Plant walk

Includes: Outdoors, Nature and the great outdoors, Health and well-being, Walking

Activity time:
1 meeting


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Inspect plants closely

Get girls to look carefully at plants to learn more about the world around them.


  1. Take the girls out of the meeting place to look at plants. You could visit a local park, wood, or garden centre – or simply walk along a street.
  2. Allow the girls to explore freely, if appropriate, or walk along together, stopping after an agreed number of steps or a certain amount of time.
  3. Give each pair or small group a set of cards (ideas below) and ask them to look for plants that match the cards. They can use magnifying glasses to look really closely at the plants.
  4. The groups should draw the plants that they find, or take pictures.
  5. Remind the girls that they must respect the plants, only collecting things that have fallen and not anything that is still growing.
  6. Back at the meeting place, the groups can share what they have found. Were they surprised by what they discovered?
  7. Girls can use plant identification books or websites to identify the plants.

Ideas for cards

  • Can you find flowers that are shaped like bells?
  • Look for a plant shadow – what shapes does it make?
  • Can you find plants that are made up of cylinder shapes?
  • Look at tree bark. How many shape patterns can you find on it?
  • How many circles or spheres can you find hidden in the plant?
  • Look at the leaves. Are there any that are heart-shaped?
  • Can you spot a star shape in a plant?
  • Can you spot any plants growing in spirals?

Planning checklist

Safety notes

Check our guidance on walking before you do this activity.

If going outside, make sure you have enough adults, let your Commissioner know, and always do a risk assessment.

Section Number of girls per adult
Rainbows 5
Brownies 8
Guides 12

How many adults are needed?


2 adults needed