By Gayle Berry, founder of Blossom & Berry and creator of Tree Babies
When I heard about the Princess of Wales’s new project exploring nature and early childhood, I felt hopeful. This is a conversation I care deeply about, and one that sits at the heart of Tree Babies.
On 16 October 2026, The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood announced work exploring how nature-rich environments, alongside nurturing relationships, can support babies’ and young children’s social and emotional development.
For those of us already bringing parents and babies together outdoors, this is a welcome opportunity to share what that work looks like in everyday community life.
What is Tree Babies?
Tree Babies is Blossom & Berry’s nature-based approach to holding space for parents and babies. I created it to bring together mindful time outdoors, parent–baby connection and supportive community.
Through Tree Babies Guide training, we help practitioners create welcoming groups where parents can slow down, notice their babies and spend time together in nature.
The parent is central to this experience. A baby experiences the outdoors alongside the person holding, comforting and responding to them. Our work therefore gives attention to both members of that relationship.
What does nature connection look like with a baby?
It can be beautifully simple.
A parent sits beneath a tree with their baby comfortably supported. They notice the movement of the leaves. Their baby looks towards the light, turns away or seeks their face. The parent responds.
There is no activity to complete and no developmental milestone to demonstrate.
In a Tree Babies session, we might invite parents to listen to nearby birds, notice the feeling of their feet on the ground or quietly observe what attracts their baby’s attention. Each invitation is optional and shaped around the baby’s comfort and cues.
Feeding, crying, sleeping and changing are part of the session. Families do not have to arrive feeling calm or organised to belong.
Why do parents need space too?
Early parenthood can be full of advice, demands and comparison. A group outdoors can offer a different experience: time to pause, meet other parents and enjoy being with a baby without pressure to perform.
That is what we mean by holding space.
The guide creates the conditions for connection through preparation, attentiveness and respectful facilitation. Parents remain the experts in their own babies, with freedom to participate, adapt or rest.
Making nature more accessible
An invitation to “get outside” is not equally easy for every family.
Transport, accessible paths, toilets, weather, cost and confidence can all affect participation. Nature-based parent and baby provision needs to take these realities seriously.
Groups can begin in a local park or another suitable green space. Clear meeting instructions, honest information about the route and a welcoming first contact can make participation feel more manageable.
From national attention to local connection
My hope is that this growing interest encourages more practical support for families to spend time together outdoors from the beginning of life.
Tree Babies is one way of putting that intention into practice: training guides to hold space for parents and babies in their own communities.
If you would like to explore this work, discover the Tree Babies Guide training with Blossom & Berry.
Source: The Royal Foundation’s announcement, 16 October 2026. Tree Babies is an independent Blossom & Berry programme and is not affiliated with or endorsed by The Royal Foundation.
