Unveiling the Truth About Natural Play Spaces

Send us a text

Ever thought you couldn't run a Nature Play program because your site isn't postcard-worthy?   
 
Newsflash: Picturesque beaches, a bubbling creek, or a lush rainforest are pretty but they are not essential for your Nature Play program.

We repeat they are not essential. 

Today we are discussing place-based learning and how it's actually really important that children connect with their own local environment in a deep and meaningful way.

Nicki and Vicci will share:

🌱The benefits of running programs in dry locations
🌱The three absolute 'must have' facilities for your site
🌱Why picturesque locations could attract 'the wrong crowd' for your programs
🌱Practical ways you can foster deep connections at your nature play site

Join us as we explore why a picture-perfect environment might look great in photos, but can often come with challenges that make long-term engagement difficult. Whether you're a parent, an educator, or simply interested in alternative education and parenting, tune in and we promise to shift your perspective on nature play programs.

Ever wondered how to bring the magic of 'Nature Play' into your child's education? Or how to say goodbye to your worries about snakes and ticks? With Nature Play Now, crafting an epic outdoor program is easier than you think. You’ll boost your confidence, skill sets, and have parents eager to enrol. Join the adventure for just $57, exclusively for Raising Wildlings listeners. Visit our Raising Wildlings website for more details today!"

www.r

If you enjoyed this episode of Raising Wildlings. We invite you to check out Your Wild Business, our signature business course for education change-makers who are ready to create or refine their own nature play businesses.

Your Wild Business is the only program that focuses on the business side of nature play, with sustainable practices, processes, and systems that will cut down your administration work, giving you more time to focus on building a business that is centered around your e

Other ways we can help you:

1. Ready to create your own Nature Play business? Head to www.raisingwildlings.com.au/wildbusiness to access the roadmap to starting your business journey.

2. Keen to find your purpose in 10 minutes? Download our FREE treasure map to find your passion without compromising your educational values.

3. Want to know how to craft an epic outdoor program that has parents and directors lining up to enrol? You need Nature Play Now our $57 Workshop and Bundle series (people are saying this is a steal!)

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
In today's episode we're going to bust some of the
myths of finding the perfectlocation for your nature play
program.

Speaker 2 (00:09):
We like to acknowledge the traditional
custodians of the land on whichwe record today the carby carby
and guppy guppy people.
We recognize their continuedconnection to the land and
waters of this beautiful place.
We recognize Aboriginal peopleas the original custodians of
this land and acknowledge thatthey have never ceded
sovereignty.
We respect all guppy guppyelders, ancestors and emerging

(00:30):
elders, and all First Nationspeople listening today.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Welcome to Raising Wildlings, a podcast about
parenting, alternative educationand stepping into the
wilderness, however that lookswith your family.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
Each week, we'll be interviewing experts that truly
inspire us to answer yourparenting and education
questions.
We'll also be sharing storiesfrom some incredible families
that took the leap and aretaking the road less traveled.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
We're your hosts, vicki and Nikki from Wildlings
Forest School Popping yourheadphones, settle in and join
us on this next adventure.
Hello and welcome to theRaising Wildlings podcast.
We are your hosts today.

Speaker 2 (01:07):
I'm Vicki Oliver and I'm Nikki Farrell.
Now we get a lot of people cometo us saying, oh, I'd love to
do what you do, but where I workand where I play is just not
very pretty.
It's ugly.
So the first thing we're goingto do is talk to you about what
you don't need in a location.
Talk to us about that, vick.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
Yeah, I think there's a lot of myths around what
makes a great nature playprogram.
And the one thing that youdon't actually need is a beach,
a creek, water, a rainforest, anInstagramable face.
You don't need it.
If we think about Australia,90% of it is inland or rural and

(01:47):
they do not have access, inparticular, I think, to some
sort of water source.
So I think that a lot of thetime we compare ourselves to
those people because water isbeautiful and water is amazing,
but a lot of people don'tactually have sites that are
accessible.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
And can I just add there, it's also much easier to
manage risk wise not havingwater.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
Absolutely.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
And it's costless because you have less
supervision needs when you don'thave water.
So I would actually almostargue that not having water is a
lot easier.

Speaker 1 (02:21):
Absolutely, and can be just as beautiful, and
everything is place-based.
What we do in nature If youlive in a rural area that
doesn't have a beach, or somerural areas on the beach, or
even forest, or trees, justtrees.
Yeah, just trees or even adesert.
It's place-based.
The children that are coming toplay there and to learn are

(02:45):
learning in an area that theylive.
And it's contextualized and itmakes sense to them because this
is their environment.
They're not looking toexperience something that is
outside of their home.
So it's really important Ican't emphasize this enough that
having a waterway on your land,on your location, is absolutely

(03:06):
not necessary.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
Yeah, and for those people that are coming to get
themselves on the gram in yourbeautiful location, they don't
stay anyway.
Once they've got their snap,they're off.
They're not the stayers.
So you want people that arethere for the right reasons and
they're there for the long term,the long hole, because that's
where the long term benefits are, not just a photo on the grid.

