I am very pleased to announce that I will be returning to Australia in late October for a couple of weeks or so, visiting Melbourne, Queensland and Perth. In Melbourne, I’m talking at the new Royal Botanical Gardens Cranbourne site, just a few days after it is fully opened to the public. I’m also renewing my connection with VicHealth at an invitation-only masterclass for senior regional local government.
In Queensland C & K have invited me to an event at its new flagship Ithaca development site [pdf link] in Brisbane. I will also be returning with C & K colleagues to Mackay and Townsville, where we met local child-friendly city advocates in May. Then it’s back to Brisbane for a keynote talk at the Playgroup Queensland conference. In WA my hosts are Bold Park Community School and Nature Play WA. I will be talking to parents, educators and others, including a public event at the school. Other WA events are still being firmed up.
It seems that debate on children’s lives, freedoms and experiences down under is becoming ever more lively. I am excited and honoured to be reconnecting with that ongoing discussion. I am also looking forward to rekindling old friendships and forging new ones.
Check out my talks page for dates, venues, up-to-the-minute details, links for booking places, and a full itinerary.
Rethinking Childhood 
Sounds awesome, Tim. You do get about. See you at the Natural Childhood Summit tomorrow.
Good to see you yesterday Phil, albeit briefly. An exciting event, I thought.
Brilliant! I look forward to your WA visit, and Bold Park Community School is literally only a few hundred metres from where I live. I’m hoping I can make it to at least one of your presentations.
Alex – great to hear that we might meet up IRL (as my teenage daughter has it).
Looking forward to seeing you at BPCS Tim! The parents are very much looking forward to hearing what you have to say.
Likewise!
I can’t see Sydney in your plan?? Are you planning to come here at all??
Hi Nikki – sorry for the delayed reply. Sadly I’m not visiting Sydney this time. But I’ll be back – maybe in July/August. Feel free to subscribe to my blog if you haven’t already – I’ll be publicising my trips here.
Hi Tim,
I just re-read the posts from the last time you visited us – I would love to update you that the Bush kinder pilot at Westgarth is up and running – it is in it’s first year as a full program offered to all children at Westgarth Kindergarten and is a huge success! (check out the website for contact details wgkg.vic.gov.au) Following up on this, parents involved in the kinder pilot program are advocating for similar programs in their schools. I am so happy to say that my daughter is part of a prep group of 60 6yos who head out to Merri Creek one morning each week, returning to the same location and exploring. It has been a huge success! She is part of a public school based on the Reggio Emilio education style. Learning through play and child lead learning – it is an amazing school, and the passions and engagement of children is fabulous to experience. The parent group of approx 100 prep kids is extremely supportive of this program and keen to bring it to each year level our kids are at school, with the school and teacher support. Doug Fargher at Westgarth Kinder and Sue Elliot assisted with speaking to the prep team teachers of their experiences. As a parent I continue to advocate for time in nature with whomever I can, and raising the awareness that just being in nature for children without prescribed direct learning outcomes has real value for them and for the parents and teachers who accompany them. It has been interesting introducing the rain, hail shine concept though – and also interesting that the kids at age 6 are already, taking on their parent’s opinions and are not comfortable being out in rain – although it doesn’t take long before they are into the joy of it.
I was hoping to catch your seminar while you are in town, but unfortunately have work commitments that mean I can’t get there. I look forward to hearing your reflections on this visit. The great thing that I can say is that more kinders and schools are looking at nature as an amazing learning opportunity – partly because the first bush kinder showed them it’s possible – it’s wonderful seeing it spread.
cheers
trish
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