Childscapes

Early childhood education has become very good at saying that nature matters. We offer outdoor play, nature tables, loose parts, gardening, mud kitchens and leaf collage. These experiences can be rich, joyful and important. But location and materials do not automatically transform pedagogy.

A child can be outdoors while the curriculum remains entirely human-centred: the tree becomes equipment, the stick becomes a mathematics resource, the garden becomes a backdrop for children’s development. Nature is present physically but absent ethically. Nature Pedagogy asks a more unsettling question: not simply “How can nature support children’s learning?” but “How are children and educators already entangled in the life of this place, and what responsibilities follow?”

This webinar does not reject outdoor play, child-led learning or nature-based experiences. It places them under closer examination. It asks what they enable, what they obscure and how they might become more relational, place-responsive and ethically alert.

Come and join the conversation on Monday night here: https://www.natureandtheory.com/products/live_events/nature-play-workshop

Come and deepen your pedagogy around connecting children with nature!

September 7th 6.30pm Perth time
Online

https://www.natureandtheory.com/products/live_events/nature-play-workshop

It has been an absolute pleasure to have designed this playground that is so important to the Mandurah community.

This gorgeous early learning centre is opening soon, with the most amazing owners. Such a pleasure to work with to create the final design.

I hope to share more photos with you soon.

You may have noticed something special taking shape at Castle Grounds…
We’re so excited to share that Castle Grounds is preparing to open as an early learning service, pending service approval. A space that has held a special place in the hearts of so many is entering a new chapter, one built around wonder, connection, imagination and childhood.
We are so excited to share that Castle Grounds will soon welcome families into a place designed for learning, play and belonging.
This is just the beginning, and we’re so glad to have you here for it.

Want to register your interest? Head to our website: https://castlegrounds.com.au

We are soooo excited to share our new, unique service.

Designed for educators and teachers who have trouble identifying plants in the playspaces and don't have great plant knowledge but want to know more about the plants and support plant knowledge in the children they teach.

Our Botanical Literacy packages will have a qualified plant expert visit your space, map the plants in an architectural drawing and provide you with an educational package based on those plants, including lessons and activities and relevant Indigenous plant knowledge for your curriculum.

Available to all early learning centres and school in the Perth metro area, with a regional/remote and interstate package available too.

Available Wednesdays and Thursday only at the moment, so places will book fast.

Pease email us for more information.
[email protected]

A new design of ours ready to be played in. 💚
It was so lovely designing for Akidamy for a second time and lovely to see the centre so popular they are expanding.

Today is world children's day.

You might wonder why children need a day, or think that every day is children's day, but on this day, we celebrate the anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

We recognise that children are people in their own right and they have needs and rights, like adults do, including food, water, education, being with their parents, a home language and culture, to live without war and poverty and they have an official right to PLAY! There are many more rights mentioned in the convention, you can find them here: https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention/convention-text-childrens-version

We have a long way to go in meeting all children's rights, even in Australia where we have agreed to the convention, but today we can celebrate children, how awesome they are and promise to work harder to ensure all their rights are met.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child: The children’s version Read and download the child-friendly version of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

24 hour work trip to design a playground in Kununurra. It is so beautiful here. 💚