Family Nature Club Toolkit

8/10/2019 Family Nature Club Toolkit

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WEST

ERN

AUSTRAL

IA

THE

GOVERNMEN

T

OF

Building stronger, healthier, happier and safer communities.

familynatureclubs

Tool kit


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2 Family Nature Clubs2 Family Nature Clubs

When I look back at my childhood,

most of my best memories involved

playing outdoors in nature, and

I suspect many adult Western

Australians would say the samething.

Unfortunately we are now seeing fewer and

fewer children sharing in that simple joy,

one that has been a birthright of children

throughout history.

A growing body of evidence is showing that

lack of unstructured play outdoors is having

a detrimental effect on modern childrens

development.

Turning that around can be as easy as

telling the kids to get outside and play and

not only will this help you and your familys

health, it will improve your quality of life as

you get out and enjoy our beautiful State.

I urge you to get on board, and get

outdoors.

Terry Waldron, Minister for Sport and Recreation


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3Family Nature Clubs 3Family Nature Clubs

What if parents, grandparents

and kids around the country were

to band together to create Family

Nature Clubs?

What if this new form of social/

nature networking were to

spread as quickly as book clubs and

Neighbourhood Watches did in recent

decades?

We would be well on our way to cultural

change.

Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods:

Saving Our Children from Nature-Decit Disorder,and Chairman of the Children and Nature Network


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4 Family Nature Clubs

Why get families outdoors?

Quite simply, nature is good for us. Evidence

shows that it is important, healthy and fun

for children to have frequent and varied

opportunities for play outdoors and

especially outdoors with natural vegetation

as a part of their everyday lives.

When they do, they are happier, healthierand smarter. They are more self-disciplined

and focused. They are more self-condent,

creative and cooperative. They are better

problem solvers, more optimistic and more

physically t. Family ties are strengthened, a

sense of community is nourished and a sense

of place is cultivated.

The natural environment provides not just

a restorative and relaxing setting but gives

children, in particular, a boundless reservoirto explore, discover and imagine and to

stimulate all their senses. Children appreciate

unmanicured places and the adventure

and mystery of hiding places, which are

found in abundance in natural areas, and

playing in a natural environment results in a

greater awareness of the world around them.

Exposure to nature may also reduce the

symptoms of attention decit/hyperactivity

disorder (ADHD) and improve childrenscognitive abilities and resistance to potentially

harmful stressors and depression (Louv 2005).

Nature is good for children and

their friends and family too!

Family Nature Clubs are a great way to get

started, get involved and get the benets

of time in nature. Nature is all around us. It

abounds in rural settings and bushland, but its

even available where we may least expect to

nd it from backyards, city neighbourhoods

and rooftop gardens, to suburban parks and

walking trails.

The good news is that there are lots of ways to

connect with nature and to create lifestyles

in which frequent experience in the natural

world is a fundamental part of childrens

lives. The Family Nature Clubs Tool Kit has

been developed by Nature Play WA, the

Department of Sport and Recreation (DSR)

and the Department of Environment andConservation (DEC) using the best available

research, common sense and parents direct

experiences. We hope it inspires you to get

your own family and friends outdoors for many

happy, healthy adventures together.

IntroductionFamilies are discovering that having fun outdoors doesnt require waiting for a special event or

program. Instead, they are taking the initiative and creating their own Family Nature Clubs. These

groups go by different names and take slightly different forms, but they all offer accessible, easy,

low (or no) cost fun, family-orientated activities outdoors.

Bringing families and nature together


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5Family Nature Clubs

What is a Family Nature

Club?

A Family Nature Club is a group of people with

an interest in connecting children with nature.

Each Family Nature Club is unique.

Some meet weekly at the same local park

playing, building friendships and singing with

pre-schoolers and their parents. Some take

homeschooling families on lengthy walks for

focused nature study. Some take the form of

boisterous bush walks that combine kid-driven

play with spontaneous nature observation.

Whatever their form, all share these basic

goals: Get outside in nature on a frequent

basis; gather families to share outdoor

adventures; and experience the benets of

time spent together outside.

