Blossoms Outdoor Play for Early Years Groups

Blossoms is aimed at third sector organisations, Local Authority settings and early years groups, widening access to outdoor play at the Botanics.

We invite your groups along to experience Our Wee Garden at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh with the hope that the children and families will want to return to the bigger Garden and enjoy this wonderful freely accessible green space.  

The sessions are most suitable for children aged between roughly 2 and 5 years.  

We can accommodate 20 children and adults in the ratio that best suits your individual setting.
(Please note that although our Learning Officer is fully qualified, they cannot be included in your ratio). 

Children will experience outdoor play with open ended resources. Learn to enjoy the outdoors with the children as they explore the resources and find their favoured areas to play in. 

The sessions are free flow from start to finish, and adults are encouraged to allow the children to play where they choose, follow their lead and observe what they are drawn too. Continuous provision is provided allowing children to revisit areas and find comfort in the familiarity in using the same resources each session. 

The aim of Blossoms is to allow the children to learn through play outdoors, providing real life experiences in nature. Seasonal provocations invite the child to learn through play at their own individual pace and interest.

The practice is based on Froebelian principles. There is learning everywhere, and each area has been carefully planned and researched. Free play allows the child to choose where they learn, and most won’t realise they are learning. For example, pouring water down guttering pipes is teaching the child about gravity, mathematics, engineering principles, language development, science, art and design and weather/seasonal changes.   

There are no structured sessions as research shows if you allow the child to lead the play, they will learn much better than if someone tells them what to do. There is no right or wrong way of playing, we all learn at our own pace and in our own way, childhood is not a race or a competition.  

At each session continuous provision will be provided, for the children to choose or return to their favoured areas. Some areas and resources we have are digging areas with real tools, mud kitchen, open ended resources (loose parts), books, water play, blocks, nature threading, weaving, mark making, bamboo guttering, sand, seasonal nature displays, willow den, wheelbarrows and more.  

Depending on the season there will be various colours, smells, leaves, buds, fallen leaves, petals, twigs, pinecones on display to play with and we want to encourage the children to care for the plants and trees that are growing in Our Wee Garden. 

Thursday mornings,10:00am - 11:30am  

You can book up to four free sessions a year. This can either be a four-week block or, on request, we may be able to organise 4 separate sessions throughout the year to experience seasonal change.  

Advanced booking is required. 

If you are interested in this opportunity, then please get in touch with schools@rbge.org.uk and we will take note of your interest as we plan for provision in 2026/27.

Please be aware that we cannot guarantee this opportunity to every group as these free sessions are for Early Years groups in third sector organisations and Local Authority settings.