Speaker 1 (03:29):
And I think that's very important to remember.
People are not often comingunless you're a
location-specific program.
People are not coming to yourprogram because of the
environment.
Specifically, if we dig deeper,what they're looking for is
community and connection andaccess to nature.

(03:51):
Now, nowhere in those threethings does it say that it has
to be a beautiful rainforestwith a waterfall or a beach with
rock pools or a creek.
Those things are lovely, buteach of those areas actually
come, like you say, like youknow, insects or specific

(04:12):
challenges that can sometimesput people off wanting to be in
those beautiful environments.
They look good in a picture butthey're not actually fun to be
in long term.

Speaker 2 (04:22):
Particularly with young children.

Speaker 1 (04:24):
You've got a mozzie infested tidal creek.

Speaker 2 (04:28):
Super slippery water, like rocky creek beds that are
hard for young children tonavigate.
We had a location like that andwe didn't stay there because it
was too difficult with youngchildren for a playgroup.

Speaker 1 (04:40):
So in saying all of that, let's talk about what it
is that we actually are lookingfor, that are an absolute must,
or at least we must be able toproblem solve these things when
it comes to your location, andthe first one, which might
surprise you, is access totoilets.
So, preferably, what we'relooking for is a regular toilet,

(05:03):
a public toilet, somethingthat's within a short walking
distance or, you know, a doablewalking distance, because people
are privacy and hygiene, and ifyou're working in the early
childcare space, there's alsosome regulations about having
these things in order to runyour programs as well.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
And it's not just hygiene.
You need to add there that inthe early years, if you're
running a bush kinder program,you also need privacy.
So that is as big and asimportant as hygiene.
So just a bush, we doesn't cutit in some spaces, so you will
need another option.

Speaker 1 (05:37):
And also when you're an adult, you want to also know
that you've got access to atoilet.
Some of the people that you'reworking with will want access to
a toilet at some point as well.
Depending on the duration ofyour program, that might make a
difference.
Otherwise, you might want tothink of a portaloo or some sort
of camp toilet set up with acamp shower for privacy Shower

(06:00):
tent, I should say.

Speaker 2 (06:01):
One thing we do really need to consider is that
many mothers who have hadchildren often having continence
issues or and or their toilettraining toddlers, so having a
toilet is really high on theirpriority list, and you may lose
people and lose customers ifthey know that there's no toilet
around.
On the other side of that, mostcouncils and shires will only

(06:26):
issue a permit for you to runprograms with children and or
any program If there's a toiletat that space.
So I mean really what you'rebeing told here is find a space
with a toilet.

Speaker 1 (06:37):
Now the next thing that we often are looking for is
some sort of shelter for shadeif it's incredibly hot, or for
rain, so that we can be out inor weather.
Now permanent is best.
It's not always available.
Otherwise, you are going tohave to look at a way of
bringing a rope into some treesand putting a flytar or a tarp
up and something that's notgoing to be an overly huge area.

(06:59):
It's not going to be an overlyhuge effort for you and your
team members to do when it'sraining.
The ultimate to this is to justcancel your programs, because at
some point people will need tobe able to get out of the
weather, and again this willdepend on who's coming to your
programs.
But if you've got mothers whoare nursing babies, then having

(07:20):
some way out of the rain is avery important consideration For
many different reasons.
So as it doesn't have to be apermanent shelter, if you've got
one, that's great.
But having an option to eitherput up even a Gazebo is a good
idea if you're able to transportthat easily enough, because

(07:43):
they can be quite heavy as well.

Speaker 2 (07:45):
I just want to add there most of our sites have
permanent rain shelters of somesort because we operate on
Council land.
But our longest running site,our main site in the Sunshine
Coast, we've only ever rigged upa lightweight fly which has got
hammock hooks in the weedspecies.
You won't be able to do that onCouncil property.
They don't let you attachthings to trees.

(08:05):
So it's really a site by sitedecision on how you provide that
shelter.

Speaker 1 (08:10):
There's different ways of putting up tarps as well
, using poles, and that's just amatter of learning how to do
that.

Speaker 2 (08:18):
We did that in the early days until we found a more
permanent solution.

