Blog
Bring Nature In
'How can we bring nature in' is a question I am asked often and one that is very relevant in ECE, primary schools and beyond. As teachers, we have the super important job of helping our young tamariki grow into awesome little beings. We're talking about sparking their...
Why Kids should Play Outside in the Winter
First published in the Natural Parent Magazine.When my daughter was 10 days old she had her first experience of a winter nature play session. She was wrapped up snuggly in her merinos, a one-piece fleece suit and a multi-coloured knitted hat from my cousin. It was a...
Dealing with an Incident
Dealing with an incident in a nature program is tough. Find out how we dealt with an incident and what our review process was in our latest article
Nurture Through Nature
Want to connect your children to nature but not sure where to start? Find out how to nurture your children in nature in our latest blog.
What is Nature Education and What Place Does it Have in New Zealand Schools
What is nature education, what place does it have in New Zealand Schools and why is nature connection at the core? Read more here.
Loose Parts and Outdoor Play
Loose parts are an essential element in any play setting creating opportunities for children’s creativity, problem-solving and cognitive development. Find out what loose parts are, the benefits of loose parts and how to start with loose parts. You will also uncover some tips around the role of the teacher in outdoor loose parts play.
Schema and Children’s Play
Schema or play urges are often described as repeated patterns of behaviour. By repeating actions over and over, just like with the examples above, children are gathering information of that particular play urge, to store in their brain.
The Importance of Risky Play
Risky play is a key element of a child’s development and wellbeing. Find out the benefits, what the 8 elements of risky play are and how you can support risky play in your environment.
Resilience: What Coming Last Taught Me
A running race has nothing to do with nature play. Nature play isn’t just about playing in nature. It is about preparing us mentally to navigate the world before us. This is a story on mindset, resilience and courage. Come join me…
The Benefits of Nature Play
There are so many benefits of nature play yet so often we are not prioritising this kind of play in our centres, our schools. By sharing some of the benefits, we hope to inspire you to get outdoors more and have the confidence to make it happen for your children or the children you work with.
Nature Education: Where do I Start
Starting a nature play programme is much easier that it appears. Find out where to start your nature education journey.
Is This Your Year To Embrace Nature Play?
Is This Your Year To Embrace Nature Play? In today’s tech-focused world, it’s easy to take our natural surroundings for granted. Our tamariki grow up exploring virtual environments more than natural ones. And while the digital age has a lot to offer, these changes...
What to Wear for Outdoor Winter Play
Being dressed for the weather is an essential element of enjoying outdoor winter play! Find out what to wear on a cold winter day so you can get outdoors and make the most of outdoor winter play.
Should Children Play Outside when it Rains?
So often as soon as it starts to rain we bring our children inside so they don’t get wet, cold or sick. But do the benefits out weight the risks? In this article we explore some of the thinking and the benefits of play outdoors in all weather.
Ideas for World Wildlife Day
Needing some ideas for World Wildlife Day? Here are 20 suggestions to get your kids outdoors and into nature.
Having a Nature Mindset
I often hear the words yes, but…when talking with educators about setting up regular nature excursions or a nature programme in their school.
While I can definitely see the challenges and I get to hear first-hand from many teachers around NZ about their problems, they are just that. Problems. Ready to be solved.
5 Tips on Using the Outdoor Classroom
The outdoor classroom is an under-utilised space, full of incredible natural potential. It is a great place for learning and it supports the overall development of children alongside dispositions and key competencies that help them succeed in life. So why is it not...
How Nature Helps Children in a Crisis
What does outdoor play have to do will preparing for a crisis and how do dispositions develop that support us through turbulent times.
It’s OK To Get Bored This Summer
When I asked my children how to not get bored this summer, they came up with a great list that I share in this post. It has a couple of clear themes. Outdoors, simple is best and time – give them time to play!
5 Top Tips for Teaching in Nature
One of my early memories of teaching in nature was when I was working over at a YMCA camp on the Banks Peninsula in 1999. We were down at the beach and I was meant to be running an activity called coasteering. But the children were having so much fun making...