A green start for a hundred primary school classrooms

Greenery in the classroom

Next school year, GreenBee and PFFH will bring greenery to a hundred primary school classrooms across the Netherlands. Pupils in group 5 or 6 (ages 8–10) will receive free plants, teaching materials, and a hands-on green experience — learning not just how plants grow, but what having greenery around them can actually do for them. Anyone who works with plants or flowers day-to-day is warmly invited to sign up as a guest teacher.

Scaling up impact: from 30 to 100 classrooms in a year

GreenBee Foundation has spent years working towards a greener future, transforming classrooms and getting children in touch with nature. Its partnership with PFFH began in 2024, greening more than 30 classrooms across various provinces in both 2024 and 2025. This year, the two organisations are taking things further, scaling the partnership up into a nationwide programme covering 100 classrooms.

A growing body of research shows that plants can boost concentration, calm and overall wellbeing — and pupils themselves report feeling more focused and at ease in a green classroom. The programme also ties in with seven compulsory core objectives of Dutch primary education, linking theory to hands-on practice in a way that resonates even with children who find classroom-style learning difficult.

What happens during a guest lesson?

During a guest lesson, someone from the ornamental horticulture sector visits a group 5 or 6 class to share their story straight from the field: how does a plant grow, what actually happens inside a greenhouse, and how do flowers and plants end up in people's homes? Children are naturally curious, and a first-hand story sticks far longer than anything in a textbook. Every child gets to take home a plant of their own.

"It's such a special experience! It's wonderful to see how curious and enthusiastic children are when they discover plants — and everything that goes into growing them — in such a playful way. At Plantanious, we work towards a greener future every day, which is exactly why I believe it's so important to show children, from a young age, what plants can bring to their lives. Together, we're making sure plants keep contributing to a green, happy learning and living environment, because what you sow, you reap!" — guest teacher Freek Jansen, Plantanious

Through this initiative, GreenBee Foundation and PFFH are helping create a greener learning environment in Dutch primary schools, and giving a new generation of Dutch pupils the chance to discover just how much plants and nature can add to everyday life.