The Duchess of Cambridge will appear on tonight’s episode of CBBC’s ‘Blue Peter’ to talk about the benefits of outdoor play and to launch a contest for her upcoming Back to Nature Garden for the RHS Wisley Show in September.
Being outside “encourages creativity, confidence and even a short amount of time – 10-15 minutes outside – makes a huge difference to physical well-being but also to our mental well-being,” Kate says in a clip with ‘Blue Peter’ presenter Lindsey Russell.
She tells Russell that she drags Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis outdoors to play whether it’s rain or shine, as she firmly believes in the benefits of outdoor play.
In the segment, the Duchess of Cambridge can be seen playing with schoolchildren at the Westminster City Council’s Paddington Recreation Ground. The group completed three activities, including pond dipping, planting flowers in upcycled containers, and den building.
Kate calls pond dipping “right up my street” and tells the schoolchildren that she’d learnt a lot from playing with them.
This isn’t Her Royal Highness’s first brush with the ‘Blue Peter’ programme. In December 2017, she and William were presented with gold Blue Peter badges, the highest award given by the Blue Peter programme, for their work in mental health.
At the time, Kate said that it was hugely special to have received the award for their work. “Mental health has been a learning process for us too. We want everyone talking about it, so it hasn’t got that stigma it’s had.”
The segment ends with the Duchess launching a contest for ‘Blue Peter’ viewers to design a sculpture for the Back to Nature Garden that will feature at the RHS Wisley Garden Show in September.
The two runners-up will create activity cards to accompany the Back to Nature Garden and will be added to the current batch of activity cards that Kate created for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
The contest will launch at the end of tonight’s episode and will run until 25 June.
The Duchess of Cambridge told the BBC ahead of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show last month that she really feels “that nature and being interactive outdoors has huge benefits on our physical and mental well-being, particularly young children.”
“I really hope that this woodland that we have created really inspires families, kids and communities to get outside, enjoy nature and the outdoors, and spend quality time together.”
