Welcome to the Nature Play SA Blog and thanks for stopping by. Our team along with a range of childhood development experts, leaders in education, practitioners, creatives and families will be sharing various insights into outdoor learning, childhood, places to go for adventure, ideas + inspiration, local flora + fauna, nature + wellbeing, and stories from, and about, the Nature Play SA Team. We hope you gain a better insight into who we are as a team and what we stand for.
Mother and environmental communicator, Claire Lock, shares her family’s first steps into voluntarily home schooling as Coronavirus unfolds. It was late last Sunday night when my husband and I made the decision. When the kids woke in the morning, we’d let them know they could home-school as...
The ancient art of weaving has seen a modern resurgence as an accessible and meditative pastime for little folk, mamas and families alike. Weaving can take many forms, with differing techniques used to create functional and decorative items such as basketry, textiles and home décor,...
If I’m being honest, it saddens me that we celebrate International Women’s Day because shouldn’t women just be equal? As women, we know there is a need to keep championing for a gender-equal world. And whilst it’s not easy, particularly for young women navigating their identity, there are...
The rise in mental health statistics in Australia, for both adults and children, is alarming and indicates a need for greater intervention across all facets of our lives. Strategies to approach mental health and wellbeing vary greatly; however, extensive research is emerging that demonstrates spending...
I cut my teeth as a graduate teacher on the West Coast of South Australia, where my classroom (almost) overlooked the beach and the beauty of a natural environment was never far away, or far from mind. I was wholeheartedly embraced by the local community as...
It’s that time of year where the days get warmer and the calendar starts to fill with endless opportunities for outdoor activities. Spending time in the kitchen seems less and less appealing in the heat, but with a spare 10 minutes and a pair of eager and helping hands, you can make...
Like so many fellow Australians, we’re heartbroken and struggling to comprehend the enormity of Australia’s bushfires, which includes the Adelaide Hills and Kangaroo Island fires here in South Australia. The magnitude and losses are immense. Nationally, over 8.4 million hectares have burned, 25 people have lost their...
…the basic law of children’s creativity is that its value lies not in its results, not in the product of the creation, but in the process itself ~ VGOTSKY ~ Clay offers a wonderful sensory medium for open-ended childhood play. Some of our favourite ways to play with...
Since making the commitment to lead the Nature Play SA program in South Australia it’s become very clear to me the power of nature and the positive effect it’s had on my life. To be honest I have done a lot of reflection over the...