What’s
Involved
What can you expect from a Nature Play 4 Kids program?
For starters, this is not an outdoor adventure program or a sports program. While there is enormous benefit in those activities for those that do them, NP4K recognises that not every child wants to climb to the top of a tree or participate in competitive sport.
While every NP4K program is unique, there are three main components that are woven together to ensure the maximum interaction with nature, leading to the maximum health benefits for your young person.
Creativity
Kaufman and Gregiore in their book “Wired to Create” suggest that imaginative play and mindfulness are essential ingredients to nurturing creativity in a person. Several hundred others have written about how creativity enhances a persons physical, mental and emotional health. Because of this, every NP4K program will include a number of nature based creative exercises that incorporate play and mindfulness.
Mindfulness
The practice of mindfulness is sometimes associated with serene forms of meditation. In NP4K though, it is about being fully present in the moment and being able to focus on the beauty and wonder of nature and how it interacts with us.
So mindfulness in the NP4K style is sometimes loud, sometimes, quiet, sometimes moving, and sometimes still.
But always it is grounded in the moment.
Play
Richard Louv coined the phrase ‘Nature Deficit Disorder’ in kids and encourages all parents to get kids outside. A key ingredient of this is not to structure and direct every moment of nature play time, but allow for curiosity and creativity to take over.
While every NP4K program is well prepared, there is always scope to follow where nature leads and engage unstructured play. If your child gets engrossed in the construction of a stick tower, then we’ll stay with that activity until it is done. If your child is lost in creating leaf rubbing patterns, then we will let them continue.
Wherever nature leads, there we will follow.
The Programs
Nature Play 4 Kids is a way of integrating nature based activities into student and family life to enhance wellbeing. As such, these is no ‘one’ NP4K program – everything is shaped to your needs.
However, we have put together a number of ideas that give you an idea of what your NP4K program might look like.
Browse the programs below to get an idea of what’s on offer.