Speaker 1 (08:21):
Now the other consideration that we have for
locations is actually carparking.
Now the reason why this needsto be considered and is quite
important is because if you'reapplying for a permit on Council
land, that will be somethingthat they will think about when
you're applying for a certainspace, you're looking for a

(08:42):
preferable car park, not justresidential roadside, because
you could end up with complaintsfrom local residents.
So if you are using an areawhere it will be parking along
the street, you want to have athink about ways in which you
can engage the local residentsor businesses who ever is along
there and letting them know andhaving a conversation with them,

(09:04):
to avoid having complaintsbeing made and then permits or
attention being brought to yourprogram and shutting it down.

Speaker 2 (09:13):
Particularly if you're trying to run from home.
Most councils will shut thatdown based on road traffic,
noise and neighbourhoodcomplaints.
So it's actually a lot easierin a lot of ways to run on
public property.

Speaker 1 (09:25):
Another consideration , too, is, if you're running
programs for anyone coming toyou in a bus, making sure that
you have bus access.

Speaker 2 (09:33):
And bus turnaround Bus turnaround.

Speaker 1 (09:37):
So that's important.
But what we believe is the mostimportant part of your location
is you and your team.
What you bring to the program,your team brings to the program,
will have people returning.
As we said earlier, it won't bethe location, it will be how
you made them feel when theywere in that location, and that

(09:58):
is the most crucial thing toremember when you are looking
for a location.

Speaker 2 (10:02):
And how well you connect your families to the
land and the memories that youhelp them make on that land.
We have multiple siblings comethrough now, where some families
have had every child comethrough our spaces and they call
this our second home.
This is where we go when weneed to regulate, when poops hit
the fan at home.
We come here now and I justthink that's incredible.

(10:24):
So they come to our programsand on their own terms, because
they have that deeper connectionwith the space as well.

Speaker 1 (10:31):
So what we can do at every site in order to enhance
that is to help your familiesand your children to learn all
of the different well, maybe notall of them, but as many as you
can the different plan andanimal names, and that's not to
say you need to know themstraight away, but you can be on
a journey together to learnthat, to know the space well.

Speaker 2 (10:50):
And, of course, here in Australia and many, many
other places, make sure you'rebooking and paying for your
traditional custodians to comeand teach the local traditional
stories.
That will help you connect tothe land.
So when you can see themountain that has the beautiful
dream time story based around itfrom your space, you need to
know what the story is and youneed to be able to share that

(11:12):
with your families as well.

Speaker 1 (11:14):
And they can also give you different perspectives
on the plants and animals thatlive in that space and just
share so much cultural knowledge.
That will help you and yourfamilies feel more connected to
that space and know its history.

Speaker 2 (11:28):
Another thing we love to do is we help our families
look after the land.
So we do litter pickupsregularly, we plant trees, we do
weeding, all of those thingsyou know.
We look after the spaces wherethere might be more erosion, we
move those and then we fix thoseeroded spaces up.
So when you have that sense ofcustodianship, you know you
being that environmental steward, you're more likely to love and

(11:49):
protect it and want to comeback and return as well.

Speaker 1 (11:52):
And then ultimately, when we're doing all of these
things and we're spending timetogether, we're building
friendships and that village andwe're making those memories on
the land, and that's what peopleare looking for.
They're not looking for thatInstagramable site, although you
know that will still happen inmany cases.
What they're actually lookingfor, what will bring them back
every time, is exactly thatfriendships, connection and that

(12:14):
village people to feelingsupported and sharing in
something, a shared value.

Speaker 2 (12:21):
Yeah, I'm going to add to that.
With that building thatcommunity and that village, that
giving needs to be reciprocal.
So organizing things likeclothes swaps, meal trains for
mothers that are having newbabies, Anything we're giving
and receiving in that village,really brings people together
and builds those relationshipsreally tidally.

Speaker 1 (12:41):
And I guess if they are looking for that
Instagramable space then they'reprobably in the wrong program.

Speaker 2 (12:49):
And that's okay.

Speaker 1 (12:50):
That's okay as well.
We can't be all the things toall the people, as we mentioned
in a podcast the other day.
So a nice and short and sweetone for you.
Today we really wanted to bustopen those myths about what your
location needs to be.
Ultimately, what you need to dois make sure that people feel
comfortable, so having toilets,car parking and shelter for

(13:13):
those extremes in the heat andthe rain and finding ways to
connect those families, somaking memories and learning
about the space and having thatdeep connection.
You don't need theInstagramable waterway and the
beautiful rainforests.
It's nice to have, but it'sabsolutely not essential.

Speaker 2 (13:33):
Thank you so much for doing this journey with us, as
always, and until next week,stay wild.