A few key benefits:

Purpose of this tool kitThe purpose of this Family Nature Clubs Tool Kit is to provide inspiration, information, tips and

resources for those who are or who might be interested in creating a Family Nature Club. In

creating the tool kit, weve drawn on what many other families have done and learned. We also

encourage you to develop and use your own ideas.

Recent scientic evidence

indicates direct exposure to

nature is essential for physical

and emotional health as well as

normal child development.

Family Nature Clubs for

families can be created in any

neighbourhood, whether inner

city, suburban or rural.

The Family Nature Clubs

approach can break down

key barriers, including fear of

strangers, since there is safety in

numbers.

Motivation factor its much more

likely you and your family are

going to show up at a park on

Saturday morning if you know that

theres another family waiting for

you.

Shared knowledge many

parents want to give their kids the

gift of nature, but they dont feel

they know enough about natureto do so.

And, importantly, there is no need

to wait for funding. Families can

do this themselves and do it now.


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Nature Play WA is devoted to helping Western Australian children and their families connect with

nature and help build stronger, healthier, happier and safer communities.

About Nature Play WA

It is the result of a growing awareness of theimportance of nature in the lives of children

and parents.

For instance, the Children and Nature Network

(C&NN) started in the United States as a

result of the work of journalist and author

Richard Louv. Louv has achieved international

recognition for his work in raising awareness

of the benecial effects of children spending

more time outdoors.

In fact, he coined the term Nature-Decit

Disorder to describe the behavioural problems

of children who do not get an opportunity to

take part in outdoor activities.

He argues that part of the problem is therise in popularity of computer games and

television. But he also points out that because

of things such as stranger danger and

sensationalist media reporting, many parents

might be scared to let their children take

part in traditional outdoor activities such as

bushwalking, camping and excursions.

Louv is the Chair and co-founder of the Child

and Nature Network, which provides ideas,

advice and research on re-connecting childrenwith nature. You can nd out more about his

work and ideas on his blog.


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Quick start guide

5. Ready, set, go!

When you arrange to meet neighbours and othergroups, dont forget to start your adventure 10 or 15

minutes after the advertised start time to allow time

for latecomers. Record the number of participants

at each event and collect contact information for

new participants.

6. Spread the wordYou can let the world know about your adventures

if you start a blog (which can also be used to

advertise your next excursion).

Link to links and resources (further on in

document and give page number once document

nalised)

4. Make it easy

Informed and prepared parents are happyparents. Youll make it easy to say Yes when you

minimise prep-time and maximise fun by giving

parents a checklist for hassle-free outings.

Link to checklist for participants (further on in

document and give page number once document

nalised)

3. Invite as many

people

as you likeInvite a couple of friends to join you for a family

bushwalk. You could also involve neighbourhood

families, classmates, local playgroups andcommunity groups like the scouts and guides.

Link to invitations, yers and notices (further

on in document and give page number once

document nalised)

2. Check it outIts a good idea to check out each location before

you invite people to come along. That way, you

can work out if there are any tricky areas for very

young or old people, and the availability of things

such as toilets and picnic spots. Also you can

decide where everyone should meet and what to

do once there. Check out if you need permission

for a large gathering.

Link to destination check list, event day

checklist and links and resources (further on indocument and give page number once document

nalised)

1. Create a plan

When, where, what, how often and how long?Enlist some help it might be the grandparents,

a neighbour, or the parents of your childrens

school friends. Over a morning tea, you can

decide how often you might want to meet

and what sort of activities you might want to

undertake. If you put a few ideas down in writing,

itll be easier to plan things and keep people

informed. If you circle a couple of dates on the

calendar, youre well on your way.

Link to schedule and calendar decisions

(further on in document and give page number

once document nalised)


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Other than the usual recommendations for increasing activity i.e. be active to and from school,

reduce the time spent watching TV what else can you do to encourage a more active lifestyle for

your family?

Heighten the childs interest in outdoor activity by

visiting Western Australias national and regional

parks, and organise and participate in fun activities,

e.g. camping, bushwalking.

