Promoting happiness and health with beach and bush kinder

Monday, January 6, 2020

Bush kinder is inspired by the ‘forest schools’ of Denmark and Scandinavia and has been growing in popularity in Australia over the last few years.

The degradation of our natural environment over the last few decades has demonstrated how vital it is to help the next generation grow into caring, compassionate individuals who love and respect and wish to protect their natural environment. Bush kinder is a great way to address these issues as well as enhance the lives of children.

 

Doug Fargher, creator and founder of Bush Kinder in Australia highlights that children who spend time outdoors and connect with the natural environment tend to be healthier, happier and stronger. And it’s not just limited to the bush as such either, with many centres heading to the beach or any natural environments local to their services.

Why incorporate bush kinder?

There are many reasons to try incorporating nature experiences into your childcare setting, perhaps through a bush kinder or beach kinder. Here are a few to consider:

1. Outdoor play gets children moving

There’s only so much movement you can manage indoors, but heading outside often means wide open space for running, jumping and running some more. Physical movement is vital to maintain good health, particularly with obesity a concern for children of today. This study in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics discovered that increased outdoor playtime is associated with decreases in children’s BMI scores.

2. Being outside makes children feel happy

Many researchers have found that playing outside makes children feel happier. And the benefit of improved mood can be achieved in as little as five minutes of outdoors time! With one in seven young people experiencing a mental health condition, and half of all mental health conditions starting by the age of 14, encouraging children to do things in childcare that will make them feel good is vital.

3. Boost immunity

Fresh air, vitamin D and physical movement: heading outside for bush kinder or a beach visit can foster a healthy immune system, reduce illness and its spread in childcare settings.

4. Promotes creativity

With less structure than inside spaces, taking your childcare setting outside can promote creativity in children. Get children out and about in nature to encourage them to think outside the box and explore.

5. Discovering nature’s playground

From trees and flowers to birds, animals, sticks, leaves and shells, nature has plenty of stimuli for children to explore, admire and have educational experiences with. Instilling this love and appreciation of nature from a young age can help create a generation who respect the planet and feel connected to the world around them.

How to get started with nature play and bush kinder

Most childcare services who are adding a nature element into their programs for children are doing so by delivering education and care from a local bush kinder site during a designated time period. The site you choose could be a beach, parkland or similar natural environment that is within reasonable distance from the childcare service.

The Victorian Department of Education and Training recommends careful considering for planning and developing your bush kinder program. You will need to consider factors such as:

• distance from the service to the bush kinder site as it may impact on methods of transportation (such as whether children can walk)
• adequate pick up and drop off areas (if parents are required to do so)
• range of natural elements which can be integrated into the educational program and practice
• distance from large bodies of water
• any hazards at the site and ways of mitigating/addressing these hazards
• adequate surveillance points and lines of sight for educators
• access for children with disabilities or mobility issues
• adequate mobile phone coverage and access for emergency services
• nearby facilities that may offer shelter in extreme weather conditions if the site is some distance from the service.

Your childcare service should also give thorough information to parents, including during the enrolment process, so that they can make an informed decision to give their child permission to be involved.

The benefits for children of being in nature are undeniable. Learning and development can be improved, as well physical and mental health and wellbeing. From the beach to the bush and everywhere in between, incorporating nature play into your childcare program is well worth considering.

With good planning, adding bush kinder or nature play into the program at your childcare centre can enhance the early learning and development of the children in your care and enable you a point of difference, as well as further promoting children’s development.

For more information on Practical Outcomes’ early childhood education and care courses, contact us today.