What if the best learning experiences for children were already waiting outside your door—completely free?
Nature play doesn’t have to break the bank. In fact, some of the most meaningful outdoor experiences for children cost little to nothing at all. Here are some creative, budget-friendly nature play ideas that will inspire wonder, creativity, and connection with the natural world. They are all trialed in real ELCs and with real children plus children at heart.
Process Art with Natural Materials
One of the simplest yet most engaging activities is creating process art using tree bark. Take children on a nature walk to collect fallen bark pieces, then let them explore the textures, patterns, and possibilities. They can use the bark for printing, collage, or simply as a canvas for their artistic expression. This activity celebrates the journey of creation rather than focusing on a finished product, allowing children to explore freely without pressure.
Colour Hunt Adventures
Transform paint samples into a learning adventure! Visit your local Bunnings and grab free colour sample cards, then head outdoors for a colour matching scavenger hunt. Children can match the colours on their cards to flowers, leaves, rocks, and other natural treasures. This activity sharpens observation skills, teaches colour recognition, and gets kids moving while exploring their environment with fresh eyes.
Aboriginal Flag Colours in nature
Use nature to teach about culture and heritage. Explore the colours of the Aboriginal flag through natural materials: find yellow flowers or leaves to represent the sun, red earth or clay for the ochre, and dark soil or stones for the black. This activity opens conversations about Indigenous culture, respect for Country, and the deep connections between people and land.
Storytelling in Nature
Bring stories to life with simple puppet shows outdoors. Traditional tales like Tiddalick the Frog offer wonderful opportunities to combine storytelling with nature play. You can create simple puppets from natural materials or use soft toys, then act out stories under a shady tree. This nurtures imagination, language development, and a love for Australian stories and wildlife.
Read-Aloud Time Under the Sky
Take story time outside!
Books about Australian wildlife, like stories featuring galahs and magpies, become even more engaging when read in nature, where children might spot the real creatures. The outdoor setting adds sensory richness to the reading experience and helps children connect literary experiences with the natural world around them.
Songs and Rhymes about Nature
Classic songs like “Here is a Beehive” take on new meaning when performed outdoors. Use finger puppets or natural materials to enhance the experience. Singing in nature combines music, movement, and environmental awareness in a joyful package that costs nothing but creates lasting memories.
Can you guess what song will fit this play space?
Create a Sensory Garden Space
You don’t need a large area or expensive plants to create a sensory garden. Even a small patch with herbs like mint, rosemary, or lavender can provide rich sensory experiences. Children can touch soft leaves, smell fragrant flowers, listen to leaves rustling, and observe insects visiting blooms. A sensory garden grows over time and provides ongoing opportunities for exploration and discovery.
Why Nature Play Matters?
These simple activities offer so much more than entertainment. Nature play supports physical development, emotional wellbeing, creativity, and environmental awareness. It doesn’t require expensive equipment or elaborate planning, just a desire to step outside and explore.
The beauty of nature play is that it’s accessible to everyone. Plus nature is not only in nature reserves, it’s in your backyard, your local garden or park, in an urban environment. Right now, a raven is asking for food, as I finish writing this post.
So grab those free paint samples, collect some fallen bark on your next walk, and let nature be your classroom. The richest learning experiences often come from the simplest moments outdoors.
Are your group times feeling chaotic, with children losing focus or not responding? You might be making one of five common mistakes that most educators do not even realise they are making. By the end of this read, you will have simple ways to turn group time from messy to purposeful.
I am an early childhood teacher with 17 years of experience. Below are the typical pitfalls I see, plus quick fixes you can try this week.
1. Talking too much
When we talk for too long, attention drops. Working memory and self-regulation are still developing in early childhood, so long explanations are hard to hold.
Fix: keep instructions short and clear. Speak in small chunks, then do something. Use call and response, songs, props, and quick games. Aim for a talk burst, then action. The neuroscience backs it up!