Take small children on short, easier walks close to

urban areas at rst, especially because children in

this age group often get bored long before they get

tired.

Encourage the childs interest in nature through

books and websites then reinforce/follow up with

exploratory forays so they can discover their

favourite animals and plants, and practice the

human aptitude to classify. Reading also stimulates

the ecology of the imagination.

People are unlikely to value what they cannot

name, so it is important to encourage children to

learn the names of local ora and fauna. Giving

a name to something is a way of knowing and

valuing it.

Plan family activities by scheduling a regular

family walk. This is a great way to pass on healthy

habits to children and to spend time together

to create social bonds. Parental involvement

and participation is a crucial factor in the extent

of childrens participation in outdoor activities.

Although parents should be a role model and

provide support and encouragement for their

children to be physically active, it is also important

for children to be given the room to invent and play

their own games.

Look for self-guided walks that have been set up in

many parks. This allows the child to go somewhere

in nature and experience their connection with

other animals and plants. During a self-guided walk,

younger children often enjoy looking for the next

marker whereas older children can learn about the

plants and animals in the park and take photos and/

or record their experiences in other ways.

Ensure the route and length are suitable for the ageof the children. A maximum of approximately 1km

per birthday is a good rule of thumb. Take young

babies or toddlers in prams but as they get older

encourage them to walk at least part of the way.

Many DEC parks have universal access so that

prams can be easily accommodated.

Green space and outside areas are also important

to children as opportunities for social interaction

and developing a sense of place and identity.

Children can plant, value and care for natural areas

in your neighbourhood, e.g. as volunteers to plant

trees, and can make social connections at the sametime.

Unlike TV, nature does not steal time but amplies it

(Louv 2005).

Focus on nearby nature for educational and play

gains and to add to the sense of attachment to

place.

Try to encourage your childs school to introduce

more outdoor lessons.

Tips for healthy kids!


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Resources

You can use the quick start checklists and templates on the following pages to help

you plan and organise your club. Visit the Nature Play WA website to download

examples of invitations, yers, forms and others useful tools including an activity

nder and electronic newsletter.

natureplaywa.org.au

A collection of resources

natureplaywa.org.au/resources

Family Nature Clubs in Western Australia

natureplaywa.org.au/familynatureclubs

There are a variety of excellent resources available to help inspire, inform and support Family

Nature Clubs for Families with ideas, activities, tips and tools. The link below gives you access to a

variety of resources, programs and products.

Green Guide to Bushwalking

Leave No Trace (other publications)

www.lnt.org.au

The 7 basic principles of Leave No Trace

(7 Principles)

www.lnt.org.au

You might also like to update your knowledge of WAs Flora and Fauna somehandy bush book guides are available (Shop)

www.dec.wa.gov.au

Maps and books to help you in your learning journey and exploration can be found

at your local bookshop as well as from DEC (Shop)

www.dec.wa.gov.au

Unplug and Play: The Unplug + Play Parent Campaign targets parents in Western

Australia, to increase their awareness of the urgent need for children to spend more

time in active play and less time using TV, electronic games and the Internet for

entertainment. (Healthy Living > Healthy Kids > Parents Resources)

www.heartfoundation.org.au


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Schedule and calendarOnce inspired, set a schedule that works for (and is fun for) you and your family. Are you interested

in one event or ongoing events each week, month or season? Plan each event and be aware

of other local efforts. Being organised can help you relax and enjoy this adventure. Have a time

frame in mind.

Decidewhatlengthoftimeandwhich

dateworksbestforeachouting.

Determinewhattimeyouhaveavailable:

Howoften:

Howlong:

Onceaweekon

Therst ofeachmonth

Therst ofeachseason

Onceayearon

hours,from to

dusk

morning

Variesbylocation

Consideryourlocallandscapeandseasonalweatherconditions.

Findoutwhatotheroutdoorornatureeventsta

keplaceinyourregion.Gatheralistoflocalnatureclubsandotherresourcesandndoutwhethereducatorsorotherspecialguestsmightbeavailabletospeaktoyourclubwhileyouareoutside.

