The Growing Challenge FAQs

The Growing Challenge is a fun-packed nature subscription for children aged three to seven, inspired by Eric Carle’s timeless classic, 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar™'.

Nothing connects children with nature like getting their little fingers dirty and seeing the results grow and grow. The activities included will help keep them entertained at home while learning about plants and nature.

As you are signing up to a monthly donation to Action for Children when you subscribe, that means you could also support vulnerable children with every pack you get.

Action for Children create safe and happy childhoods for vulnerable children across the UK. Mental health and wellbeing is a core part of how we do that. Our work gives children and young people the tools they need to grow a deep understanding of their own minds and how to look after them. And as a provider of childcare with a Forest School ethos, we know how hands-on nature-based learning can benefit those growing minds too.

There are four packs in total, one for each season. Your first pack is sent within five weeks of you signing up to The Growing Challenge, while the remaining three packs are sent after your 4th, 8th and 11th monthly donation.

In addition, we’ll send you regular emails with lots of extra activities, crafts, recipes and stories about how you’re helping children and young people.

You sign up to donate monthly to Action for Children via Direct Debit or PayPal. The minimum monthly donation to get the packs is £6, but you can choose to donate as much as you want.

With your first 12 donations you will receive a Growing Challenge pack through your letterbox every three months, as well as regular emails with lots of extra activities crafts, recipes and stories about how you’re helping children and young people. After month 12 your donation to Action for Children will continue, but you can change the amount or cancel it at any time by contacting our supporter services team:.

Phone: 0300 123 2112 (open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday)

Email: [email protected]

You can also cancel or change your donation during the first 12 months, but you won't continue to receive the packs if you cancel your regular donation or change it to be less than £6.

You can pay via Direct Debit or PayPal. Unfortunately we can't take regular card payments on Credit or Debit cards or via Payroll Giving. If this is a problem for you, we would love to hear your feedback.

On the date you choose, the money will be collected from your account. You can choose between the 1st, 5th, 15th and 25th of each month.

We’re considering to implement gift subscriptions in the future, so if this is of interest to you, please click here and let us know - we would love to understand the demand for it!

We don’t at the moment but we’re always looking for ways to improve The Growing Challenge, so if this is of interest to you, please click here and let us know as we would love to understand the demand for it!

The Growing Challenge is designed for children aged three to seven.

We’re currently only shipping within the United Kingdom.

The Growing Challenge packs are designed to fit through an average letterbox.

The packs are delivered by Royal Mail. As the packs are made to fit through your letterbox, you don't need to be home, but in the unlikely event it isn't delivered we will re-arrange delivery.

In the unlikely event that your pack isn’t delivered to you within 5 weeks of you signing up, please contact our supporter services team and we can arrange delivery of a replacement.

Phone: 0300 123 2112 (open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday)

Email: [email protected]

Yes, your monthly donation will then continue, but you can cancel it at any time. After month 12, your monthly donation will be treated as a donation to Action for Children. We hope you’ll be able to keep supporting our work and making a difference for the children who need us the most. And if you opt in to receiving emails, you'll be able to keep learning how your monthly gift supports our work to help vulnerable children in the UK.

If you’d like to make any changes to your Growing Challenge subscription, please contact our Supporter Services team by calling 0300 123 2112 or emailing [email protected].

You can cancel your Direct debit at any time. Simply contact our Supporter Services team 10 days before your payment is due.

You can cancel by calling 0300 123 2112 or emailing [email protected].

Alternatively, you can cancel directly with your bank. Please do this as soon as you can before your payment is due to be taken.

Each pack contains a selection of seasonal seeds and growing instruction, along with a variety of activity sheets, arts and craft ideas, recipes and child-friendly case studies, so your little one can understand how they're helping vulnerable children across the UK.

The Growing Challenge is currently only available in English.

Everything in the Growing Challenge packs are produced and sourced as sustainably as possible. Everything within the packs, including the stickers and the seed packets are fully recyclable.

At Action for Children, we’re always looking to be more sustainable. And we know that needs to work alongside our procurement approach.

We’ve recently started collaborating with one of our corporate partners, Turner & Townsend, to explore how we can improve our sustainability. And we’ve hired a Sustainability Manager, responsible for driving positive change in this area.

With The Growing Challenge, our dedication to environmental responsibility is clear – from the concept of the subscription to the paper we print on.

We've made sure that everything within the subscription is environmentally friendly, from production methods to eco-conscious design and development processes.

Want more information? Email Olivia Tomkinson at [email protected].

For more information about our print and fulfilment company and their eco-credentials, please visit: https://www.linney.com/sustainability

We protect and support children and young people. We do this by providing practical and emotional care and support. We make sure their voices are heard. And we campaign to bring lasting improvements to their lives.

Today, we run 372 services in local communities across the UK, in schools, and online.

In our nurseries and children's centres, staff make sure children get the best start in life. Our foster and modern residential services find children and young people safe and loving homes.

We step in to protect children from neglect and abuse and help those who care for others or are at risk of homelessness. Innovative projects like The Blues Programme give young people the help they need to look after their mental health.

We're also here for parents, through projects like Parent Talk, our online support service.

Your donations help us to support vulnerable children, young people and their families in the UK.

85p of every £1* we spend goes directly towards helping children, young people and their families. We make sure that every penny you donate goes where it will have the greatest impact on children’s lives. Donations from this campaign will be unrestricted and used by Action for Children for its general charitable purposes. That means they’re not spent on one project or one specific area of the UK, but where the need is greatest.

*Figure based on audited 2022/23 charity accounts that exclude subsidiary companies like commercial nurseries.

Donating a small amount every month by Direct Debit helps us give vulnerable children the stability they need. Our regular supporters help us carry out long-term work and keep vital projects running.