Being outside provides endless opportunities that enables children to learn and experiment through play. Children’s skills flourish, their confidence grows, and their resilience improves. Teaching in nature has been a rewarding focus of my career and I’d love to support you to experience this joy in your own journey by offering professional development sessions.
Whether you need help to get started, learn how to enhance your curriculum with nature play ideas, need support building your personal skills or to advocate for outdoor play in your current role – I can help you realise your ambitions of teaching outdoors.
Grow your teaching qualifications with Nature Play training
There is no better time than now to lead children outdoors to learn. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been teaching for two months or twenty years, the reality is that the children we teach are spending more time indoors, and more time on screens. Not only is being outdoors more COVID-Safe, nature play enhances the cognitive, social and emotional learning development for children.
My professional development sessions can show you:
- It’s easy to teach children in nature
I’ll show you how to introduce parameters for safe interactions
- You’re not alone
Connect with other educators, share ideas and resources together - You are supported to succeed
I can demystify the legal, insurance and safety assessment requirements. Plus, I will continue to mentor you after your training session is complete.
Why learn from me?
I am a life-long, passionate outdoor educator. With an early childhood career spanning over thirty years, I am qualified and experienced to educate, demonstrate, and mentor you to amplify your existing teaching methods with nature play. Since 2017, I’ve been involved with the Forest School Learning Initiative. I’ve been training C&K educators to take children into nature since 2018.
- Forest School Leader – Level 3
- Associate Diploma of Education
- Bachelor of Education
- Registered Teaching – Teaching children weekly
- President of The Australian Forest School Association
- Member of the Queensland Early Childhood Sustainability Network
What I do
I have visited numerous educational settings throughout South East Queensland to conduct professional development training sessions with teachers who want to learn and understand how to safely lead children in nature. I can flexibly adapt your session or workshop to suit your teaching or work setting requirements.
Generally, each session will include:
- Training
- Parent information
- Site assessments
- Safety procedures
- Resources
Teachers say
“I was extremely nervous and apprehensive when I was asked to lead our first Nature Play event at our community service organisation in 2019. Jo put me right at ease. She shared her incredible knowledge and wisdom and tailored the session to my work setting and individual needs. Jo really instilled a sense of confidence that allowed me to deliver a nature play workshop that went really well and received a lot of positive feedback. Since then, our nature playgroup is a highly successful and well-attended program. Her passion, knowledge and experience for both Forest Schooling and Early Childhood Education has inspired me greatly in my practice with children and families. Her ongoing mentorship is an invaluable service.”
—
Catherine Stevens, Early Childhood Educator
Training Attendee 2019 – 2021
Questions?
Would you like to find out more about my professional development sessions? Simply, tell me more about your requirements using the form below. I’ll respond with tailored information and costs suited to your needs.
I’m excited to hear from you and look forward to sharing with you how to safely lead children to learn in nature!
Would you like to keep in touch?
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Bush Knowing Forest School 