Spring Family Seed Walk at Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve

Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve, just outside New Hope, Pennsylvania, offers a compact, hands-on introduction to spring for families with young children. Spring into Spring at the Preserve is a 60-minute children’s program for kids ages four to nine that combines singing, storytelling, seed decorating, and a short, guided wonder walk. Meeting at the Preserve’s main entrance, groups of up to ten gather to sing David Mallett’s “The Garden Song,” listen to Eric Carle’s The Tiny Seed, decorate personalized seed packets, and then step onto nearby trails to observe buds, blooms, and the insects that visit them.

The program is designed to translate observation into curiosity: children practice listening for birds and insect sounds, identifying leaf shapes and emerging wildflowers, and connecting the life cycle in the book to the seeds they will plant at home. The Preserve’s native-plant collections showcase spring ephemerals and pollinator‑friendly species—plants adapted to the local river valley soils and seasonal light—so you’ll often see delicate blossoms that appear before the canopy fills in, plus early pollinators like bees and butterflies on warm days. This focus on native flora makes the experience uniquely tied to Bucks County’s conservation efforts and the Preserve’s role in protecting regional plant diversity.

Education volunteer Diane leads the sessions with a background that blends classroom and library experience; she spent many years as a primary school teacher and a school library media specialist in northern New Jersey, and she also worked as a nursery school teacher when her own children were small. Diane has presented children’s literature programs to parents, educators, and college students, and remains active on the Preserve’s Education Committee. She shares her home with two long‑haired dachshunds and her husband of 52 years, and often weaves family anecdotes into lessons that make plant life relatable to young listeners.

Practical details: walks are weather-dependent, so dress in layers and wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes suitable for a short woodland trail. The activity encourages low-impact behavior—stay on path, avoid picking plants, and practice gentle observation—so families can learn stewardship habits early. The session runs about an hour and is weather-dependent, so dress in layers and expect to be outside. For visitors staying in New Hope or nearby towns, this is a short, accessible outing that pairs well with a day along the Delaware River or a visit to other local nature sites. Whether your child is planting their first seed packet or simply learning to notice the first green shoots, this program turns a simple walk into a memorable, place-based lesson about spring and the small lives that make it possible. Register in advance through the Preserve’s program calendar and arrive a few minutes early to settle children and gather materials together.