The Educated by Nature team has been missing our KIN Village and Bush Inventors’ Club friends over the past months, and the joy that comes from our sessions outdoors. We’ve also been missing working together as a big connected community – we seriously have so much fun! So we’ve decided to ‘get together’, Iso style,…
Is your household a little chaotic at the moment? Is there a lot of noise from everyone being at home ALL DAY together. While the opportunity for connection and family time is a welcome one in our fast paced world, it’s important to remember that everyone needs their own space and time to be still……
When Daniel and Trudi first launched Educated by Nature 5 years ago, Mud Pies Nature Playgroups is where it all stared. Sessions for 0 – 5 year olds and their parents in local bush land spaces. Magical moments of exploration, nature connection, simple carpentry, story telling, adventure, risk, mess, and we couldn’t forget, MUSIC. Ukulele…
As schools in WA are tentatively returning, Daniel reflects on what this means for communities, giving gratitude and sending thoughts out to all those incredible educators, as well as to parents and children as they navigate this change.
To notice the intricate beauty in the world around us and to be grateful for such beauty is a powerful tool. It’s a skill that requires time, conscious thought, repetition and modelling. It can be a powerful contributor to a more positive outlook on life and a gateway to deeper connection to the natural world.
Holding space for grief looks different for different circumstances, but the purpose is the same – supporting the people we care deeply for to find acknowledgment and acceptance for their feelings. As community members, parents, uncles, friends, neighbours, employers, colleagues and human beings, we need to support our kin in this time of turbulence.
Time outside is incredibly valuable. It contributes to both our physical and mental wellbeing, promoting activity whilst providing a sense of connection and belonging. In our programs we see these benefits over and over again. At Bush Inventors’ Club, kids often arrive from their day, stressed, irritable and finding it difficult to focus. To counter…
Nature. Even if it’s the grass in your backyard or plants on your balcony, it’s all around us — even during coronavirus. In an episode recorded well before coronavirus hit us, Maggie talks to nature play experts Gillian McAuliffe and Daniel Burton about the perfect places for growing bodies and minds to play.”
Particularly in times of stress, adults need to remember and recognise that play can be a very powerful tool in helping children process, understand and manage big feelings about situations that cause them fear, anxiety and uncertainty.
Throughout this cubby building process, a child’s curiosity is being developed. The open-ended nature of the task allows for exploration, experimentation, play and creativity. The physical development of the child is enhanced, as they engage their fine motor skills, using tools or tying up tarps.
© 2021 Educated by Nature|ProPhoto Photographer Blog
