On Thursday 21 May 2020, is Outdoor Classroom Day, a global movement to inspire and celebrate outdoor play and learning.
Due to the coronavirus this year, for Outdoor Classroom Day, a theme "Playful Nature" has been developed to encourage children who cannot play outside, to dress up in nature. From using natural dyes to turn old clothes into nature colours to creating nature out of recycled materials.
Children around the world are spending more time indoors and in front of screens. Connecting to nature can restore our sense of wellbeing. For children, this connection is best made through play – whether outdoors in nature or indoors with natural elements.
Other ideas include:
- Make a nature crown out of leaves, cardboard or twigs.
- Use a cardboard box and paints to make beautiful butterfly wings.
- Turn yourself into your favourite animal with a simple mask.
- Outdoor symphony encourage children to listen to everything going on outside and think about different ways of recreating and recording the sounds.
- Cloud watching is a fun activity for children of all ages and a wonderful way to connect to the outdoors from inside the house.
- Paint a stone animal
For more ideas: Resources
For more information: Outdoor Classroom Day
Please note: Outdoor Classroom Day is celebrated twice during the year - 21 May 2020 and 5th Novemeber 2020
As an Educator in Australia, your pay rate falls under the Children’s Services Award 2010. This award states the minimum amount that an employer can
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people cultures are valued and significant in Australia and it's essential for educators to help children understand the history, culture
When working as a Diploma Qualified Educator your pay rate is from the Children's Services Award 2010. This Award states your minimum rate of pay
As educators, we need to incorporate cultural celebrations within the setting in a sensitive and respectful manner by avoiding cultural tokenism - which is the act
Workplace Bullying is something that each of us may have experienced at some point of time in our industry. It makes you feel incompetent, it's
Raising awareness about Aboriginal culture is an important aspect of children’s learning and growing a bush tucker garden, children will show a growing appreciation for
Natural materials should be an integral element of children’s play. They are easily accessible and encourage children to learn about nature, foster creativity, imagination and
Progressive mealtimes are giving an opportunity for children to choose when they want to eat within a certain timeframe instead of eating at a set
Loose parts is a term used in early childhood learning to include such objects and materials that kids can move, control and change in numerous
Children love being barefoot! It's comfortable and it enables them to feel free. Feeling the freedom of their movements allows them to feel more liberated.
