Nature Play WA Inc is an incorporated not-for-profit association established to increase the time Western Australian children spend in unstructured play outdoors and in nature.
It is founded on the understanding that unstructured play outdoors (nature play) is fundamental to a full and healthy childhood. Nature play is, of itself, an intrinsic good and from it flow benefits in health, cognitive, social and emotional development and in the building of resilience and creativity. Experience in nature as a child also leads to environmental stewardship later in life.
Nature Play WA is a collaborative organisation working with partner groups to encourage the WA community to value nature play and families to prioritise it in children’s lives. The organisation's primary role is to spread the nature play message and to work to increase access to nature play resources, events and programs.
Nature Play WA began as an initiative of the Western Australian Department of Sport and Recreation and was inspired by the ideas of American social commentator Richard Louv and the Children and Nature Network.
HISTORY
In late 2009, the Department of Sport and Recreation (DSR) was becoming increasingly concerned that children no longer seemed to be going outside to play. Rarely were they seen roaming the parks and bushlands, building cubbyhouses or playing games. Their physical boundaries had shrunk and they had become confined to their own backyards.
A growing body of research was indicating that this lack of unstructured play outdoors was having serious impacts on their health, wellbeing and development, including rising rates of childhood obesity, childhood diabetes, behaviour disorders, depression and a diminished sense of place and community.
At the same time, the research showed that participation in nature play had the ability to enhance children’s cognitive flexibility and creativity, boost self-esteem, improve self-discipline, promote higher school achievement and a develop a greater sense of efficacy and reduced stress.
DSR staff set to work surveying organisational models that could help foster a cultural change that would reconnect Australian children with nature. Over the course of this research they were inspired by the perspectives of Richard Louv – an American author and futurist focused on family, nature and community – who coined the term ‘nature deficit disorder’ in his 2005 book ‘Last Child in the Woods’. Louv believed that due to increased parental fears, restricted access to natural areas, and the lure of the screen, children were spending less time outdoors, resulting in a wide range of behavioral problems.
Led by DSR communications manager Charles Hayne, and in coordination with the Department of Environment and Conservation, DSR conceived the Nature Play WA initiative and created an associated website to raise awareness of the issue and to provide resources to help facilitate nature play. DSR Director General, Ron Alexander, fully encouraged and supported the proposal developed by Charles.
On 21 April 2010 Louv was brought to Perth by DSR to speak to families at the Perth Concert Hall. With little more than word-of-mouth advertising, the talk attracted 1400 attendees. At the end of Louv’s talk, Sport and Recreation Minister Terry Waldron officially launched Nature Play WA and unveiled its new website.
In May 2010, Griffin Longley was employed to further develop and grow Nature Play WA and on 12 January 2011 Nature Play WA became an independent, not-for-profit organisation in partnership with DSR. At a political level, the Minister for Sport and Recreation Hon Terry Waldron MLA was a willing advocate of Nature Play WA and was able to secure a four-year funding package at Cabinet level.
NATURE PLAY SPACE CONSULTING
As consultants Nature Play WA helps ensure school communities get the best nature play outcomes from their limited resources and their already stretched time. We do this by supporting them to identify nature play opportunities that already exist in, or near, their school, and by working through the best and most cost effective way of creating new nature play opportunities where needed.
We believe the best results come from looking beyond just paying for a nature play space to be created at your school. Good nature play outcomes come from considering policies relating to play, making the most of what you already have, involving the whole school community, and producing a professional brief for any new work that needs to be done.
Sometimes the most powerful outcome from deciding to create a nature play space is not the space itself, but the discussion it generates in your school community around the value of play, and the permission giving it entails between the teaching group and parents.
To find out more, visit us at www.natureplaywa.org.au/services/nature-play-space-consultancy-early-years-and-schools.
NATURE PLAY SPACE WORKSHOPS
Nature Play WA offers nature play space seminars, including a free two-hour 'Getting Started' session and a one-day 'Hands On' workshop.
'Getting Started' covers
- Why bother with nature play spaces?
- What do nature play spaces look like?
- What do I need to do to get a nature play space?
'Hands On - Creating Nature Play Spaces' covers
This one day workshop gives great examples of nature play spaces and talks through the steps involved in:
- Planning your space and timeline.
- Engaging with your kids and community.
- Designing and costing a nature play space.
- Who can help me with my nature play space?
- Workshop participants receive lots of ideas, tools, information and links for each step of their nature play space project.
For more information, visit us at www.natureplaywa.org.au/services/nature-play-space-workshops.
GPS UNIT HIRE
Nature Play WA has 60 Magellan eXplorist 110 GPS units available for hire by Western Australian schools and organisations that would like to run geocaching events for children and families.
Costs vary by organisations type:
$5/unit for schools, not-for-profits and local governments
$10/unit for WA State government
$15/unit for businesses.
There is also a refundable deposit of $250 plus postage costs and you will need to provide your own batteries (2xAA per unit).
To reserve our GPS units for your event, please complete the hire form at www.natureplaywa.org.au/services/gps-unit-hire.
PUBLIC SPEAKING (Events and speaking requests)
If you would like a representative of Nature Play WA to speak at your event, please complete our speaking request form (www.natureplaywa.org.au/services/public-speaking).
Due to our small staff size, we are are only able to accept speaking engagements for events with more than 100 confirmed participants. Exceptions may be made for smaller groups where attendees have a broad influence across a relevant child-related network (environment, education, child care, health, recreation or sport).
Nature Play WA as public liability insurance up to $20,000,000.
Nature Play WA have lots of resources for schools to help get more kids outdoors unstructured play, helping teachers reap the benefits of this.
Passport To An Amazing Childhood, with lesson plans - www.natureplaywa.org.au/resources/passport-teacher-lesson-plans
Active School Diary - www.natureplaywa.org.au/resources/active-school-diary
Geocaching, with lesson plans - www.natureplaywa.org.au/resources/geocaching-lesson-plans
As well as loads of research and other tools to help your children and their famlies get outside more often. To find
To find out more, visit www.natureplaywa.org.au/for-schools
Read about the Nature Play WA team here: www.natureplaywa.org.au/about/staff
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