Our children have always had a very keen interest in learning through nature so we starting our Bush Kindy with Ranger Kylie at Turnock Park. Bush Kindy comes with some risks, and before we began taking the children out of our service, we discussed with the children about what dangers there might be when leaving Offspring. We learnt about stings and bites, road safety and we looked through a map to work out our walking track and who we might meet along the way.
The children had this sense of calmness as they walked through the community and made their way to the park. They had this constant chatter and cheerfulness to their conversations with each other. When we arrived at the park, they began by completing their acknowledgement to country and the educators completed their safety checks. The children helped put together their perimeter / boundary rope. We encouraged the children’s input in deciding on the boundary and what they would like to explore.
The children then began exploring and looking for trees to climb, humpys to build and fairy gardens to create. Some children enjoyed laying under the canopy of trees and looked at the sunlight shining through.
During Bush Kindy, all the children have a choice as to what they would like to explore and the educators help guide their play and encourage their sense of wonder. Nature has plenty of stimuli for children to explore, admire and have educational experiences. Educator support is important to instilling the love for nature from a young age to help create a generation who respect the planet and feel connected to the world around them.
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