Chatsworth is launching first ever children's gardening club offering hands-on crop growing sessions and nature activities

The Little Pips Gardening Club for children aged from three to five years will include creative activities to give nature a helping hand, from making butterfly feeding stations and a wormery to planting bee-friendly plants.

A sunflower planting session on March 7 will launch the fortnightly club. Other seasonal activities lined up for the months ahead will include making a pea propatator in April, going on a bumblebee safari in May and havesting pumpkins planted earlier in the year in October.

The sessions will take place in the outdoor learning centre, Chatsworth’s Stickyard, where the children will be growing their own produce in specially created raised beds for vegetables, fruit and flowers, and having a go at watering, weeding and making sure all the plants are happy.

Tina Carter, landscape engagement facilitator for Chatsworth, said: “We are hoping children will come regularly enough to see all their work develop as the seasons change; there is nothing more rewarding than planting a tiny seed and then watching it transform into a huge pumpkin in the autumn. The club will give our budding gardeners the chance to enjoy being outdoors, make friends and learn new skills while having fun.”

Chatsworth will be encouraging families to get outdoors this half term with the opening of the farmyard from February 19 to 27. Little ones can get face to face with the farmyard animals, enjoy animal handling sessions, take part in creative crafts and explore the winter woods in tractor and trailer rides at no additional cost.

Visitors can also cosy up by a fire with Chatsworth’s first-ever fire pit bake-offs taking place on February 22 and 23. Bakers can have a go at making tasty campfire bread and orange chocolate brownies over a fire-pit, before finishing with toasting marshmallows and a warming cup of hot chocolate.

With plenty of suitable trails for all ages and abilities, family members of all ages can take advantage of the free parking throughout the winter season and explore Chatsworth’s variety of parkland and woodland walks.

Chatsworth House and gardens will reopen to the public on March 26, 2022.

For more details, visit the Chatsworth website.