2. Not reading the room
If you miss the early signs, things unravel. Staring into space, fidgeting, side chats, gentle kicks and pinches under the radar are all signals.
Fix: Be flexible. If focus dips, switch gears. Add a 30-second movement break, change position, hand out a prop, or shift to a whole-body activity. If the whole group has tuned out, it is fine to stop and return later.
3. Explaining without engagement
Explaining complex ideas without involving children leads to tuned-out faces. Prior knowledge matters.
Fix: start with what they already know. Co-create a quick mind map in children’s words, use real objects, and build meaning together. Turn explaining into doing with simple choices, partner talk, or a game that uses the idea.
4. A rigid plan
An ideal script that never bends can work against you.
Fix: plan to pivot. Have a Plan A, Plan B, and one fast reset. Change the order, shorten an activity, or swap it out. The aim is not to finish the script; it is to keep learning alive.
5. Going too long
Even strong sessions fail if they run past children’s attention span.
Fix: keep it short. As a guide, 5 to 7 minutes for toddlers, 8 to 10 minutes for kinder age groups, then move on. End while it is still working.
Quick checklist for tomorrow
One clear purpose for the session. What book or concept are you focusing on?
A short opener that gets everyone doing something, e.g. Acknowledgement of Country, the familiar song.
Two interactive moments planned in advance
A 30-second movement break in your back pocket
A simple close, for example, a song cue or reflection question
A 10-minute plan you can steal
1 minute welcome with a song 2 minutes prop reveal and quick prediction (I use baskets and story bags) 2 minutes discussion about the prop 30-second reset movement, touch your nose, touch your toes 3-minute story, song, or problem to solve, shared discussion 90 seconds reflection, then a clear close – transition to the next activity
When it comes to early childhood education, a thoughtfully designed curriculum is important. It lays the foundation for a child’s lifelong learning journey. My early childhood pre-service students are curious about various early childhood curriculum models… What is the Montessori approach and who was this “Reggio Emilio” guy 🙂
Let’s start exploring them ONE at a time…
We will start with the Reggio Emilia Approach, which originated in the Italian small town of Reggio Emilia. First, let’s learn about where to find the information to learn more about this approach. This is a link to an Italian website, where you will find online learning resources, pictures, background information or information about tours.
Reggio Children (2024) https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/reggio-emilia-approach/
Key Theorist/Origins: The Reggio Emilia Approach originated in Italy in the aftermath of World War II, with the pioneering work of Loris Malaguzzi, a prominent psychologist.
Loris Malaguzzi , a teacher, an activist, a foundational father of Reggio Emilia Approach
Reggio Emilia key ideas
Child as a capable learner who speaks “100 languages” (ways of self-expression and learning): This approach regards children as naturally curious and competent, actively engaging with the world. Children have rights and are citizens from birth. Children’s rights are foundational for Reggio Emilia’s approach and they inspire everything they do.
Collaboration and partnerships: It places a strong emphasis on collaboration among teachers, children, and parents, fostering a sense of community. Reggio Emilia children and educators often go out on excursions, explore the city and their community, and participate in festivals and events.
Documentation: Extensive documentation of children’s learning processes through art, photographs, and discussions. The way Reggio Emilia educators document is very unique and it makes learning visible.
Environment is the third teacher, which means all educators’s attention should be focused on creating a wonderous and inspiring aesthetically pleasing environment, that is almost magical.
Project-based approach or inquiry-based learning is the key way to learn.
Role of the Teacher: Teachers in this model are seen as co-learners, observing children closely and guiding their explorations. They document children’s progress, adding to the knowledge pool. The teacher is a researcher, a reflective practitioner, and a pedagogista. The unique position in Reggio Emilia schools is aterlierista, who is a studio art teacher. Learning Perspective: Learning is viewed as a social process. Children learn through interactions with others and their environment. Unique Quality: Extensive use of visual and written documentation, making learning visible. Challenge: Requires skilled educators who can effectively facilitate child-led learning. Typically, educators go to Reggio Emilia to learn some important ideas and get immersion via Reggio Children organisation. Symbolic Resource: A beautiful display of children’s artwork and photographs symbolises the Reggio Emilia Approach.
