Every Tuesday

10:30 – 12:30 pm

Runs throughout the year

Cabbage Patch runs weekly on a TUESDAY, this is a family group aimed at those under 7 years old and their adults.

Each group offers a wide range of activities including nature based crafts and play, storytime, gardening, food based activities and singing. These activities offer scope for all ages to enjoy, to curate self led play and develop their skills in creativity and collaboration.

Weekly Tickets from £3 – £10 per family

Winter passes will be available from January to March 2026, Winter can be a difficult time for the Windmill Team, with group attendance often dropping significantly. These passes will allow us to keep the group going from January through to the end of March, while supporting the continued care and growth of the gardens during the darker months.

Every Saturday (apart from the 5th Saturday of month)

10:30 – 12:30 pm

Runs throughout the year

Green Beans runs weekly on a SATURDAY (apart from the 5th Saturday of the month), it is a nature-based children’s group offering fun in the gardens, a range of free play activities for all ages, and a focused activity especially suited to children up to 12 years old.

Each group offers a wide range of activities including nature based crafts and play, story time, gardening, food based activities and singing. These activities offer scope for all ages to enjoy, to curate self led play and develop their skills in creativity and collaboration.

Weekly Tickets from £4 – £10 per family

In the Winter of 2025 through to the early spring of 2026 we will be selling warm homemade Soup within the session.

Winter passes will be available from January to March 2026, Winter can be a difficult time for the Windmill Team, with group attendance often dropping significantly. These passes will allow us to keep the group going from January through to the end of March, while supporting the continued care and growth of the gardens during the darker months.

An ND affirming play cafe

Join us for a monthly See Me Grow Play Café at Windmill Community Gardens — a relaxed, family-friendly afternoon with trained and affirming support from both Windmill Community Gardens Margate and See Me Play staff members.

Playworkers will be on hand in the gardens to support with little ones, giving adults space to talk, connect, and make the most of the experts on site. The free sessions provides an affirming space for families with a child under 5 who have a disabled or neurodivergent family member (no diagnosis required).

We are grateful to have received funding from Save the Children to support babies and young children so are able to provide this opportunity for little ones to play while parents and caregivers can chat and access support.

Tickets are free but early booking is recommended as only 10 spaces are available to ensure a quiet environment.

Join Steph in the gardens for outdoors, nature based learning. Free play and focused activities ranging from growing, insect identification, arts, woodcraft, cooking, survival skills, crafts, foraging, nature journals, fire-lighting, den building…etc. all in our beautiful and tranquil community gardens.

Aimed particularly at children who are 8 and over within the home education community with siblings welcomed.

Here is an example of what we have explored at the sessions:

• Identify birds by their calls and annotate drawings as an aide memoir
• Dissect owl pellets
• Make a bird whistle from elder
• Join us for a big bug hunt and use the keys to identify your critters
• Make a stink bug potion and play the team camouflage game
• Look at symmetry in butterflies
• Follow the ant trail to find out how they communicate
• Come and feast at the Bug Cafe
• Create a giant whole group food web
• Play Mammal/Not mammal
• Hibernation Station
• Footprint folly…who are you following?

Parents to stay onsite and be responsible for their children.

Tea and coffee available.

Forest School are 4-part seasonal series of workshops with Helen at Windmill Community Gardens

During Forest School we will be exploring the each magical season,  learning how to care for the environment, and ourselves through our connection with nature. These sessions combine Forest School with Permaculture.

This four-week program is a fantastic chance for children to build on previous learning and experiences in a supportive, nature-based environment. We have space for up to 12 families, and activities are designed for children aged 3 to 9 years old.

Each week we will be exploring the principles of Permaculture through different activities, examples of which include making cordage, creating a herbal tonic, and eco-printing, as well as a foraging walk, wellbeing exercises, songs and stories.

The sessions are led by Helen, an award-winning Permaculture and Forest Gardening educator with over 30 years’ experience working with children and young people. Helen brings her deep passion and wisdom recognised with the Canterbury Climate Action Award (2023) and Carbon Literacy Award.

🌻 Spaces are limited — join us for this unique, heart-nourishing experience!

Tuesday: 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st March from 1:30 – 3:30pm