Gentle, hands-on nature learning for curious children
Seasonal activities for ages 4–8, made for home educators and families who want simple, low-prep ways to explore British nature together.
“As a home ed mum, I like how the resources work with our rhythm.”
— Maddy
Some days my daughter will happily spend an hour outside; other days getting out the door is the whole lesson. Buttercup is built for both kinds of day. I make nature-based activities for home-educated 4–8s that are low-prep, sensory-friendly, and easy to pick up when you have the energy and easy to put down when you don't. No rigid plans, no screens required, no pressure. Just simple, seasonal ways to help a curious child notice the world around them.
Choose what works for your family
The box and the digital pack contain the exact same 12 seasonal activities. The only difference is how they arrive, so pick whichever fits how your week actually goes.
Nature Curious box
Posted straight through your letterbox, addressed to your child by name if you like. Rounded corners, wrapped in tissue paper, inside a hand-stamped box fastened with washi tape. The proper thrill of post that's just theirs.
Buy a single box to try it, or subscribe quarterly or annually and a new box simply turns up each season. Sharing with a sibling? The sibling box doubles the sheets, £25 a box or £90 for the year, so nobody has to wait their turn.
Best for families who want the whole post-day ritual, with the printing, postage and packaging already done for you.
£20 per box · sibling box £25 · 12 activity sheets · posted UK-wide
“We’ve had every box this year and they just keep getting better, so much thought goes into them.”
— Rachel, home ed mum of three
Digital Nature Packs
The same 12 activities, yours the moment you buy. Print tonight, next week, or one sheet at a time, whenever the mood strikes.
Buy a single pack, or subscribe quarterly so each new season arrives automatically.
Best for families who want it now, like to print as they go, or live outside the UK — digital packs can be bought anywhere in the world.
Currently £5 a pack, prices increase in September to £10 per pack · works out under 85p an activity · instant download
“We loved the download version! Easy to print and use in our own time—perfect for our unschooling days.”
— Samira, home educator
This Season’s Box
This season: rock pools, bats and thunderstorms
Built around the questions children naturally ask this time of year: why do some flowers only smell strong at night? What lives in a rock pool? How does a butterfly actually feed? What comes out once the sun goes down?
Summer boxes post until 1st September, then we move on to autumn- Leaf identification and tree spotting
- Pressed flowers and plant observation
- Rock pool creatures and coastal life
- Butterfly feeders and pollinators
- Bat spotting and evening wildlife
- Thunder, lightning and summer weather
- Footprint tunnels for night visitors
- Origami grasshoppers and insect facts
— Louise, home educating parent of 2
Why families choose Buttercup
Low-prep for real family life
Made with neurodivergent learners in mind
Works across different ages & energy levels
Made by people, not generated by AI
Nature through your letterbox
Four times a year, a box designed for the season lands on your doormat
Full of activities to get your child outside, looking closely and asking questions. It’s the nicest kind of post to get.
Hello, I'm Rachel — the person behind Buttercup
I'm a mum, an educator and an animation lecturer, and I make everything here myself, alongside a small team of illustrators I trust completely.
I started Buttercup because I needed it. My daughter is neurodivergent and traditional classrooms often haven’t met her needs. Like a lot of neurodivergent children, she comes alive when learning is interest-led, sensory-aware and connected to real life. So that’s what I make: resources that adapt to the child, not the other way around.
She dreams of being a marine biologist and saving animals from plastic pollution. That spark is what I hope every child gets to feel through time spent in nature.
A note on how things are made. Every activity sheet, box and print is drawn by hand by real illustrators, Grace and India, and activities are developed by me, at my own garden studio table. It takes longer and it costs more, and I wouldn’t do it any other way. When you buy from Buttercup, people made it, for your people.
The Nature Curious Club
A home ed nature co-op, hosted away from social media
Subscribe and you’re also welcome in the Nature Curious Club, a private community for Buttercup families, hosted off socials. A friendly space to share ideas, ask questions, and connect with other families bringing their learning outdoors. Somewhere to feel a bit less alone on the harder weeks, without the noise of another social feed.
What families say
Real feedback from home educators and nature-curious parents using our boxes and digital resources
Beautiful poster, high-quality print and paper, and it created lots of lovely conversations about the different bees.
Lovely images. Suitable for young children. The animation brings a new dimension to learning making it fun for all. Excellent!
I like the poster because it tells you the different bee types.
Buttercup are doing the vital thing of bringing together technology and respect/understanding of our natural environment. All of this in a fun and captivating way for young minds to learn.
“Receiving these parcels is always an exciting day and the beautiful packaging makes it an extra treat. The topics are fab and there’s so many different activities each time that there’s always plenty to do.”
As a home-educating mum, I’m always looking for hands-on resources that are interesting but don’t take ages to prepare. Buttercup’s Plant and Animal Partnerships Box was a real hit with my eight-year-old, especially the ant and aphid activity and the oak gall matching. He enjoyed it so much that he asked to take our magnifying glass out on a walk the next day. I also loved how easily the activities fitted into science, nature study, storytelling and literacy, and the fact that everything felt thoughtful, creative and neurodivergent-friendly.
Try Buttercup for free first
Curious before you commit? Start with something free.
Curious About Nature Podcast
Teachers, beekeepers, tent-sharers and other lovely people on outdoor learning and living more gently on the planet.
The Buttercup
Blog
Scavenger hunts, nature play, mental-health-friendly ideas, interviews with eco heroes, and plenty of gentle inspiration for the days you need it
The Nature Family Facebook Group
A warm, welcoming space for home educators and nature-loving families to swap stories and cheer each other on.
— Jo, parent and Forest School leader
Before you go — a few quick answers
How does the subscription work?
Boxes can be bought one at a time, or on a quarterly or annual subscription, £20 a box, with a new one posting each season. Digital packs work the same way: buy a single pack, or subscribe quarterly. Pause or cancel any time from your account, no explanation needed
I've got two children — will this work for both?
Often, yes. Families regularly stretch these from three-year-olds tagging along to ten-year-olds still getting stuck in, because nothing is timed, ordered or marked. And if you’d rather each child had their own set, the sibling box doubles the sheets for £25 a box, or £90 for the year.
Do you ship outside the UK?
Boxes post UK-wide only, but the digital packs can be bought anywhere in the world and are yours the moment you download them.
Is it too structured for unschooling, or too loose if we like a plan?
Everything is open-ended by design, so you can follow the sheet closely or just let your child pick whatever catches their eye. Either way works.
Do these help with home ed records?
There’s no requirement to show evidence of learning in the UK with work samples. That said, plenty of families keep the finished sheets, pressed flowers and made things as a natural record of what they’ve explored together, and when you write a report for your local authority, they make that much easier.
The Nature Family newsletter
A fortnightly note from me — seasonal ideas, free downloads and outdoor prompts, with a bit of solidarity for the harder weeks. No fluff.
Ready to start exploring?
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