Createalist ofpossiblelocations.

Isyoureventahalf-daybushwalkortwohoursof explorationatdusk

or.?

Considerplacesyouvebeenandplacesyouvealwayswantedtoexplore.

Trytoplanafullyearof adventures.

Date: Location: Activity: Time:


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Activitychecklist

Traveltimetolocation

Convenientmeetinglocation

Publictransportoptions?

Adequateparkingforalargegroup?

Family-friendlyfacilities

Otheractivity(incaseofinclementweather)

Seasonalfeatures(i.e.besttimeofyeartovisit?Observeseas

onalchanges?)

Educational opportunities

Entryfees?

Waterfeature:Lake, stream,pondorpuddles

Needpermissionforlargegroups?(i.e.inparksetc)

Food,water,restfacilities?

Weather:Appropriateclothing

Appropriatefootwear

Safetyissuesforsmallchildren?

Haveyoucheckedtheweatherforecast?


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Invites, flyers and noticesGetting your children and your community of friends and neighbours out into nature is a small

but revolutionary step one that can begin to reverse the current trend of disconnection from the

natural world. We hope you are inspired by the words of those who are already leading family

nature clubs and that this tool kit has given you the basic information you need to get organised.

Start with your existing

networks of friends, family,

neighbours and co-workers.

Start small or invite them all.

Post your yer at the

supermarket, deli, library,

recreation centre, or outdoor

sports and camping supply

stores.

Once youve established your

own Family Nature Club, we

invite you to join the growing

network of people who will

be adding their clubs to the

Nature Play WA website:

www.natureplaywa.org.au/

familynatureclubs

Reach out to special guests

like government ofcials,

school board members and

nature program leaders.

These guests might be willing

to speak to your group and

talk about what they are doing

to help connect children and

nature in your community.

To get the word out, youll

want to create a series of

invitations, announcements

and notices for each

outing. Include your contact

information so you can send

interested individuals an

invitation and a participant

check list.

You might consider printing up

a half-page yer and distribute

it to the families you know with

children. Place a short notice

in your local newspaper.

Email friends/family with

children.

When youre ready to expand,

go to parenting websites

and blogs in your region and

get on their calendars and

in their newsletters. You can

also contact a host of other

groups, like your local outdoor

recreation store, neighborhood

association or homeowners

association, the local P&C,

scouts, guides, and church

groups.


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Information sheetThis sheet is designed to help you spread the message about nature play. Whether you are inviting

friends to join your Family Nature Club, writing a yer or talking about nature play at your local play

group or school, you can use this information to help cut and paste, or use it in full.

Download the template at www.natureplaywa.org.au/resources

What is nature play?

Nature play is climbing a tree, building a cubby,

walking in the bush and looking for shells on a

beach. Its splashing, digging, exploring, running,

making and imagining.

Its all about the unstructured play that lets kids

imagine, create and be active. Its the things

you used to do when you were a kid the funoutdoor stuff that kept your body moving and your

imagination ring.

But, sadly, it is something that is fast disappearing

from modern childrens lives.

Why is nature play important?

Nature play is important because it is good for kids

it makes them healthier, happier and helps their

brains to grow. Plus, it helps make childhood fun.

However, modern kids are spending more timeindoors than any other generation in human history.

There are many reasons for this, including the rise of

digital entertainment, the growth in structured after-

school activities and parental concerns about their

childrens safety outside the home.

But an increasing body of evidence is showing

that escalating childhood obesity, attention decit

disorder, and childhood depression correspond with

childrens decreasing access to nature play.

Nature play is a fundamental part of a healthy

childhood.

What is a Family Nature Club?

Family Nature Clubs are groups of families who get

together and let their kids be kids, outdoors. Family

nature clubs groups meet regularly to enjoy things

together that help reconnect their children to nature

and, in the process, allow them to experience the

physical, cognitive and creative benets that play in

nature brings from right outside your back door.

