I am pleased to formally introduce myself and my new position at Educated by Nature. As Program Development Manager, I will be focused on establishing a staffed Adventure Playground here in Perth.
Adventure Playgrounds
The adventure playground movement originated in Europe shortly after the second world war. These settings were originally known as ‘Junk Playgrounds’, because of the abundance of open-ended materials, or ‘loose parts’, that were available to children. The development of such provision, amongst other things, paved the way for a Playwork profession. Today, adventure playgrounds (also known as community backyards), exist all over the world. It is my belief that an infrastructure for playwork is needed in Western Australia, to help ensure children can actualise their right to play. An adventure playground would be a major step in the realisation of this.
My Experience
I bring to this role a wealth of experience. I started my journey in play in the early 2000’s, when I worked as a playworker for a local council in Wales. Soon after, I began my teacher training, whilst spending my summers working in the United States on a residential camp in New Hampshire. I was a General Counsellor and Waterfront Specialist, supervising and leading waterfront activities, at the beautiful Lake Wentworth.
I am pleased to formally introduce myself and inform our subscribers about my new position at Educated by Nature. As Program Development Manager, a major focus of my role will be establishing a staffed Adventure Playground here in Perth.
Adventure Playgrounds
The adventure playground movement originated in Europe shortly after the second world war. These settings were originally known as ‘Junk Playgrounds’, because of the abundance of open-ended materials, or ‘loose parts’, that were available to children. The development of such provision, amongst other things, paved the way for a Playwork profession. Today, adventure playgrounds (also known as community backyards), exist all over the world. It is my belief that an infrastructure for playwork is needed in Western Australia, to help ensure children can actualise their right to play. An adventure playground would be a major step in the realisation of this.
My Experience
I bring to this role a wealth of experience. I started my journey in play in the early 2000’s, when I worked as a playworker for a local council in Wales. Soon after, I began my teacher training, whilst spending my summers working in the United States on a residential camp in New Hampshire. I was a General Counsellor and Waterfront Specialist, supervising and leading waterfront activities, at the beautiful Lake Wentworth.
After a brief period working in schools in England and Wales, I undertook a variety of roles in local governments, managing play and playwork provision. By 2010, I was working for Wrexham Council as a Play Development Worker. My role was to work strategically with communities to cultivate the conditions for outdoor play. I became a Trainer and Assessor of playwork qualifications, and was a member of the National Playwork Education and Training Council.
In Wrexham, there are three Adventure Playgrounds. I supported this network though staff training and mentoring; loose parts collection and distribution; and coordination of additional support for children experiencing barriers to access. I also managed community playwork projects operating in public spaces across the county borough.
In 2013, Wales were the first country to legislate for children’s play, when the Welsh Government introduced the Play Sufficiency Duty. The duty requires local authorities to assess and secure sufficient play opportunities in their areas, every three years. During the initial and subsequent assessment, I conducted research with children, families and professionals, to ascertain people’s satisfaction with outdoor play opportunities. This was basis for a mentoring program I developed for schools and childcare settings, which culminated in the development of a play policy and an action plan.
Since moving to Perth in 2016, I have worked as a Play Consultant for two companies, one of them being my own. I have delivered school incursions to thousands of children across Western Australia and supported schools, OSHC clubs, and local governments through training, mentoring, and policy development. Recently, I submitted my PhD thesis through Murdoch University, where I also work part-time as a tutor and lecturer in early childhood and play-based education. My research examined perceptions about the sufficiency of children’s play opportunities in Western Australian communities.
In Wrexham, there are three Adventure Playgrounds. I supported this network though staff training and mentoring; loose parts collection and distribution; and coordination of additional support for children experiencing barriers to access. I also managed community playwork projects operating in public spaces across the county borough.
In 2013, Wales were the first country to legislate for children’s play, when the Welsh Government introduced the Play Sufficiency Duty. The duty requires local authorities to assess and secure sufficient play opportunities in their areas, every three years. During the initial and subsequent assessment, I conducted research with children, families and professionals, to ascertain people’s satisfaction with outdoor play opportunities. This was basis for a mentoring program I developed for schools and childcare settings, which culminated in the development of a play policy and an action plan.
Since moving to Perth in 2016, I have worked as a Play Consultant for two companies, one of them being my own. I have provided school incursions to thousands of children in across Western Australia. I have also supported schools, OSHC clubs and local governments with training, mentoring and policy development. I recently submitted my PhD thesis through Murdoch University, where I work part-time tutoring and lecturing in a range of early childhood and play-based units. My research examined perceptions about the sufficiency of children’s play opportunities in Western Australian communities.