Bush Kindy is an educational approach specifically focused on allowing children to engage in natural outdoor spaces. The focus is on providing children with a space that lets them build skills in resilience, risk-taking, confidence, communication, and self-regulation.
Our program is largely emergent, where children take the lead. This allows the children the time, space and energy to explore through their own interests, skills and understandings.
With an emphasis on self-directed learning, our Little Locals Bush Kindy program gives children confidence to keep exploring and learning!
Similar to our classroom routines, our Bush Kindy routine is also flexible to ensure we meet the needs of the children.
We commence our morning by inviting children to gather their belongings before coming together on the mat and eagerly await to board the bus (sometimes we wonder if the bus is just as exciting as Bush Kindy!)
We then move downstairs and safely board the bus and before you know it, the journey to Bush Kindy has commenced.
After having discussions and sing-a-longs on the bus, we arrive at our Bush Kindy site ready to set up ‘Base Camp’. Here the children are invited to read books and plan their Bush Kindy adventures whilst our trained educators conduct a safety sweep and ensure the environment is safe for use.
This is when the magic really happens! We set off on foot, ready for all the incredible adventures and learning to begin. Here are a few examples of what your child will experience…
Exploration
Bush walks where we take the children’s lead and explore all that the great outdoors has to offer. We learn through discovery and investigation as we collect naturally fallen foliage to use for further learning.
Risk Taking
We explore the various heights and textures of trees and rocks. We use them to climb, jump and walk over and support children to understand risk taking, how to over come obstacles and develop attitudes to keep trying.
The World Around Us
We sit and take time to be still and truly immerse ourselves in nature and most importantly, take time to reflect, look and listen and appreciate our surroundings.
Outdoor Learning
We spend time in the creek where children begin to develop early math’s and science concepts such as temperature, measuring, pouring, and depth.
Unfortunately like most good things, our Bush Kindy comes to an end and it’s time to head back to the service. We regroup back at ‘Base Camp’ and take this time to reflect on our days adventures, share ideas and plan for our next visit whilst educators safely pack up the environment and prepare us to head back.
Interested in finding out more or wanting to to keep up to date with our adventures? Follow any of our social media pages as these are updated frequently by our Bush Kindy educators
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely! Each Little Locals service conducts the appropriate risk assessments for each site and written authorisation must be obtained from guardians before children can join the program.
If the site is not available via foot, then transport via our privately owned 12-seater bus will be the method of transport. All buses are fitted with the appropriate child restraints and seat belt requirements.
Each service will have a display for Bush Kindy which will include information about when your child will be partaking in the program, and you will also be notified via a StoryPark post before they are due to attend.
As soon as your child turns two, they will be invited to partake in our Bush Kindy Program. Children under this age will attend ‘Nature walks’ and also be exposed to resources of similar nature at the service along with incursions that align and support the Bush Kindy philosophy.
Part of the philosophy of Bush Kindy is giving children access to explore the great outdoors in all weather conditions as this allows children to develop their understand of the various environmental factors. Therefore we ask families to pack; raincoats, gumboots, wide brimmed hats and a change of clothes.
YES! We recently obtained this accreditation which means that Little Locals is now officially a Nature Play Education Provider through Nature Play QLD.
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