As a parent, you want the best for your child. You want them to be happy and successful in school, and you want them to enjoy life. You may be surprised to learn that nature education can help your child achieve all of these things. When children are exposed to nature, and outdoor learning, they have increased opportunities to explore, discover, and create. They also develop a greater sense of responsibility and connection to the world around them. All of these things can lead to improved academic performance and social-emotional well-being. Studies have shown that kids who spend time learning ..read more

3 sensory scavenger hunts - for the woods, city and beach Kids love to explore.  Heading off down a path first.  Looking behind the tree.  Playing hide and seek.  There are many ways that children enjoy investigating the world around them.  And there are lots of activities centred around scavenger hunts that support a deepening of this connection.  When we think of taking kids on a nature scavenger hunt, we often think about spotting birds, or flowers or bugs.  Engaging all of our available senses in a sensory scavenger hunt adds an extra dimension and learni ..read more

3 bug activities to do with kids on a nature walk. Bugs are bug-tastic!  Yes, they may be creepy, crawly, buzzy, stingy, sticky, bitey, swarmy, itchy and even stinky!  But, bugs are also absolutely vital to the survival of everything on the planet.  Without bugs and the super important jobs they do every day, we would have no food to eat, plants would have no soil to grow in, waste and poo would build up in enormous mounds everywhere! There is never a dull moment in the insect world.  Bugs are the original recyclers.  Munching through the leaf and wood litter on the fo ..read more

Some of my happiest memories are of being curled up on a cushion, in the torchlight, in my very own made den. Usually, my construction methods were chairs, blankets, sheets and cushions. The odd peg here and there for design enhancement and perhaps a broom for additional structure. I took my den building seriously! And I remember how proud I was that I had created my own dwelling. A space that was only mine. Hidden from the rest of the house. Me in one of my blanket dens Even better was when we ventured out to the woods to make a proper stick den. Those days were super adventurous. Finding th ..read more

When we look at a tree we’re not just looking at one living organism, we are looking at a whole ecosystem.  Did you know for example that one tree might be home to 400,000 caterpillars? Or thousands of ants, or hundreds of beetles, spiders, fungi and grubs.  Not to mention the mammals, reptiles and birds that visit or settle in their branches, make nests in their hollows and burrows in their roots.   As we run up to national tree day in Australia we’ve been focussing our preschooler nature and sustainability sessions on trees and the important jobs they do for people and pl ..read more

It's amazing what you can find just around the corner from where you live!  Even in the most urban of settings there is nature to be found.  Tiny ants scurrying about.  Pigeons finding scraps of food.  Spiders making webs. Plants squeezing their way up through stones. The other day, we went for a walk at our local park to see what we could find!  If you didn't catch the Livestream of our walk you can check it out plus lots of other great content in our Facebook group. Join the Facebook group Kids love to get up close to nature.  To make your next walk in the park ..read more

Think you have to be a hipster, eat a ton of veggies or have a huge garden to compost?  I firmly believe that everyone can compost.  No matter what size garden, budget or know-how.  Without it being smelly, annoying or attracting unwanted guests.  The small furry kind. Unless you grew up in a family of composters, went to horticultural college or have lots of gardener friends, how to actually do composting can be a bit mysterious.  Here are answers to the top five questions I’m asked about composting. Won't composting make my kitchen and garden smelly? The short answe ..read more

Salt dough tree decorations. Christmas crafting has become a bit of a tradition in our house. It gives us a perfect excuse too, to goof around with items that i have been saving up throughout the year. There is no end of things that you can create. Gingham picnic blanket offcuts have made a fab tree. Over the years we have saved all the kids ornaments from preschool and school and we always find a space for them somewhere in all the decorations all around the house. Even the smallest pieces can be repurposed. There is a whole array of stuff in the ‘Chrissy decs’ box. Glitter pine cones, woo ..read more

19th October to 25th October is National bird week. I think this is one of the best collective events to get involved with. click on this link for details. http://www.aussiebirdcount.org.au/ Bird spotting is something anyone can do. From simply looking out of your window at home to walking along your street we have opportunities to see birds everywhere. It it has very simple requirements, and very little skills needed to do it save a little patience. There a a wealth of Apps you can use for identifying different species, you don’t need a full rucksack of guide books to enjoy what you see. I w ..read more

I’m never happier than when I’m jumping into a stream or kneeling down in the mud to explore nature up close. Recently, I was having a great chat with one of my ‘Wildkids’ parents about my nature livestreams (check them out on youtube and Facebook). They were saying how their 5 year old couldn’t stop talking about frogs after watching a tadpole session at their preschool. He insisted on having the video on replay at home too! Knowing that I’m able to introduce nature and sustainability at a young age is the reason I do what I do. And the truth is, often it’s the tiniest things that kids find f ..read more