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Nature Play Learning

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25.01.2022 Today there is a spring in my step and it's all thanks to the change in seasons! It is also National Wattle Day. There are 8 types of wattle which are indigenous to Darebin. You can find out more about which plants are indigenous to this area in the comments below. Happy spring everyone, it feels particularly good this year!

25.01.2022 There is so much cape weed around at the moment. We couldn't resist making these chains on our ride today. What kind of flower chains have you made lately?

25.01.2022 Does anyone else feel like this zoo keeper when they are trying to tidy up with their children in the house?

25.01.2022 Who saw the full moon on Friday? It was so beautiful. Do you ever take your children outside at night to look at the moon and stars? Did you know you can also see Jupiter and Saturn? Look at this sweet moon craft. All you need is black paper, glue and rice!

24.01.2022 This little guy was looking very stranded on the footpath today so we found a little spot under a tree for it to hide! Have you spotted any animals on your walks?

24.01.2022 Do you ever paint with natural paints and dyes? Maybe you might like to try invisible ink too!

18.01.2022 This is one of the nature play sites I have been working on with the Darebin Bushland Management Crew. Thanks to a grant from the Darebin Council, we will be planting 500 plants to help the biodiversity in the space. Can't wait for lockdown to end so we can get started!

18.01.2022 Sol and a little "frog" on a log. Can you see it?

17.01.2022 A new fence was built behind our house. It resulted in big piles of clay, so we took a small bucket of it and made clay faces on a tree in our backyard! I think I had more fun then the two year old, who happily helped me collect bits and pieces but then decided that was enough craft for one day! Have you ever made clay faces?

17.01.2022 Next time you come across cardboard rolls, consider making binoculars with your little nature explorers. Easy and great for imaginative play! Paint or decorate the tubes, attach with elastic bands and add a string for around the neck! I wonder what they will spot through their binoculars!

16.01.2022 For those who like birds! You may be interested in this free event.

15.01.2022 For any mums out there who need a little self care and connection to nature time, this looks like it will be an awesome workshop.

15.01.2022 Check out this simple craft. The threading part of the activity is excellent for fine motor skills. All you need is a piece of cardboard and you're set. Punch holes in it, decorate as you wish and then find flowers or plants to thread through the holes. We love craft that doesn't produce much waste and this is a perfect candidate!... Have a nice day!

14.01.2022 Over the next two weeks, dive into nature-based activities with the Victoria Nature Festival. Partnered by Zoos Victoria, Parks Victoria, the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation amoung others and includes opportunities to connect to country, family fun and lots of virtual nature experiences and talks. https://www.vic.gov.au/victoria-its-our-nature

11.01.2022 Did you manage to get outdoors this weekend? The weather has definitely made it very tricky! But for those of you who found a sliver of time where it wasn't raining, you may have seen that the puddles were incredible. Hope everyone is doing okay and that you're able to get outside when the weather improves!

10.01.2022 Throwing rocks into water may seem like a simple way to pass the time, but it has so many other benefits! It improves hand-eye coordination, especially learning to skip stones. It is a great stress reliever and it teaches children cause and effect. There are also measurement skills that can be explored, such as weight and distance. But above all, it's FUN! Next time you skip rocks ask questions like:... - "Which rock will make the biggest splash?" - "If we stand here, do you think we'll get wet?" - "How far do you think we can throw these rocks?" - "Can you listen to the sounds the different rocks make?" - "What do you think would happen if we threw a leaf/stick/piece of bark?" Here is a throwback photo of some of our playgroupers doing one of our favourite things, throwing rocks into water!

08.01.2022 Happy Saturday! It's been a gloomy start to the weekend, so let's talk about indoor play. Small worlds are a great way to bring nature into your home. The best part is that you can make a lot of it yourself. Here's part of our small world collection. We have made or collected many of the items, making it an incredibly inexpensive way to encourage nature play inside. The wooden blocks were cut for us by a friend, we made the branch stands, bowls, cups and plates using air dryi...ng clay, the trees are from a branch that we cut and sanded back (we then secured some green balls on top). We've crocheted little houses, beanies, bags. And we're always on the hunt for beautiful objects that we find in our garden or on the sidewalk. We also collect items that would normally be thrown away (florists often include sheets of bark or textured papers in their bouquets that work well for these sets). You may also learn to make furniture or felt animals (that may be something we learn in the future, but for now we try to buy these from local businesses). Do you have a nature inspired small world in your house? We would love to see a photo!

08.01.2022 Such a gorgeous reminders that spring is nearly here. A beautiful clip!

07.01.2022 Excellent resource!

05.01.2022 Do you ever think to accompany crafts with story books? It is a great way to help young children make connections and see the relevance of the activity. Here is a throwback to a playgroup session last year. It was our first session by the creek at Bundoora Park, so many of our activities were centred around water that day. How sweet are the little fish our playgroupers made? We can't wait to be able to gather again in the future and make many wonderful things together!

05.01.2022 Does your family prioritise spending time outside? It isn't always possible to get outside with your children, but if you're able to, it is one of the greatest things you can do with your day. Getting outdoors is more important now then it has ever been in our lifetime. The sedentary and sometimes unstimulating nature of lockdowns has forced us to see the value and importance of spending time outdoors. Among many benefits, it builds confidence, gets us moving, encourages us to take risks, helps us with sleep, reduces stress, builds imagination and creativity and teaches us responsibility and appreciation for natural environments.

03.01.2022 It’s great fun to go foraging in your garden or local bushland area for these edible weeds. Take care though - if you aren’t certain about what something is, just enjoy looking at it, rather than tasting it! You can download the full copy from my website: https://www.natureplaylearning.com.au/resources-for-nature- Check out the second page of the PDF to see some notes on each weed. If you are keen to learn more, the Weed Forager’s Handbook (2012) by Adam Grubb and Annie Raser-Rowland is a great pocket-sized guide to get you started.

03.01.2022 We'd love to see more schools getting outside more often! An interesting read about the benefits of outdoor classes.

02.01.2022 This morning I had to take some video of some mud play and the creek for a mini film I am making, so I took some cooking pots and spoons with us down to the creek. This opened up so many new opportunities for imaginative play and we ended up staying at the creek for our full two hours of recreation. If you have a creek or pond nearby, I definitely recommend taking a pot or two down next time you go!