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Communicating with the school community about new programmes (thinking…

- - - - Some parents are risk averse and reuire educaitng by teachers to allow risky outdoor play.
      - Trees for climbing, huts for hiding, trees, logs, rocks, dry creek beds, grassy areas, mud kitchens etc assist in outdoor nature p[ay
        
        Some play spaces are. added to by the community
      - Prinicpal perspective
        
        “ . . . there is other children who just do not cope in classrooms anymore. When
        
        they get out into the [outdoor] space they can demonstrate their creativity, their
        
        knowledge, their communication because they are not under the academic pressure of classroom behaviour—they can be outside in space, so we see very little
        
        negative behaviours in our space in nature play...” (Participant 9, principal)
      - Teacher perspective
        
        “ . . . it just feels a little bit more meaningful . . . like problems and things like
        
        that that actually have something to do with life. Like a lot of our maths learning going around the garden and the kitchen where the food is collected and
        
        whatever else you know it’s the sort of learning that I think kids will find meaningful, engaging and it’s something that I think will probably stick with them”
        
        (Participant 8, educator)
        
        Teacher Control
        
        “I think some teachers might feel safer with four walls around them and feel like
        
        they have got that comfort of everything that they need, or this is about maybe
        
        their perception that everything that they need, like, whether it’s maths counters,
        
        or flashcards, or whatever, it’s inside their four walls and . . . if they go outside, it
        
        might go a bit crazy.” (Participant 3, educator)
        
        “There are issues with teaching in the outside and I know this but they’re not . . .
        
        insurmountable. It’s very convenient to sit inside with your electric whiteboard and your controlled things . . . I think the biggest issue with teachers
        
        is control . . . ” (Participant 7, educator)
        
        Concerns about funding applicaitons etc
        
        “ . . . we have taken a piece of area in the school, and we have created a nature
        
        play area, I would love to have 10 to 15 thousand dollars to create a . . . purposebuilt area . . . but we haven’t . . . so we have got some slopes, we have got some
        
        flat area, we have got an area where we have created a pretend river bend . . . So,
        
        we have got a shoestring budget obviously, but we try and create what we can...”
        
        (Participant 9, principal)
        
        Programmes need not be expensive. E.g. Junk play can be set up for free. Ange's sensory program has cost under $1,000
        
        Weather concerns
        
        “It is like at times it feels harder going, because, like, if it’s a bit windy or sometimes it gets a bit heated or a bit chilly so we’re standing there and we’re like,
        
        “Oh you want to do this?” and you turn to the kids, and they’re like, “Yeah! Let’s
        
        go!”” (Participant 10, educator)
        
        “I said to them, “Who’s wet?”, and they all put their hands up, and “Who cares?”
        
        and they all shoot their hands down.” (Participant 7, educator)
        
        Teachers worried about too hot, too cold and too wet
        
        Perhaps preparedness for the elements is key?
        
        Enablers
        
        Having a school champion who takes leadership over PBL in nature. Applies for grants and supports others in the school. Has passion for the cause!
        
        Attitude
        
        “I think: number one, nature doesn’t have to be going to a forest, it could be just
        
        something that’s outside your classroom, and you can use it every day, and it is
        
        there to help you teach—use it as a tool rather than a hindrance...” (Participant
        
        8, educator)
        
        Increased interest and understanding of nature based play in educaiton. This suggests that now is the time to increase uptake
        
        by mitigating barriers and promoting the enablers of nature-based play and learning in
        
        order to provide children with more opportunities to experience the health and wellbeing
        
        benefits.
        
        Having a team to support the programs (rather than relying on one person to make it happen)
- - - - Could we include our 'examples' here too? Eg. Ang's sensory garden, Hannah's bush play and Sarah's fairy garden or forest school and or junk play