The Geelong
Botanic Gardens will come alive with the sound of children playing when it
hosts the feature event to mark the 10th anniversary of Nature Play
Week.
The free family event, to be held between 10:00am and 1:00pm on Tuesday18 April 2023,
will feature several activity stations along with performances that will focus
on nature play and the environment.
The event is a part of the broader Nature Play Week, running from 17 to 30 April, which in turn is a collaboration with Premier’s Active April.
Nature play is a term
used to describe the creation of simple play opportunities in the natural environment
and encourages children and parents to see the natural environment as a place
to enjoy, play, imagine, relax and explore.
Families are encouraged to have a picnic and enjoy a morning exploring
the gardens and immersing themselves in nature-based activities.
The event is ideal for preschoolers and families, with experiences
including sensory play, reptiles, nature crafts, scavenger hunt, storytelling,
and performances, throughout the day.
Entertainment
will also be provided by children’s performers Born in a Taxi.
First
aid and toilets are available.
Geelong
Botanic Gardens are located at the corner of Eastern Park Circuit and Podbury
Drive East Geelong.
Mayor
Trent Sullivan
As much as we enjoy the
opportunities that come with increased technology, it’s vitally important that
we support our children in retaining a connection with the environment.
In
recent years we have seen children move indoors and screen spaces replace green
places.
The
fact that we are able to host the feature event of an initiative of this kind -
encouraging play and a connection with the environment - is something that we
should be really proud of.
Deputy
Mayor Anthony Aitken
Nature play provides many benefits to a child’s
development.
It’s
well known that play improves the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional
well-being of children and young people.
Through
play children learn about the world and themselves, so an event of this kind is
vitally important, particularly as it will encourage our community members to
get outside and enjoy an environment like our own Botanic Gardens.