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Nature Play aims to increase the time kids spend in unstructured, outdoor play. Playing in nature can improve kids’ health, cognitive, social and emotional development. It builds resilience and creativity, and can lead to environmental stewardship later in life. Encourage kids to think about what’s around the block, discover cool bugs, and get their minds […]

by Emma Wynne Parents are being encouraged to let their children find their own solutions to school holiday boredom this summer. Long hot days can lead to regular complaints of “I’m bored” from kids, but Griffin Longley, chief executive of Nature Play WA, said parents must avoid rushing to the rescue. “If they are saying

by Rebecca Holland Perth’s Brookfield Place has been named as one of Australia’s top parks, celebrating the evolution of public space beyond simply a place to relax and play. The Australian Institute of Landscape Architects has listed the CBD plaza among 13 parks across the nation credited with redefining public spaces and their role in communities as well as

A BREAST cancer researcher, an online education pioneer, a pediatrician and a philanthropist are the finalists for the 2017 WA Australian of the Year. The WA finalists in the Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Local Hero Award categories have been released. The WA winners will

by Layla Tucak A disconnection from nature can affect everything in a child from gut health and immunity, to mental health and even the way they think, recent research has revealed. Playing in nature used to be a part of everyone’s childhood but researchers say it has become an increasingly foreign concept in Western countries

by Katherine Fleming For many, it is an intangible feeling: that an early morning walk in the park lifts the spirits, a swim in the ocean is restorative, that hearing magpies warbling in bushland brings a sense of calm. The Japanese have a name for it — Shinrin-yoku or forest bathing — which describes the

by Claire Bickers KIDS at Perth childcare centres are being fitted with GPS trackers dubbed “Superman belts” as part of research into whether preschoolers get enough exercise. It follows a pilot study by the University of Western Australia that found 82 per cent of children attending childcare were not meeting physical activity guidelines. Nature Play

by Natasha Boddy Children in Canberra are being asked to turf the tablets and get back to the good old-fashioned way of having fun by climbing trees and getting dirty in the great outdoors. A new initiative called Nature Play CBR launched in Canberra in Thursday encourages less screen time and more green time by

by Claire Bickers TOO much time spent on iPads and similar touchscreen devices could result in the muscles and bones of young children not developing properly, WA researchers say. A Curtin University team concerned by the increasing amount of time kids spend on portable devices is behind a world-first study into how screen time impacts