Kate tries her hand at TV presenting for children's show

The Duchess of Cambridge has appeared on television to encourage children to get out of their lounge rooms and into their gardens.

Kate, 37, was the guest star on long-running British kids' show Blue Peter, which aired overnight in the UK.

The Duchess-turned-TV-presenter had a seven-minute segment on the show where she urged children to spend "ten to 15 minutes" playing outside as often as possible. 

Speaking about the importance of outdoor activities, Kate admitted her three children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louise – are "dragged outside" come "rain or shine". She said pond dipping was "massively up my street".

"It encourages creativity, confidence and even a short amount of time - 10-15 minutes outside - makes a huge difference to physical well-being but also to our mental well-being," the Duchess told Blue Peter presenter Lindsey Russell.

During her appearance, Kate was joined by school children at Westminster City Council’s Paddington Recreation Ground, where she demonstrated three outdoor activities that can be done at home.

The first – pond dipping – saw Kate learn how to best catch wildlife in a net.

"I didn't realise there's an actual technique," she said, after being shown a figure-eight technique.

"Do you know what tadpoles eventually turn into? Have you ever seen any froggies?" Kate asked the children.

She was then shown how to plant things in re-used containers, including old wellington boots.

Finally, Kate and the children used sticks and foliage to build a den.

Viewers of the television show can now take part in a competition to design a sculpture to go into Kate's Back to Nature garden, which she designed for the Chelsea Flower Show.

A modified version of that garden is being relocated to Wisley, in Surrey, in September. Her design featured a tree house, a rope swing, a den and a campfire.

Kate previously appeared on Blue Peter with her husband, Prince William, in 2017, where they spoke about mental health.