Nature-play service: more children & educators out in the bush

This is a project to create a nature-play service for Castlemaine and surrounds for schools, kindergartens, childcare centres and other groups who care for children. The service will provide a nature area for play; a bus to get to the site and other bush areas; equipment (e.g. magnifying glasses, first aid kits, field guides); teacher training and a festival to help get more children playing outside in nature. The bus will come with all the equipment and can be booked to take children and educators to various natural areas. Let's help give our children the benefits of unstructured play outside.

Play outside in nature has so many benefits for children. It: 1. builds confidence and independence; 2. fosters empathy for others and nature; 3. improves physical fitness; 4. has health benefits; 5. improves mental health; 6. exposes children to manageable risk and 7. provides a way to learn from experience. This service will enable more children to get access to nature and provide another way for them to interact with, use and take care of the bush. Nature play in Castlemaine and its surrounds is an important way to keep our community healthy and build resilience in our children.