On a brisk winter’s morning, grey skies above gleaming, clouds intermingling in various shades of grey, children happily gather, ready to explore and play. Great energy and enthusiasm fills the air and one by one they visit various parts of the environment, to bend down, to touch, to inspect, to smell and to share.

This nature playgroup congregates in green spaces and beach locations around Melbourne’s inner south-east. Each week they immerse themselves in the landscape, the camaraderie, the wonders, fresh air and the fun. It’s here that the families are learning about the world and its rhythms, taking in the life-affirming nature all around, supporting their children as they develop and grow.

Dr Janie Maxwell, founding member of the playgroup, spoke with us about the importance of creating a sense of community, caring for the environment and the many benefits of being outdoors.

What inspired you to start a nature playgroup? 

Breathing in the scent of wattles and eucalypts as I gaze at the shapes in the clouds makes me feel grounded, present and content. Amid the bustle of urban and modern life, I am keen for my 3-year-old daughter and 6-month-old son to notice nature's rhythms and maintain that sense of perspective and wonder that nature offers. I am also concerned about climate change and environmental degradation and advocate through Doctors for the Environment Australia and the Port Phillip Ecocentre, but wanted to do something light and positive. I love building local community and am interested to meet families who care for and enjoy nature. I was excited to help other families and children learn to love nature. Maybe deep down I want to be a toddler exploring the world again. 

Why do you see nature play as an important part of the early years?

Nature play is unstructured, humbling, inspiring and gently challenging. From a child development perspective, it helps children develop their senses including touch, smell, balance, sight, hearing; muscle agility and strength; as well as understanding how the world works and humans' place in the world. Before starting the playgroup, a few local friends and I started a St Kilda Sprouts group and we often met and explored the St Kilda Botanic Gardens. It was lovely to watch our kids grow in their comfort with each other and the natural environment. We hope that the playgroup emulates that.

What are you hoping the children experience and learn about?

I hope that the children develop a sense of belonging, confidence, curiosity, wonder and comfort in nature. I hope that they experience all seasons and weather, learn new skills and build friendships.

Nature play not only helps children to practice their skills, it also builds knowledge about the world at large. In what ways does spending time in nature support the wellbeing of children, and indeed parents/carers? 

As a local GP, I am aware of the mental and physical health benefits of time in nature - subtle shifts like lowered heart rate and blood pressure, and noticeable changes such as physical fitness and improved wellbeing. This applies to both adults and children. As a member of Doctors for the Environment Australia and the Port Phillip Ecocentre, I am passionate about connecting people with their environment and raising awareness about the links between health and the environment. With climate and other environmental change it is particularly important that people are connected enough with their local and global environment to notice changes. Only then can people care for nature and their health, and advocate for a healthy future.

You ran a playgroup session at St Kilda West Beach- a terrific location for kids with so many enjoyable sensory experiences to be had. How did the children enjoy the beach and what other locations do you hope to visit?  

St Kilda West beach is a special spot - coast banksias drop fuzzy flowers, ti-tree provide cubbies and tunnels, and of course, the sand and the tidal flats. Last week we dug an arrow in the sand to show others where we were adventuring, galloped along the (recycled PVC plastic) walkway and leapt onto the sand, clambered over and under ti-tree bows, dipped our toes (or splashed our gumboots) in the shallow water, spotted seaweeds and watched the grasses blowing in the wind.

The playgroup meets twice per week and rotates between a series of 4-5 locations each week. The locations are chosen and are new at the start of each season. Our winter locations are St Kilda Botanic Gardens, Elster Creek in Elwood, St Kilda West Beach and Westgate Park.

Occasionally we have a special session with guest sustainability educators - in March the team at the Port Phillip Ecocentre launched the playgroup with a sensory garden and talk on nature play; and in April we met with educators who run bush play at Bubup Womindjeka childcare. 

The playgroup is an affiliate of the Port Phillip Ecocentre which has been a wonderful supporter of the playgroup. The team helped to develop the model for the playgroup and have been a fount of knowledge. They are a great community hub and a portal for local nature connection through activities in the bay, parks and community gardens. We encourage our playgroup families to become members. The City of Port Phillip have also been great supporters of the group both directly and through their support of the Ecocentre. Council staff met with us early on to share ideas and explore ways in which the council could assist, and subsequently have offered capacity building support (by linking the playgroup with community groups and Playgroup Victoria), promotional and practical support - invaluable to busy parents!

What kind of things are part of your philosophy at Seedlings Nature Playgroup?

Our core philosophy encompasses respect for nature, child-led play and inclusivity. We wanted to establish a playgroup that was free for people to attend and that could be flexible enough to be sustainable in the long term even when families move on.

What kind of activities are you running during the session? What kind of values/cultures/histories do you hope to include? 

We start the playgroup with an Acknowledgement of Country, share knowledge and ideas about the place where we are meeting, have general banter, go on an adventure / collection / exploration, return to a picnic spot under the trees and share stories of what we found/did, we then read a story (often nature inspired) and sing a song or two. The group is intended to evolve over time with the values, interests and cultures of those attending. Presently, we try to integrate elements of Australian indigenous knowledge or culture, details about birds, plants and animals, and about child development.

Caring for the climate and thinking about ways to live sustainably is a big part of modern life. Are these subjects woven into your sessions?

Climate change and sustainable living is integrated naturally in our nature playgroup. We hope that awareness and appreciation of the natural environment will lead to more environmentally-conscious families. We meet locally, encouraging active low-carbon transport, and we do not encourage or require families to buy anything in particular for nature play - low consumption and low fuss - just themselves. Although a bucket and gumboots are fun! As parents we discuss things like rubbish and how to help our kids be conscientious citizens but not spend their or our whole time noticing and collecting rubbish! Chat naturally tends towards the state of the environment and what we can do about it, so hopefully that can create a nice community for parents to feel strengthened to advocate and make small changes in their lives.

Coming off the back of a hard 2020 with strict lockdowns in Victoria, what does this group mean to you? Why are community support networks so important?

The playgroup offers a lightness, brightness and hope in what has been a challenging and isolating time. This group promotes community connectedness, nature-awareness and resilience. In the face of the ongoing pandemic, climate change and other environmental health issues such as bushfire air pollution, these sorts of connections will become increasingly important.

What have been the most enjoyable aspects of your playgroup experience so far?

I have loved watching the kids build connections quite quickly and how they notice and enjoy things that don't usually happen in our ordered world! For example, putting toes in the creek or actually falling in! It is lovely seeing parents and kids exploring together too. I love the creativity that comes with nature play: when you approach a playgroup, a child soon learns that the slide is for going down (not up, under or over, not for tipping water or gumnuts down). Nature play is not prescriptive, and it is nice as adults to try to hold back and see what eventuates. 

Connect with Seedlings Nature Playgroup here

Article by Sinead Halliday