Activities can be anything from planting

a vegetable patch, to an afternoon in the

hills, a morning canoeing on the Swan River, or a

weekend camping together in a national park.

Why join a Family Nature Club?

Nature play is something your kids can do on their

own or with their friends and family, but there is

nothing like bringing families together to help spureveryone into action. By joining a Family Nature

Club your family will benet from the motivation of

others and the added enjoyment of experiencing

nature together with friends. Plus, you can share

equipment, information and experience.

Whats involved?

Its simple, all you need to do is make a plan and

then pick up the phone and invite other families to

join you.

Then its just a case of setting out together and

watching your kids grow and discover what you

already know that the best fun happens outdoors.

Its fun, its cheap, its easy, its on your doorstep

and it will form the bedrock of the positive memories

your children have when they look back at their

childhoods.

How we can help?

The Nature Play WA website has suggestions

of places to go and things to do when you are

organising your Family Nature Club outing.

Also, by registering your Family Nature Club with us

we can keep you updated on nature play activities

and resources available to you. Plus, we can help

bring Family Nature Clubs together with families

looking for groups to join.


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Safe, fun and hassle free

Bee stings, poisonous plants and allergies dont have tohold you back. Make sure to bring a rst-aid kit and let

everyone know where it is. Remind participants that the

natural world is full of surprises and paying attention is

part of getting to know nature. Use the buddy system if

it helps and be prepared to adjust activities for different

age groups.

When you send out the invitations, make sure to

mention any special supplies that you want people

to bring beyond the basics of water, sunscreen, and

hats. If your group will be near a creek, a change of

clothes is a good idea. If you are hiking in the bush,

you may need to encourage tick checks. These bitsof information help parents to be prepared. Prepared

parents are happier parents.

The role of Nature Play WA is to help build the children

and nature movement, and to help parents and others

learn about ways they can connect children to nature.

Family Nature Clubs are an approach we wish to

encourage.

However, such groups act independently and we are

not responsible for the actions of specic groups or

individual members of such groups. At any time, when

children are outside on their own, or with families andfriends, everyone should take safety precautions and be

mindful of risks.

Safety rst! At the same time, recognise that

appropriate risk-taking is good for childrens

healthy development. Be prepared!

Essentials:Water

Layeredclothesappropriatefor

weather

Appropriateshoes

Backpack

Snacksorpicniclunch

Sunscreen

Hat

Rainjacket if thereisthe

possibilityof rain

Safety:

Whistle

Band-Aids

AparticipantwithCPR/rstaid

training

First-aidkit

Extras:

Changeofclothes

Padandpencil

Magnifyingglass

Bugbox(thoughrememberto

releaseany creatures onceyou

haveobservedthem!)

Binoculars

Camera

Fieldguides(i.e.DECBush

Books)

Flashlight fornight hikes

Bringpensandpencilsforsign-insheetandanynecessaryforms.Bringanyspecialequipment

neededfortheactivities(eldguides,handlenses,etc).Bringextrawaterandsnacksjustincase.

Bringaleadersrst-aidkit.

Remindparentstheyareresponsibleforthesupervisionandsafetyoftheirownchildren.Beateam.Acoupleof

people,workingtogether,canmaketheeventrunmoresmoothly.Makeitafamilyaffair.Havefun!


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Websites and blogsUtilising the web as a communication tool is great for Family Nature Clubs. There are a few ways

to connect to your members, potential members and other clubs.

natureplaywa.org.au

Firstly, register your family nature club on the Nature Play WA website. This allows you to list all of

your clubs details on a searchable database for others to nd you. It also allows you to list your other

sites, including blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Flicker.

wblogger.com or wordpress.com

Blogger and Wordpress are two of the most common blogging websites. You can setup

your blog for free. Make sure you add your clubs blog to the Nature Play WA website.

facebook.com

Having a Facebook page allows Facebook users to join the group, post messages and connect with

other like-minded users. Users must have a facebook account to interact. Make sure you add your

clubs facebook page to the Nature Play WA website.

