05 Nov Nature Play Comes to Gladstone
Our children are living increasingly sedentary lives and are spending less time playing outdoors, which is why two leading community childhood health advocates have joined forces, recruited a team of experts, and are visiting Gladstone today, to share why providing better play opportunities now will benefit our children’s future.
Nature Play QLD; the not-for profit community organisation that is charged with getting QLD kids participating in healthy unstructured outdoor play, has joined forces with Bush Kids; the not-for-profit community organisation that promotes the health and wellbeing of children in rural and remote locations; and were in Gladstone on the 21st October.
Nature Play QLD Program Manager, Angela Wright, said the play tour will leave a lasting legacy of improved health outcomes for local children by showing educators and childcare providers how to incorporate better play practices into children’s lives.
“Teachers and childcare providers are usually our biggest advocates as they see firsthand when children have better play experiences, they are better to teach.
“Children are more engaged, more focused, more creative, and more likely to develop risk assessment and problem-solving skills when playing this way.
“Play has never been more important in these tumultuous times. Whatever trauma kids have faced – drought, fire, remote learning because of the pandemic; they need the proven benefits of unstructured outdoor play.
“I think there are big learnings to be had about this type of play and anticipated outcomes, and some of the research that will be shared by our expert panel will turn play on its head!”
