Blog

A well-worn box sits on a shelf in my home office. Inside are Father’s Day cards collected over 22 years. Little moments of my children’s hands, minds, and hearts at work. A time capsule from scribbles in jagged texta-green, to drawings with the sure and emotive lines of young women with artist’s hands inherited from […]

We live on a blue planet, yes, but also a planet of trees. And as we approach National Tree Day it’s a fitting moment to remember the extraordinary role the 60,000 species of trees that grace every continent and corner of the globe (except the polar regions, parking lots, and some misconceived playgrounds) play in our life, […]

What is the right amount of screen time in a pandemic? Does watching Bluey count? And do I get extra parent-credits for forcing my kid to play with a stick, in the rain, while I figure out how to resist the return of the old normal? These are just some of the questions as we […]

What makes a great nature playground? The key to playgrounds and play spaces of all kinds is never to forget that the greatest piece of play equipment in the universe is your kid’s imagination. Activate that, and a play world is born. Play worlds are inhabited by moving bodies, by creative thought, by sweat and […]

You love the outdoors, and you’re ready to take your family nature experience to the next level. You’re looking for more than an outing, or a getaway; you want an adventure. So, what makes an adventure? The first thing to recognise is that adventures are relative. You don’t have to climb Everest in a wrestling […]

Western Australia is a picnicker’s dream. With our warm weather, huge blue skies, and so much outdoor space that we could fit Kenya, France, Thailand, Sweden, the UK, and Guatemala within it and still have change. Which makes finding a good spot to roll out the picnic blanket and let the kids muck around about […]

Your Autumn nature escape has been taking on shape, colour, and urgency in the back of your mind for months. And now that the COVID-19 wall is starting to come down you can start planning that next family adventure in earnest – and Nature Play WA is here to help. From May 18 Western Australians […]

Watching the great wave of kids on bikes peel through WA suburbs during this COVID-19 lockdown has me feeling like I’ve been transported back to the 1970s – minus the bad haircuts, disco, and tinned pineapple. Everywhere I go I see kids and families out on bikes and scooters and it is amazing. There is […]

You look up at the cathedral canopy of trees and exhale the week. The to-do list that has been tap-dancing in your head evaporates. The kids tear off down the trail with their backpacks bouncing, and you sigh a smile. Welcome back to the outdoors. And in this time of uncertainty and COVID-19 restrictions, it’s […]

The Easter Long Weekend is one of the busiest weekends for WA families – it’s the first week of the school holidays, it’s a minimum of four days off (for most people) and it’s traditionally a time for a big family get-together.  But this year, the landscape of the Easter holidays looks quite different. The […]