Adapt the how-to steps in this guide to turn your backyard into a vibrant, fun-filled Nature Play space.
Nature Play WA was conceived on the belief that unstructured play outdoors (nature play) is fundamental to a full and healthy childhood. This website has many good resources including things to do, places to go and free resources for families.
Nature Play QLD are advocates of the nature play message and aim to increase access to nature play resources, events and programs for Queenslanders.
Nature Play Canberra is about getting more children outdoors more often so they can reap the benefits of unstructured play. Includes resources for schools, families and research links.
Teacher Tom (Tom Hobson) is a well-known and respected practitioner of progressive play-based education and his blog entries are full of quality content, photos and links to supporting research.
Author of Messy Maths and Dirty Teaching, Juliet Robinson’s fantastic blog is full of lesson plan ideas, resources and inspiration for primary school teachers beginning their journey into outdoor teaching.
All weather activities and craft ideas for families including helpful ideas for gardening with children and seasonal craft using upcycled materials.
This Canadian day-care facility has a strong Reggio Emilia approach and the belief that every day in every moment they, as teachers, follow the directions of the children and adapt themselves. Full of reflective practice and beautiful photographs of loose parts creations.
This blog aims to inspire all weather outdoor play every day. Photographer, journalist and parent Linda Akeson McGurk, grew up in Sweden where they live by the motto that there is no bad weather, only the wrong clothing.
Wildlife education officer Penny Whitehouse has hints and tips for parents looking to foster their child’s love of the outdoor and their own connection to nature.
Radio/TV personality and parent Lenore Skenazy crusades on behalf of children to be allowed a bit of unsupervised time to play, learn and grow.
Like the ‘slow food’ movement, slow parenting is about reconnecting to that part of yourself and your family that somehow got lost in the shuffle of busy lives. Full of great ideas and resources to reduce ‘frazzle’ and take it slow.
Featuring an assortment of high calibre contributors from the world wide nature play movement, this blog is thought provoking, inspiring and full of great personal stories from childhood and parenting adventures.
Full of great images of children at work/play in forest school. Includes many seasonal ideas for outdoor learning activities in the early years.
Take your pick of blogs from this Forest School from early years to upper primary classes giving a unique insight into school activities and curriculum enrichment programs.
Creator of PJ’s Backyard Adventures, Rebeccca P. Cohen’s blog is full of gratitude and inspiration for getting outside with your children, even if it is just for 15 minutes each day.
Six early childhood teachers collaborate on this blog full of beautiful images and ideas for incorporating the beauty and wonder of the Reggio Emilia approach in early childhood settings.
Blogger Michael Lanza, former Northwest Editor of Backpacker Magazine, created this blog with the simple mission: to offer stories, photos, and expert trip-planning advice on the world’s best outdoor adventures—including many that are great for families.
This site came out in support of the Project Wild Thing documentary with a mission to create new paths to help get children thriving, outdoors in nature by supporting families, schools and communities to get more Wild Time in their lives.
This blog offers support, connection and guidance to help get families outside with their baby as soon as they feel ready.
This blog started by Paige Johnson provides a collection of ideas, resources and reviews of some of the world’s most inspiring play spaces from the turn of the century up to the present day.
A great outdoor learning resource that includes lesson plans by age group, lists for learning kits, outdoor teaching strategies and a reference sheet detailing the benefits of incorporating nearby nature into the everyday curriculum.
Centennial Parklands is a collection of three adjoining major urban parks in Sydney, NSW. It is also home to Bush School, a hands on 5 week experiential learning program for pre-schoolers.
Launched in 2015 for anyone interested in outdoor learning, this blog has many contributors building on a collaborative model to raise awareness of quality examples of evidence and delivery of learning outside the classroom (LOtC).
Sarah Blackwell, founder and CEO of Forest Schools Education has over 30 years’ experience supporting outdoor play and learning. Sarah’s blog has many resources, links and discussion around the latest research and hot topics.
The authors of the Going Wild books bring this blog to families and communities, full of great Wild Play suggestions for all weather conditions and even after dark.
Information and ideas for forest school and adventure activities including The Woodland Project which provides children with disabilities and their families the opportunity to learn new skills, uncover hidden talents and spend quality time together at peace, in nature.
After the publication of “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder” in 2005, author Richard Louv and others co-founded the Children & Nature Network, a nonprofit organisation whose mission is to fuel the worldwide grassroots movement to reconnect children with nature.
This new collaborative venture supports the idea that children are smart, strong and capable yet they are in danger of not being able to practice problem solving with adults always hovering around solving problems first.
This website run by author, blogger, TV personality and activitist Lenore Skenazy discusses how to raise safe, self reliant kids without going nuts with worry.
Italian childhood advocate Professor Carla Rinaldi, president of the global Reggio Children movement, presented this report during her Adelaide Thinker in Residency.
Full of inspiration for educators, the Sharing Nature movement uses the Flow Learning™ system of teaching that encourages empathy and brings ecological principles to life.
This article from father of two, David Davis, explains why exploring the wilderness of the sky from your own back yard can be a great way to get more ‘green time’ into your family routine.
This blog from the Tinkergarten community, supports families, leaders and those attending Tinkergarten outdoor playgroups. Includes optional access to a free weekly newsletter of outdoor ideas and activities.
Do you like the idea of your children being able to play freely outside their own front door? Two mums from Bristol (UK) came up with the idea that they could take the street party model and apply to close their street to traffic one day after school, giving the road over to the children to play in.
Tim Gill is an independent scholar, advocate and consultant on childhood. His website and blog focuses on the changing nature of children’s play and free time, and their evolving relationships with the people and places around them.
Kathleen Lockyer, creator of the Nature-Led Approach is an Occupational Therapist of 20 years experience and a leader in Sensory Processing Disorders and Therapeutic Listening. Her empowering blog and mentorship program is a light in the storm for parents & educators with sensitive children.
Nature Play SA acknowledges Traditional owners of Country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and Elders past, present and emerging.