Children in Hull to get new opportunities to play outdoors as part of UK-wide nature programme

Children and families in Hull will soon have more opportunities to play outdoors and connect with nature through a new initiative at East Hull Community Farm. Rewilding Youth, a local organisation, has been chosen as one of 25 communities across the UK to take part in the Royal Society of Arts’ Playful Green Planet programme.

Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, the programme aims to expand nature-based play for children across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. In Hull, Rewilding Youth will run weekly outdoor play sessions for children aged 0-4 and their families, weekly sessions for home-educated children, and regular Wild Play Days for 5-11 year olds during school holidays.

Activities planned include bushcraft skills, green woodwork, bug hunting, plant and animal identification, den-building, environmental storytelling, and campfire cooking. All sessions will take place in the Rewilding Space at East Hull Community Farm, which features a roundhouse, outdoor kitchen, workshop, canopied learning area, compost toilets, and ample wild space for exploration and play.

Dr Charlotte Dean, Programme Director of Rewilding Youth, said the project offers vital access to safe green spaces for children who might otherwise lack opportunities to play freely outdoors. She emphasised the importance of spending time in nature for healthy childhood development and fostering care for the environment.

The Playful Green Planet programme supports communities in creating outdoor play opportunities tailored to their local areas, whether in school grounds, parks, housing estates, or neighbourhood green spaces. The initiative has already reached over 8,000 children and provided more than 26,000 hours of nature-based play and learning nationwide.

Tom Kenyon, Director of Social Impact at the Royal Society of Arts, highlighted the programme’s focus on making outdoor play accessible where children live, encouraging creativity and connection with nature. The Royal Society of Arts is collaborating with organisations such as the National Trust and the Eden Project to extend nature-rich play to more children across the UK.