ends.
Feedback from parents, teachers and event organisers has included comments such as:
“An amazing way to get children excited about gardening.”
“The children were completely engaged from start to finish.”
“Fun, educational, energetic and exactly what a family event needs.”
“One of the best children’s gardening experiences we’ve seen.”
Over the years, Lee has created and delivered many different gardening shows, workshops and campaigns, but Grow Wild Play is the accumulation of everything he has learned. It brings together years of experience, education, research and live performance into one powerful mission: to inspire children, families and schools to go home, get outside and enjoy gardening together.
Bookings are now open for next year.
Whether you are a school, festival, library, garden centre, visitor attraction, theatre, brand or event organiser, Grow Wild Play is built to bring energy, education and unforgettable family engagement to your space.
You do not want to miss out.