Next Nature Club  

Next Nature Club is a facilitated playgroup in nature. We love climbing trees, building cubbies, walking in the bush and looking for shells on the beach. We’re all about imagination, creativity and activity, playing ‘with’ nature not just ‘in’ it!

Who can attend?
Our group is aimed at children 1-5 years. Activities are graded to accommodate the different levels of abilities and development throughout the group.

When?
Monday, 10am – 11am around Perth within 20 minutes of the CBD.

What is the format of the group?
Our sessions run once a week (Monday) for an hour each time. Each week, we explore a different park/bush land/garden around Perth. The groups are facilitated by an Occupational Therapist and final year Curtin Occupational Therapy students who specialise in child development. We provide opportunity for semi-structured activites and lots of time for free and creative play. including a song (that celebrates nature) and enjoy a healthy morning tea together.

What is the clubs vision/aim?
Our vision is to equip parents and children with confidence, skills and activities to enable and encourage them and their children to engage in and learn through natural play. Next Nature Club offers a way for parents to get involved and have a great time outdoors while having all the worries of planning and researching taken care of.

Click http://www.nextnatureclub.blogspot.com/ to view our latest nature visit!

What is the benefits/why is it important?
Currently, modern kids are spending more time indoors than any other generation in human history. The main reasons for this include increased digital entertainment, the growth in structured after-school activities and parental concerns about their children’s safety. There is increasing evidence that shows that increasing levels of childhood obesity, attention deficit disorder, and childhood depression correspond with children’s decreasing access to nature play. Nature play is therefore a fundamental part of a healthy childhood- making them healthier, happier and helps their brains to grow. Plus, it helps make childhood fun.

Specific evidence has also shown that nature play:
- Facilitated children to have more creative play, better concentration, and more inter-gender play than their peers (who have more equipment focused play)
- Reduces the symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Helps children be more resistant to stress & have increased levels of self-worth
- Helps to develop children’s immune systems properly, making them less vulnerable to allergenic conditions
- Influences the development of life-long conservation values.
- Allows children to be more self-disciplined, focused, self-confident, creative and cooperative, better problem-solvers, more optimistic & more physically fit.
- Helps children develop more positive feeling towards one another (bullying is also reduced)