LJBC Primary has prioritised nature play and outdoor learning for many years, and we continue purposefully this year with the introduction of our new Primary Years’ Nature Play Space.

We are committed to our Primary Play Philosophy, which states that we believe that quality engagement in meaningful play is very important for a child’s development. 

Albert Einstein said that “Play is the highest form of research.”  (Albert Einstein)

The Alice Springs Education Declaration states within the educational goals for young Australians that successful lifelong learners, ‘are inquisitive and experimental’ and ‘’creative and innovative’.

Researchers at the University of Western Australia have found that natural playgrounds provide children with more opportunities than typical pre-formed playgrounds to develop gross-motor skills. This contact with nature has been associated with several health benefits for children, such as improved cognitive function and increased creativity. We have found that our students have been able to connect and collaborate more effectively with each other, have been more imaginative and creative, and have shown improved language skills.

We have again partnered with Terry Farrell from Nature Based Play as Terry’s vision reflects our own philosophy of play. Terry and his team have designed a new nature play space to replace the space that was used by the Primary Years’ students. Terry visited our Term 4 2021 Primary P&F Meeting to discuss the benefits of nature play and share his design ideas. We thank the P&F for willingly donating $20,000 to this project. We are so grateful for this generous donation and for the College’s vision and investment in quality play spaces for our students.

The new Nature Play Space design includes natural materials, trees, plants, boulders, huge logs, bark, rope, balance and climbing challenges, musical area, reflection areas, outdoor learning area, meandering path, and a water feature. We have officially opened the new Primary Years’ Nature Play Space for the Primary Years’ students and we look forward to seeing their enjoyment and imaginative adventures begin!

Carol Harris

Dean of Primary