What does the Reggio Inspired Centre look like?
Originating in Italy, the Reggio Emilia pedagogy quickly spread worldwide. This story is about a kindergarten located on one of the Monash University campuses in Melbourne, Australia that I visited 12 years ago. Around 35 children attend this kindergarten five days a week. The kindergarten, which the director Susan calls “home,” is indeed a home – a standalone building. The atmosphere feels more like a home rather than an institutional preschool with its inherent and very specific smells and sounds.
The design of kindergartens implementing Reggio Emilia principles is unique. The main principle is to make spaces comfortable for communication among adults and children: parents and children, parents and educators, educators and children, and, finally, children among themselves. This is achieved through an “open” kitchen. The chef prepares food where parents can see how it is done and can talk to the chef. The children constantly ask the chef questions, help him or her, and simply chat with them during meal preparation.
On the walls, there are amazing pictures, a painted quilt, portraits of the children, their statements, and drawings. The ceiling is not solid, and even in the evening, it is light here – light penetrates through special hatches. I catch a glimpse of a sunbeam: the setting sun reflected in a CD hanging outside. The room has live flowers, compositions of dried plants, and amazing miniature wooden toys. In the corridor, there are sofas for parents, making it comfortable for educators and parents to communicate.
At the far end of the building, there is a quiet room. Here, children can not only sleep but also engage in meditation (they are taught to relax, as not everyone likes to sleep during the day), simply lie down with a book, or play in the dark with a flashlight.
On a shelf in open access are the children’s portfolios, containing not only traditional drawings but also transcripts of monologues and dialogues, stories recorded by the educator from a child’s words, and photos taken by the children. All these wonderful things are not a one-time experiment but part of the program of many kindergartens worldwide that adopt the principles and approaches of the Reggio Emilia method.
Philosophy of Environment and Relationships
children are curios and agentic. They world is full of wonder for them
“Reggio Emilia” is not a theory of education, a methodology, or a model that can not be easily transferred to any kindergarten. It is so-called place-based pedagogy and is embedded in the Italian context, in the context of the real town of Reggio Emilia. Yet, the centre can work using some Reggio Emilia principles and in this case, they call themselves Reggio Inspired. It is more of an experience of a different attitude towards childhood and child-rearing, which Italians today share with educators and teachers from other countries. Thinkers, designers, artists, parents, and everyone concerned about the future of humanity ponders how to raise free individuals capable of reasoning and thinking without succumbing to propaganda slogans. They believe that children should be made full members of society, not only developing their cognitive abilities but also growing through interactions with the local community and other people. The theoretician of this approach was Loris Malaguzzi, the director of educational programs in Reggio Emilia. He drew on the ideas of Piaget, Vygotsky, Montessori, Steiner, Dewey, and Bruner.
The innovative approach to education in Reggio Emilia is based on the following principles:
A child is a person, and every person deserves respect.
Children can control their learning and development.
Children learn by touching, moving, listening, seeing, and hearing. They should not be restricted in these activities.
Children build relationships with other children in spaces where they can explore the world.
Children are born part of a community of learners, they learn from each other, from others, from their culture
Children should have many ways and means to express themselves (drama, music, drawing, singing, dancing, constructing, conversing).
