The document introduces Nature Play QLD, which aims to make unstructured outdoor play a normal part of childhood in Queensland. Its vision is for children to develop resilience, health and creativity through nature play. The organization works collaboratively with partners towards this vision. It discusses how modern childhood has replaced outdoor play with screen time, linked to issues like childhood obesity and mental health disorders. Nature play is presented as helping children develop important skills through its "4 FUN-damental F's": freedom, fun, fluency and friends. Specific programs like the Passport to Amazing Childhood encourage outdoor and nature-based play.

1. Unstructuring
Childhood
Free to Play in
Nature, Free to
Learn in Nature Supported by

3. Presentation AIMS:
• Introduce Nature Play QLD
• Current scenario for Australian
children and the importance of
outdoor play
• 4 FUNdemental F’s of
unstructured play
• Why unstructuring childhood
needs to be prioritised for
children
• Why outdoor play or nature play
is the best place for this to occur
• What are we doing?

5. Vision & Mission
Vision
For unstructured, outdoor play to become a
normal part of every Qld child’s life, so that
they can develop into resilient, healthy and
creative members of the community
Mission
To work innovatively and collaboratively to
make nature play a normal part of
childhood again
Guiding Principals
• Collaboration
• Flexibility
• Community Focused
• Respect
• Equity

6. NATURE PLAY QLD PARTNERS
- Department of Sport, Racing and Agriculture
- QLD Health

8. Our children’s
environments
will determine
the sum of the
their worlds

16. SESORY
EXPLOSION

18. Self-expression
Individuality

19. -
Self-determination
Self-regulation
Risk
management
Freedom

21. WHY IS THIS
CONVERSATION SO
IMPORTANT?

23. Outdoor play has been replaced by
screen time
 74% of Aussie kids exceed the daily screen use
guidelines
 71% of use a second device while watching TV
 1 in 5 use devices at the dinner table
 39% fall asleep with a device

26. Almost 1/3 or 29% of
Australian Children
QLD Children Overweight or
Obese

27. 14% of
Australian
Children have
a mental
health
disorder
National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, 2010

28. Planet Ark, Climbing Trees, 2011

29. The Australian, 20 August 2012
6000 words per day vs
500 words per day

30. http://www.childrenandnature.org/documents/C118/ accessed
24/3/2104
http://www.childrenandnature.org/documents/C118/ accessed
24/3/2104

32. Dr Rachael Sharman
Psychologist and Lecturer
University of Sunshine Coast

33. Dr Rachael Sharman
Psychologist and Lecturer
University of Sunshine Coast

34. Dr Rachael Sharman
Psychologist and Lecturer
University of Sunshine Coast

35. Dr Rachael Sharman
Psychologist and Lecturer
University of Sunshine Coast

36. Play is Learning
&
Childhood is Evolving

37. What is
happening for
our children
while they play,
muck around?

38. Nature Play Secret Ingredients for
making unstructured play
The 4 FUN-damental F’s
FREEDOM
FUN
FLUENCY
FRIENDS

39. FR
EE
DO
M

40. Psychological Dimensions of
FREEDOM
What is freedom
• Choice
• Self determination
• Self control
• Self mastery
• Intrinsic motivation

41. Childhood is a Journey
Where there is the gradual handover
of responsibilities from the adult to
the children

42. Self Directed
Executive
Function
=
The brains control
processes that
regulate thoughts
and actions in
support of goal-
directed behaviourUNSTRUCTURED OUTDOOR
PLAY INCREASES
EXECUTIVE FUNCTION
(Jane E Barker, 2014)

43. Self Directed
Executive
Function
=
The brains control
processes that
regulate thoughts
and actions in
support of goal-
directed behaviourSTRUCTURED ORGANISED
PLAY DECREASES
EXECUTIVE FUNCTION
(Jane E Barker, 2014)

57. Internal
v’s
External
locus of
control
o Takes responsibility
o Able to learn form
mistakes
o Not easily influenced
by others opinions
o Able to self-direct work
o Self-reflective
o Doesn’t look outside
themselves for
approval
o Thinks critically
o Goal orientated
o Can delay gratification
o More confident
o More resilient
o Linked to long term
success
Burger, Jerry M. Personality. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, 1993.
o Blames others or external
influences
o Requires direction
o Requires guidance
o Easily influenced
o Looks to others for ideas of
things to do
o Is concerned about opinions
of others
o Reduced ability to learn from
mistakes
o Needs constant praise
o Reduced ability to problem
solve
o Takes time to get into tasks
o Less likely play on their own
o Requires instant results
o Not goal orientated
o Less confident
o Less resilient

58. Dependence/Inte
r-dependence
Theory
Erikson, 1994

59. For a child play is learning
Nature is imperfectly perfect, filled with loose parts and
possibilities, with mud and dust, nettles and sky,
transcendent hands-on moments and skinned knees.
Richard Louv
Last Child in the
Woods

60. Nature
Play QLD
 250 Missions online
 Simple and free
 Distributed to 160,000 QLD
children in our first 2 years
 Orders from families in over
1045 individual towns and
Suburbs across all regions
of Queensland
 Over 22,000 QLD orders
from Schools, OSHC,
kindergarten, Child Care,
many Community groups
Passport to Amazing Childhood Program

61. SELECT A MISSION
Passport program

62. Passport ProgramComplete your mission

63. The perfect take-home
accompaniment to the Passport to
an Amazing Childhood program.

64. Unlock the
power of
outdoor
play to
GROW
Super
Healthy
Happy
Kids

68. Supported by