Nature Play SA

08/06/2026

Happy World Ocean Day! 🌊💙 

What happens when Nature Play SA sets out to create an educational video series starring a cast of friendly sea creature puppets? A whole ocean of bloopers!

While our puppets may not always remember their lines, they do help bring the wonders of the ocean to life while exploring character dispositions such as resilience, adaptability, sharing and teamwork.

Did you know?

🐠 The ocean produces around half the oxygen we breathe.
🌎 It covers more than 70% of Earth’s surface.
🪸 Coral reefs support around 25% of all marine life despite covering less than 1% of the ocean floor.
🌿 Kelp forests are among the fastest-growing ecosystems on Earth.
🌊 The deepest part of the ocean is deeper than Mount Everest is tall.

From the creatures that call it home to the role it plays in sustaining life on Earth, the ocean is extraordinary. This World Ocean Day, we’re celebrating the wonder, beauty and importance of our oceans - bloopers and all!

01/06/2026

Imagine beginning your professional learning day nestled beneath a shady tree at the beautiful Wittunga Botanic Gardens. Leaves rustle overhead, birdsong drifts through the air, and for a moment you are invited to slow down, notice, and reconnect with nature. From there, the day unfolds through engaging presentations, hands-on workshops and reflective conversations, guided by our educators alongside Aboriginal leaders and educators who share their knowledge, perspectives and stories.

Due to popular demand, two new dates have been added for PLAYFUL NATURE PEDAGOGIES - our in-person Professional Development workshop designed to give educators the tools, inspiration and confidence to bring nature play to life.

Along the way, you’ll discover:

✨ fresh insights into how children grow emotionally
🏕️ practical ways to shape play-rich environments
🍃 tools to nurture friendships and social skills
🍁 playful strategies to boost communication, connection and belonging

Whether you’re looking for new ideas, renewed inspiration, or simply a chance to learn alongside like-minded educators, Playful Nature Pedagogies offers a day of exploration, connection and discovery.

Places are available for:
Tuesday 15 September and Thursday 17 September 2026

We can’t wait to welcome you 🌿 Email us to secure your place - link in Bio.

29/05/2026

In this interview with the lovely Chloe Eckert from Health Partners, our CEO Jason Tyndall discusses the importance of nature-based events to support the wellbeing of children and young people.

Now, more than ever, prioritising opportunities for our young people to be physically active, offline and accessing local green spaces, is incredibly important. As is their connection to community.

Thank you Health Partners for your support through the Heaps Good grant.

26/05/2026

This made us smile so much 💙🌧️

We especially loved the moment where Park Terrace Kindergarten asked, "What would Nature Play SA do in this event?" and answered, "They would go ahead!” ✨

What an incredible example of courage, resilience and trusting children to embrace the joy, creativity and playfulness that nature offers in all conditions.

Rainy Beach Play days really can be pure magic 🦭

26/05/2026

"To connect with the natural world, be curious, be creative and be part of something bigger than ourselves" - we love this from Modbury West School. 🌿✨

We had such a wonderful time with the Reception students during their nature-inspired incursion, exploring, creating and discovering together through play and inquiry learning.

Thank you for having us as part of such a special day outdoors!

13/05/2026

We’re excited to be part of the Glenthorne National Park-Ityamaiitpinna Yarta History Open Day this Saturday 🌿

Come and visit the Nature Play SA team for some hands-on fun with:

🌱 Potion Making
🌱 Cubby Building

There’ll also be guided walks, historic site explorations and plenty more to discover throughout the day thanks to the team at National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia.

📍 10am–3pm
🎟️ Free event

Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/glenthorne-national-park-history-open-day

Join us for the Glenthorne National Park-Itya­mai­it­pin­na Yarta History Open Day on Saturday 16 May!

Come along from 10am–3pm to celebrate the park’s rich history, culture and conservation. Explore historic sites, join a guided walk with the local Friends group, enjoy family-friendly activities plus much more!

Register your free ticket and guided-walk spot 👉 events.humanitix.com/glenthorne-national-park-history-open-day

11/05/2026

Children and young people need consistent access to safe, creative, and nature-rich experiences to support their wellbeing, identity, and sense of belonging.

Research shows that engagement in the arts, combined with connection to nature, can significantly enhance emotional regulation, resilience, and social connection, particularly for children and young people who have experienced adversity.

Over five weeks, Nature Play SA partnered with Create Foundation to deliver Birds in Focus - an evidence-informed art and wellbeing program for children and young people in care, alongside their carers.

Each session began with the story of a bird highlighting themes of overcoming challenges, adaptability, and resilience. These stories created a foundation for exploration, as participants engaged in creative expression through art. Across the program, we intentionally nurtured curiosity, creativity, persistence, and self-belief.

Importantly, this program was never about the final artwork. It was about the experience of creating, the opportunity to connect, and the space to recognise each young person as an artist, valuing their voice, their growth, and their story.

The impact was clear:
🌿 All carers observed positive changes in wellbeing, confidence, emotional regulation and creative skills
🌿 Carers also reported feeling calmer and more connected with their young person
🌿 All participating children and young people shared they felt calmer, more confident and more capable
🌿 100% said they would participate again

Participants shared:
🌿 “A sense of calm and a great way to express yourself”
🌿 “A great opportunity to build skills and confidence”
🌿 “It was easy to engage with for all ages and promotes independent creativity”

We are grateful to Create Foundation for their partnership and look forward to continuing to grow and expand this work to support children and young people in care 🌿

This initiative was made possible thanks to support from Green Adelaide.

06/05/2026

We loved being part of this year’s National Family Day Care Week, celebrating at the Nature Picnic alongside Family Day Care Australia 🌿

A big thank you to Andrew Paterson and Matthew Asmanas for having us involved, and to the Department for Education, South Australia and Senator Marielle Smith for supporting this event.

And most importantly, thank you to all the incredible family day care educators who joined us with their little explorers — your work connecting children with care, community and nature makes such an impact 💚

05/05/2026

Just a handful places are left in our PLAYFUL NATURE PEDAGOGIES Professional Development Workshops on Monday 11 May, Tuesday 19 May and Thursday 6 August — with all other dates now booked ⏰🌿

This in-person workshop is designed for educators who are curious about bringing more nature play into their practice. Together, we’ll spend time exploring ideas through presentations, hands-on experiences, and reflection, with guidance from Aboriginal leaders and educators.

We’ll look at how children grow emotionally, share simple ways to create play-rich environments, and explore playful approaches that support communication, connection, and social skills. You’ll also receive resources to keep the thinking going afterwards.

“Being involved in a Nature Play SA workshop is always beneficial. Not only does it reaffirm my beliefs and practices about play, particularly in nature, it always provides new research, new examples, new resources and ideas to take back to my site. It is always a time of great learning.” - Workshop attendee, 2025

We’d love you to join us at Wittunga Botanic Gardens for a day of learning, connection, and time in nature 🌿

For bookings and enquires, please email: [email protected]

For more information visit: https://natureplaysa.org.au/program/playful-pedagogies/

30/04/2026

We’re so grateful for ElectraNet’s ongoing support of Forest Festival 🌿

Partnerships like this make a real difference - helping us create meaningful experiences in nature for thousands of families each year. It’s a shared commitment to getting children outdoors, supporting wellbeing, and making spaces like Forestry SA Kuitpo Forest come alive🌲