diff --git a/packages/components/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/components/CHANGELOG.md
index c03e959a54be86..2496d5c4cd01b2 100644
--- a/packages/components/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/components/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 -   Add missing styles to the `BaseControl.VisualLabel` component. ([#37747](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/37747))
 -   Prevent keyDown events from propagating up in `CustomSelectControl` ([#30557](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/30557))
+-   Mark `children` prop as optional in `SelectControl` ([#37872](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/37872))
 
 ## 19.2.0 (2022-01-04)
 
diff --git a/packages/components/src/select-control/README.md b/packages/components/src/select-control/README.md
index 17d99165383d82..9d059fc8cf5470 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/select-control/README.md
+++ b/packages/components/src/select-control/README.md
@@ -201,9 +201,9 @@ An array of objects containing the following properties:
 
 #### children
 
-An alternative to the `options` prop.  
+An alternative to the `options` prop.
 Use the `children` prop to have more control on the style of the items being rendered, like `optgroup`s or `options` and possibly avoid re-rendering due to the reference update on the `options` prop.
-- Type: `Element`
+- Type: `ReactNode`
 - Required: No
 
 #### onChange
diff --git a/packages/components/src/select-control/index.tsx b/packages/components/src/select-control/index.tsx
index 7ee32b6f55cb3a..ec2afed60d7123 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/select-control/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/components/src/select-control/index.tsx
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
  */
 import { isEmpty, noop } from 'lodash';
 import classNames from 'classnames';
-import type { ChangeEvent, FocusEvent, Ref } from 'react';
+// eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-imports
+import type { ChangeEvent, FocusEvent, ReactNode, Ref } from 'react';
 
 /**
  * WordPress dependencies
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ function useUniqueId( idProp?: string ) {
 }
 
 export interface SelectControlProps
-	extends Omit< InputBaseProps, 'isFocused' > {
+	extends Omit< InputBaseProps, 'children' | 'isFocused' > {
 	help?: string;
 	hideLabelFromVision?: boolean;
 	multiple?: boolean;
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ export interface SelectControlProps
 	size?: Size;
 	value?: string | string[];
 	labelPosition?: LabelPosition;
+	children?: ReactNode;
 }
 
 function SelectControl(
diff --git a/packages/components/src/select-control/stories/index.js b/packages/components/src/select-control/stories/index.js
index 4d616b2926184a..5b21c55070feaf 100644
--- a/packages/components/src/select-control/stories/index.js
+++ b/packages/components/src/select-control/stories/index.js
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ export const _default = () => {
 	return <SelectControlWithState { ...props } />;
 };
 
-export const withNativeChildren = () => {
+export const withCustomChildren = () => {
 	return (
 		<SelectControlWithState label="Value">
 			<option value="option-1">Option 1</option>