Outdoor Learning is for you too, the educator

Rebecca Burch > Nature Play QLD

A small group of children are sitting under a She-oak tree huddled together creating little mini kingdoms for their “fairy dragons”, they are using the sticks, leaves and plentiful she-oak seedpods that are scattered around them to create little homes. Another group of children are squealing in delight as they jump into a puddle repeatedly, finding joy in the water splashing up their legs. Other children have climbed the big tree and are perched among the branches. Each little nook of this natural bushland has children deeply engaged in play, full of focus and learning naturally.

Nature Play and outdoor learning is becoming more of the norm in early childhood spaces. In the last 5 years we have seen a rapid increase in services providing Bush and Beach Kindy programs, taking children out beyond the fence to explore, discover, play and learn in community spaces. We have also seen playground structures being replaced with innovative, dynamic, flexible nature play spaces to maximise children’s learning outcomes through nature. Educators are doing this because of the immense benefits to children’s learning, development and overall wellbeing. The research is clear and comprehensive and consistently tells us nature is good for our health and to spend more time in nature. For children we know nature play and learning improves their range of movement, muscle development, spatial awareness, agility and co-ordination. On top of the physical skills, outdoor experiences build children’s immune systems, increases vitamin D levels and improves eyesight. On an intellectual level, when children are engaged in learning outdoors they show increased focus and attention span and they are more likely to engage in critical thinking skills, show initiative and build decision making skills. There is a direct correlation to more time outdoors and greater development of resilience. Socially we see children engage in increased teamwork and demonstrate collaborative skills. Outdoor play actively builds independence, fosters confidence and positive self esteem. The list goes on. Whilst the benefits of nature for children are extensive, well known and frequently discussed, we don’t often hear about the benefits to educators. We are in this industry because we are caring, nurturing souls dedicated to meeting the needs of the children in our program. Our focus and attention is on providing quality education and care for children. I ask educators to pause and reflect, and really consider what makes you the best educator? What supports you in providing high quality care?

Staff wellbeing. Yes your wellbeing is a key factor in being able to do your job the best you can. It is crucial to have staff that are happy, content, healthy and feeling fulfilled. And nature is one solution to this. Nature has an almost instant positive effect on us all with its calming effect on the nervous system. Nature helps to clear our minds and silence the noise of our busy minds. Studies have shown that it even lowers blood pressure. Being in nature actively reduces stress, anxiety and depression. It releases ‘feel good’ endorphins, elevates mood and increases energy levels, all important aspects of positive mental health. These benefits are significant to children, but equally important for educators. Educators that spend more time outdoors in the nature nooks in their playgrounds or head out of the fence to local parks and natural environments consistently provide feedback of enjoyment in their job. Jane told us “At our rainforest program, it felt so nurturing and healing, being able to play without rushing to the next routine, the session is at slower rate, child led and it allowed me to build stronger relationships with the children in my care”. The break away from the busyness of our classrooms, the noise and the over stimulation to our senses to then venture into nature spaces that are quiet, relaxing, unhurried has a substantial positive effect on staff. Educators note that nature spaces give time for children to be present in the moment but also themselves, to build stronger connections with one another and enjoy play and learning together. The innovative nature programs we see with services taking children out into bushland, rainforests, mangroves, creeks, beaches and rockpools are invigorating and inspiring for educators. “It gave me a renewed enthusiasm for my job, teaching at bush kindy was so enjoyable for me because we were in a beautiful calm eucalypt forest and the children were so engaged in nature play and their interactions were so positive and so full of joy. We were constantly discovering new things and learning together.” shared Rachel talking how her passion for teaching was revitalized by heading outdoors. The natural environment brings with it a world of discovery and explorations. Children may find a stunning web and begin investigations about the type of spider that lives in it. Or they notice holes in the leaves on a tree and are curious about who created it. These child led instigations capture children’s focus and attention and stem off into inquiries that often lead to long term learning projects. Nature offers vibrant and flexible learning environments that provides endless provocations for learning, that evolve as the seasons change throughout the year. Nature provides fresh new content and experiences, a place where educators are colearners alongside children which bolsters motivation and increases job satisfaction. Employee Wellbeing is about how your job affects your overall health and happiness, and incorporates things like your stress level, the environment, job satisfaction and your duties of your role. Research shows that productivity is boosted when the wellbeing of staff is fostered and not only that but keeping staff happy and healthy, builds stronger teams and long term employee engagement in the workplace! Looking after staff is in the best interests of any organization. Kelly, a Director recently noted “Once we started a Bush Kindy program at our centre, staff were definitely more happier and content with their jobs, and word soon got out and I had potential employees approaching our service seeking work to be part of our innovative team heading out into the rainforest each week.”

Early learning centers can be stressful environments, with high demands, both physical, mental and emotional placed on staff that can take its toll. They are busy workplaces, often with competing priorities and little time to focus on oneself. But imagine being able to take a solution to your leadership team, one that is easily accessible and affordable. Its as simple as nature immersion. Talk to your team about how you can utilize the outdoor space more often, or how you might be able to extend you curriculum program to accessing community spaces. Initiating a bush or beach kindy program in your service may be the solution you are after, a program that looks after the wellbeing of both children and educators. We all want to offer quality education and care and nature immersion is a great step forward.

Nature Play QLD is a non profit organization that can support educators to take this next step through training or mentoring or resources, feel free to get in touch if we can support you.

www.natureplayqld.org.au

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The College for Australian Early Childhood Educators is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) and a specialised provider of early childhood education training to the long day care sector.

By choosing a career in Early Childhood Education and Care, you are dedicated to providing quality education to children in the development of successful lifelong learning.

Qualifications The College for Australian Early Childhood Educators (CAECE) is committed to delivering high quality and practical training to the early childhood education and care sector. We currently offer the courses below for those looking to gain qualifications, develop their knowledge and skills, and further their career opportunities. We also offer in-service First Aid and CPR refresher.

CHC22015 Certificate II in Community Services CHC30121 Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care (Skills Assured funded program) CHC50121 Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (Skills Assured funded program) BSB50420 Diploma of Leadership and Management HLTAID009 Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (in service) HLTAID012 Provide First Aid in an Education and Care Setting (in service) You will receive the most supportive guidance and an “ individual study pathway catered to your needs! “

Thank you to all of the team!

I have had such a wonderful experience with CAECE and the support given to me was

fantastic! “

Industry Partner of Australian Childcare Alliance Queensland