Playing in nature can build a positive mindset, courage, resilience, and enable cooperation in tamariki.
Celia Hogan from Little Kiwis Nature Play is a passionate advocate for nature play and has petitioned parliament for outdoor education licenses to be issued for early childhood providers. Hogan runs a Bush Kindy and Bush School for families in Ōtautahi Christchurch, where there's a long waiting list, and offers professional development training for teachers and parents on all things to do with nature.
“We often talk about loose parts, which are things that can become many different things. So, like a stick can become a wand, it can be a mixer, a stirrer, it can be a bow and arrow, it can be whatever the child’s imagination can create with it. So when we’re looking at choosing a place to go to, we do want to make sure that there are enough natural loose parts left, because as we know parks get cleared from sticks and nuts and seeds and stones.”
Click on the link above to read more and listen to the full interview (14 minutes).
This RNZ interview was recorded on Nine To Noon, 11:30 am on 17 May 2022
