Nature Explorer Program

​In 2019 Edens Landing Childrens Centre and Waterford West Education and Care Centre are launching, our new and exciting “Nature Explorer” program which will be run as a routine excursion for both Early Childhood Centres on a weekly bases.

With the launch of the program on Monday 4th February, 2019, the program will run throughout the 4 school terms. The program will run on different days of the week over the term so that all of our children will get to experience this program.

The program adheres to the policies of Edens Landing Childrens Centre and Waterford West Education and Care Centre, with the addition of specific policies, and policy amendments, relevant to running the kindergarten program in a bush setting.

Nature Explorer’s Program was developed in response to research that shows outdoor activities in a natural environment are extremely beneficial to children’s health, wellbeing and development. Many preschools around Australia have already implemented Bush Kinder into their kindergarten program with great success.

Miss Rosina, our Area Manager has had extensive knowledge and experience setting up a bush kindy program. She co-developed a program 5 years ago for 3 centres on the gold coast. These Centres have successfully run the program weekly with the benefits to the children seen daily in their growth and development. She has also attended trainings on Bush kindy.

Originating in Scandinavia in the 1950’s, the forest preschool approach has been used as a framework for Bush Kinder in Australia, where children are encouraged to play in, and learn from, our natural environment.
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 Key features of the Nature Explore approach include:

• Children spend long and regular periods of time in unstructured or semi structured play in natural environments all year round
• Children experience the daily and seasonal fluctuations in weather and seasons
• No toys, tools or art supplies, the Bush Kinder experience enables children to play with whatever nature has provided, and leaving only a footprint behind

 
Current research on children who regularly play in outdoor natural settings has concluded that they have:

• Increased confidence, motivation, concentration and resilience
• Increased social, physical and language skills
• Deeper conceptual understanding and respect for the natural environment
• Mud, sand, water, leaves, sticks etc. can stimulate children’s immune systems making them sick less often
• Children are more physically active and more likely to be a healthy weight
• Children are more resistant to stress, have lower incidence of behavioural disorders, anxiety and depression, and have a higher measure of self-worth
• Nature Explorer programs deepens children’s understanding of community and where they fit in and offers better opportunities for children to be present and authentically engaged in real life
• Encourages a well-connected, cohesive community that is environmentally aware

 
References:
http://www.wgkg.vic.edu.au/bush-kinder
From forest preschool to Bush Kinder: An inspirational approach to preschool provision in Australia (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/AJEC-Vol39-No4-2014.pdf)

If you would like more information regarding this program please give us a call on 
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Edens Landing Childrens Centre: 07 3200 7222
Wateford West Education and Care Centre: 07 3805 2092