twitter.com

Twitter is a stream of short messages a lot of short messages. Use your clubs Twitter account to

announce events and messages. You can link what you tweet to your other pages. Make sure you

add your clubs twitter page to the Nature Play WA website.

fickr.com

Flickr is a photo sharing site. You club can use this site to upload your clubs photos and share them

on the net. Flickr can be shared with other social media sites. Make sure you add your clubs Flickr

page to the Nature Play WA website.

youtube.com

Youtube is a video sharing site. You club can use this site to upload your clubs videos and share

them on the net. Youtube can be shared with other social media sites. Make sure you add your clubs

Youtube page to the Nature Play WA website.

rss feeds and links

Most sites have an RSS feed, which is essentially a news stream of the sites content.

These feeds can be added to other sites and links them all together. Check out the sites

options to see how you can link them together.


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I believe one of the greatest challenges

of our time is the reconnection of children

back with nature. In Canada, we have

learned that children spend an average

of 7 hours a day on electronic media. On

top of that, a study in Britain finds thatmothers tend to keep children indoors (my

parents used to tell us kids to go outside

and play) because they worry about

cars and perverts. So Nature Play WA is

focused on a very important aspect of ourdisconnect from the natural world.

David Suzuki


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Healthy lifestyles are all about balance.

Family Nature Clubs are a great way to enrich

the balance of our lifestyles with exercise and

the chance to connect with WAs beautiful

outdoors, with our family and with friends.

David Malone, Healthway Executive Director

Imagine getting through childhood without

having climbed a tree, or spent a night

camping. Lets not let our children be the firstgeneration to miss out on playing outdoors,

its too fun and its too important.

Mike Wood, Bibbulmun Track Foundation Chairman


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Reconnecting people to the environment

through nature play provides the opportunity

for all Western Australians to further develop

their understanding of how important

the environment is to our welfare. The

environment not only provides the air that webreathe, the water that we drink and the land

that we grow our crops on, the environment

also provides the millions upon millions of

living plants and animals that inspire, excite,

amaze, stimulate and calm us.Greg Allen, Department of Environment and

Conservation Community Education Branch manager


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As the peak body for playgroups across the

State, PlaygroupWA strongly supports the

importance of children spending more time in

active outdoors play. Active outdoors play is

vital in promoting healthy child development.

David Zarb, Chief Executive Ofce PlaygroupWA

Being physically active is great for our health

and wellbeing, and doing it together as a

family in nature is even better.

Jo Davies,

Physical Activity Taskforce Project Manager


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Interaction with nature as a young child was

critical in making me become the person

I am today. It has led me to pursue many

different and exciting adventures across the

globe, including most recently standing on the

summit of Mount Everest.

Patrick Hollingworth

Encouraging young people to garden is a

great way to help them establish a deep

respect for nature, health and life. Its terrificto see Nature Play WA champion this through

its Family Nature Club Tool Kit.

Josh Byrne, Organic gardener and TV presenter


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For eons, human beings spent most

of their formative years in nature. But

within the space of a few decades, the

way children understand and experience

nature has changed radically. Healingthe broken bond between our young and

nature is in everyones self-interest, not

only because aesthetics or justice demand

it, but also because our mental, physical

and spiritual health depend on it

Richard Louv, author, Last Child in the Woods


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You dont have to wait for a nature play

prescription from your doctor. You can start

today with family and friends by opening

the door to go outside to explore the wealth

of natural adventures right in your own

backyard, neighbourhood and community

Cheryl Charles, President and CEO, Children and

Nature Network


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Acknowledgments

The Nature Play WA Family Nature Clubs Tool Kit is a publication of the Department of Sport and

Recreation and Department of Environment and Conservation based on a kit produced by Children

& Nature Network (C&NN).

Acknowledgements to:

Children and Nature Network (C&NN)

Richard Louv, Author, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Decit Disorder.

Leave No Trace Australia

www.lnt.org.au

Healthy Parks, Healthy People

Department of Environment and Conservation

Documents

Family Nature Club Toolkit