Here is my video on the role of environment
Inquiry-based learning
A key component of this new approach is research or projects. But Reggio Emilia is more than just a project-oriented approach. This pedagogy is inseparable from the place where it originated (Italy, the city of Reggio Emilia), making it challenging to transfer the design and unique environment where Italian children grow up to other contexts. However, one can try to appreciate a similar attitude towards children as creators. Children in Reggio Emilia do not sit at desks, on carpets, or in circles. And if they do sit, it is not to repeat after the teacher. Here, children are co-authors and the initiators of most projects. The educational program is built around their suggestions. All projects resulting from the activities of children and adults are recorded on video, audio, photographed, and described in diaries so that parents and all interested parties can see these works. Children are viewed as unique beings capable of learning at incredible rates and creating. The intellectual and creative activities of children are highly valued and important. Documentation and reports on projects allow both children and adults to reflect on what they have done. Reggio Emilia is a place for joint experiments and is open. Children are not stuffed with ready-made knowledge, which is a key principle of the approach.
Reggio Emilia focuses on Arts: Atelier or Studio
Another feature of Reggio Emilia’s kindergartens is the “atelier.” These spaces are equipped with various materials for crafts that are freely accessible. These can include brushes, paints, plasticine, clay, shells, twigs, wool, paper, and stones. The atelier is a place where a child can express themselves.
Reggio Emilia: The role of the teacher
Educators in Reggio Emilia are also unique. Their role differs from the traditional one. They are not sources of knowledge or role models but co-authors with the children. In the process, they learn, and their approach evolves. They are constantly developing, which includes attending seminars, lectures, and courses on ceramics or art, music, and drama. Their main role is to be patient observers and co-participants in children’s projects. Teachers ask children questions that stimulate them to seek their answers. There is always an element of spontaneity in such activities.
Partnerships with families and community
Parents also actively participate in the development of children, not only their own but also others. They are also a kind of educators in this kindergarten. Teachers, called pedagogistas in Reggio, consider parents as the first and main educators of their children. Parents are informed of any changes in the program; moreover, they are participants and co-authors of this educational program.
Learning environments are one of the key pedagogical practices in the EYLF 2.0 (AGDE, 2022). Learning environments play a crucial role in shaping the educational experiences of children. According to the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) 2.0, these environments include physical, temporal, social, and intellectual elements. Welcoming, safe, and inclusive indoor and outdoor spaces not only respect and affirm the identities of children and families but also enrich their lives. Today I will explore the key aspects of creating effective learning environments, incorporating practical examples and embedded video links to illustrate these concepts.
Physical and Temporal Elements
Learning environments should provide both active and calming spaces, allowing for a balanced schedule of active and quiet play. Educators must plan environments that cater to individual as well as group activities, responding to children’s interests and capabilities. For example, setting up a cosy reading corner alongside a vibrant art studio can cater to different moods and learning styles. Watch this video on creating flexible learning spaces for practical tips and ideas.
Social and Intellectual Elements
Environments that support learning are vibrant and flexible, reflecting the strengths, culture, languages, interests, and capabilities of each child. They should also mirror aspects of the local community. This approach fosters a sense of belonging and relevance. For instance, incorporating local Indigenous art and stories into the classroom can create a richer learning experience. Check out this video on integrating cultural elements into the learning environment.
Inclusive Spaces
Well-planned environments make reasonable adjustments to cater to different learning capacities and styles. Educators should invite children and families to contribute their ideas, interests, and questions, creating unique and familiar settings. This participatory approach can build intercultural spaces where both Western and traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge are shared. This video on play spaces inspired by Aboriginal Perspectives highlights how to involve the ways of knowing into your practice.
Outdoor Learning Spaces
Outdoor environments are a staple of Australian learning settings, offering heaps of opportunities for physical activity and learning experiences unavailable indoors. Natural elements like plants, trees, edible gardens, sand, rocks, mud, and water invite open-ended play, exploration, and connection with nature. These spaces foster an appreciation of the natural world and interdependence among people, animals, plants, lands, and waters. Learn more from this video on outdoor learning environments.
Learning on Country
Educators are encouraged to facilitate learning on Country, respecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander connections to the land. This practice benefits all children, fostering a deep connection to nature and cultural understanding. For Indigenous children, this connection is integral to their spirituality and relationships. Watch this video on learning on Country to see examples of how this can be implemented.
