Wild Play – Hobart

Reconnecting children to the natural world

We know that contact with nature is a source of wonder and inspiration for children, and essential to their healthy development. In fact, research studies show that nature increases youth creativity, reduces stress, and helps children who suffer from attention-deficit disorder.

 ‘I’ll never forget the first time I took a group of 60 children into nature, I was nervous and excited at the same time but amazed with what I saw. My team and I learned so much from this experience, which led us on a 10 year journey with children; exploring creeks, climbing trees, building shelters, learning about the local flora and fauna, building and cooking with fire, searching for tracks and identifying scats, discovering caves, hugging trees, surfing down huge sand dunes, combing beaches, exploring rock pools and snorkelling in marine reserves in search of elusive sea dragons. Reconnecting children to nature has had a profound experience on my professional growth and I would like to show you how nature experiences can do the same for you and the children in your setting, whether they are 3 or 13 years of age!’

Scott Gibson

This workshop will be facilitated by Scott Gibson who will share the potential offered by nature for rich learning experiences. Be prepared to step outside your comfort zone and explore all of those burning questions you have about supporting groups of children in the wild whilst taking part in hands-on learning in nature.

Held within a local bush-land environment we will be exploring the following themes:

• Developing a nature program that supports inquiry, wellbeing and resilience in young children
• Identifying and responding to children’s play and learning in nature
• Rope swings, shelters, fire, knives and water
• Exploring challenge and adventure through the six categories of risky play

This workshop will leave you with:

• a stronger understanding of how to support and respond to children’s free play in wild spaces
• a deeper understanding of the benefits of outdoor learning
• confidence in managing and supporting risk and strategies for communicating the benefits of scrapes, bruises and getting dirty to families