At Birdwings Forest School we enjoy many types of storytelling, but mostly we use oral storytelling to share our knowledge and experiences. We tell stories of our own experience, Kombumerri and other Aboriginal dreaming stories, stories about seasonal learning and our own play. Sometimes we use props, sometimes we use actions, but for this kind … Continue reading The Tree Grows Strong, A Story for Reconciliation.
Position Available: Nature Mentor/Playworker
Position Available! Birdwings Forest School are hiring.
A healing story for children in the fire crisis
Children will need to talk about the bushfire too. They will need to explore this topic in every playful way in order to make sense of the experience and their emotions attached to it. At Birdwings we use oral storytelling, drama and art to help children process the experience. Storytelling easily crosses over and carries on through play, and formal storytelling can also provide children with a stage to share their understandings.
Storytelling and Trauma: supporting children in times of stress
We have many families in our local Birdwings community within this area (who are all safe) but who have been on high alert in preparation for the possibility of wild bushfire changing their lives forever. This week, the children will be talking about the fires, they will be sharing experiences, discussing the things they know, and watching each other for shared emotional responses as they talk to understand what has happened in their world.
The Benefits of Outdoor Play for Babies
Written by Narell Neville, September 2019 Outdoor experiences are an important part of children’s healthy development. Babies love being outdoors: a whole wide world of sensory discovery awaits! So much to see, hear, touch and experience. So much to learn. These experiences are enhanced when adults are on hand to ensure safe environments, communicate and interpret … Continue reading The Benefits of Outdoor Play for Babies
The importance of handcrafts for brain development
Just as it is impossible for us to work without immersion in nature, handcrafting is one of our cornerstone practices at Birdwings Nature. The process and the product of handcrafting and creativity are part of who we are and how we relate to our world. It is part of how we move through our seasonal shifts with the children and how we celebrate the gift of childhood.
Fun with friends in forest school
We love our Birdwings Bush Club and Little Birdwings Forest Kindy because children can have a natural childhood, playing and having fun with friends in nature.
What does risk-taking really look like in early childhood?
One of the biggest hurdles to outdoor play is understanding the nature of risk-taking. We have found that the most challenging daily risk-taking children will experience in our nature immersion programs has little to do with wild nature play at all. Snakes, fire-work, water-play and tree-climbing are not as challenging for children as putting on … Continue reading What does risk-taking really look like in early childhood?
Getting enough nature play?
We want our children to have a special, care-free childhood filled with special memories of family moments and playing with friends, just like our own was. We know it is a priority to make sure our children have free play time outside, but our lives as parents are so busy and childhood is increasingly scheduled, so that it is now difficult to ensure our children are getting enough nature play. Finding the balance between the pressures of modern living and our own values for freedom, creativity and play can be a real challenge families.
The challenges of childhood are meant to be tricky.
Challenge is meant to be a bit tricky. Challenge stretches us and asks us to find our more about ourselves. Challenge encourages us to reflect on our capabilities, our effort and our motivation. It hones our vision and it uplifts us when we finally realise that now we can do it, when we couldn't before. Remember when that was hard?