Sustained Shared Thinking and Collaborative Learning
Indoor and outdoor environments should promote sustained shared thinking and collaborative learning. Providing spaces and opportunities for children to engage in meaningful conversations and activities with educators, families, and the broader community is essential. This video offers insights into creating such environments.
Materials and Resources
Materials enhance learning when they reflect what is natural and familiar while introducing novelty to provoke interest and complex thinking. Digital technologies can enable global connections and new ways of thinking, fostering an understanding of social, economic, and environmental sustainability. This video on innovative educational materials showcases examples of how to incorporate these elements into learning environments.
Shells are often used in early childhood education and care. Every centre I visited had shells stored somewhere or used for ocean-based play spaces. But have you ever noticed that shells have an enormous potential for inquiry-based learning (IBL)? For example, you can start an interesting inquiry about shells, using modern approaches to pedagogy, e.g. new materalism, posthumanism or constructivism.
IBL or Inquiry-Based learning has become an essential pedagogical approach in the early childhood sector. Victorian Institute of Teaching set up an inquiry project as a pre-requisite for full teaching registration. The integration of IBL into the Early Years Learning Framework also highlights its significance in fostering children’s curiosity and collaborative learning. In this blog post, I will talk about an inquiry-based nature learning program focusing on shells.
Why Inquiry-Based Learning
Inquiry-based learning supports children’s curiosity and problem-solving skills through exploratory techniques and stimuli. By engaging in group work and community-minded projects, children develop critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills. As Bruner(1990) suggests, these experiences enable children to become active participants in their learning journey, constructing knowledge and understanding through various means.
Murdoch (2015) talks about the role of educators in facilitating inquiry-based learning by posing open-ended questions that encourage children to think critically and express their ideas. This approach not only nurtures children’s intellectual growth but also fosters a deeper connection to real-world scenarios and nature.
Mind Map on Shells
Our inquiry-based learning program on shells is designed to engage children through various experiences and resources. Here are the key components:
What Animals Have Shells?
Introduce the concept of shells through group discussions and outdoor explorations. Use books like “Seashells More Than a Home” by Melissa Stewart to support learning. Children compare different species and their protective shells, fostering their understanding of similarities and differences in the animal kingdom.
Resources:
Posters and books about shells and animals
Different shells and why are they different?
Using posters and shell samples, children identify which species the shells belong to and compare their physical characteristics. This activity enhances their critical thinking and research skills.
Resources:
Posters, different shell invitations, collections
Where can you find shells?
Children learn about habitats suitable for different shelled species through YouTube stories and habitat trays. They classify animals based on their survival needs and create representations using natural materials.
Children can observe different animals with shells, including their habitats. This activity supports their connection with nature, observational skills, literacy and creative skills. They can draw as they observe, take pictures and have discussions in small groups
Resources:
Observations of nature, drawing materials, books, clipboards
What did we learn about shells?
Children share their representations and discuss what they have learned about shells and other-than-humans who live in shells. This discussion forms a summative assessment, highlighting their understanding and engagement.
Resources:
Representations, books, posters, documentation, final mind-map
Ethical Considerations
It is important to make sure that you apply ethical practices in nature learning. For example, I avoid setting up snail play spaces with real snails now. I teach careful handling of living creatures. We may consider whether it is ok to take shells from the beach and whether we have to return them.
This simple inquiry-based learning program on shells shows the benefits of integrating nature pedagogies and inquiry-based approaches. By fostering children’s curiosity and critical thinking, you can prepare them for lifelong learning and community involvement. Just make sure that your inquiry is not turning into a theme-based approach!
References:
Bruner, J. (1990). Acts of Meaning. Harvard University Press.
Carson, R. (1956/1987). A Sense of Wonder. Harper and Rowe.
Curtis, D., & Carter, M. (2012). The Art of Awareness, Second Edition: How Observation Can Transform Your Teaching. Redleaf Press.
Murdoch, K. (2015). The Power of Inquiry. Seastar Education.
