Discovering Bush Kinder at Aspire Bendigo
Bush Kinder programs have increased in popularity over the last decade or so, with kindergarten and early learning centres across the country taking part. Aspire Early Education Bendigo has received a government grant to implement this exciting addition to its four-year-old kindergarten.
Bush Kinder at Aspire Bendigo is a program run in kindergartens and early education centres that brings the classroom outside. Children go outdoors, whether it be a nearby park, bushland, creek or beach, to learn and play.
Children learn through experimentation due to their natural disposition for curiosity. The number of learning opportunities multiply immensely when the classroom is taken out of the building. Bush Kinder gives children the space and freedom to explore and be creative in a natural environment.
There are countless reasons why Bush Kinder is a beneficial program for young children. It engages children in a different way to a regular classroom setting, and builds resilience and readiness for life.
Four-year-old Kindergarten Teacher at Aspire Bendigo, Jen Martin, is spearheading the implementation of Bush Kinder at Aspire Bendigo – Kennington. We spoke to her to gain an insight into what Bush Kinder is, its importance in development of children, and its implementation at Aspire.
Jen’s journey with bush kinder started during her accelerated bachelor program at Deakin University. Her lecturer and mentor teacher, Chris Speldewinde, had written his thesis on STEM teaching in a Bush Kinder setting. Whilst learning about Bush Kinder from him at university, Jen grew an appreciation and passion for the program, and sought out to implement it at her own centre. With Chris’s guidance, the idea of a Bush Kinder at Aspire Bendigo was born.
With her connection to Chris, Aspire Bendigo’s Bush Kinder program will be a research participant into further research undertaken by him and his team.
After planning and organisation started in May last year, Aspire Early Education Bendigo has recently started their Bush Kinder program. But it wasn’t an easy road. A lot of preparation had to take place in the lead up to the operation of this program. One of the main challenges was finding a suitable location to hold the Bush Kinder. After searching for a council approved area, Aspire Bendigo was lucky to be able to teach on a piece of council bushland near the centre.
As you can imagine, many plans have been made to ensure the children’s safety whilst outside. Part of the process has been writing policies for snake safety, weather policy, sun safety, amongst other things. The team has worked extremely hard to ensure the health and safety of children and staff who participate in the Bush Kinder Program
Another factor that was necessary to start was funding. Jen applied for the Government’s Bush Kinder Grant Program, an initiative that is investing $3.6 million dollars to deliver Bush Kinder programs around Victoria. With plans already in motion to create a Bush Kinder program at Aspire Bendigo, this was the perfect opportunity to help it off the ground. On the 27th of February, the announcement was made that Aspire Early Education & Kindergarten Bendigo was one of the lucky early learning centres in Victoria to be given a government grant!
The program will initially only be a part of the four-year-old kindergarten program at Aspire Bendigo, weekly during school term. Both the children and families are fans of the program so far. Recently the children absolutely loved a traditional “grape stomping” activity during Bush Kinder.
Team members from Aspire Bendigo have had nothing but praise for the program.
“As young children explore the natural environment at bush kinder, they relish the freedom of splashing in the mud or the exhilaration of climbing a tree. Without any toys or equipment, our kinder children will use their own imagination to devise play and learning opportunities with whatever is lying around – sticks, pebbles, rocks, logs and leaves. Also, such settings offer ample opportunities for pretend play, thus building their emotional and social skills. We are so excited to offer this as an embedded part of our Kindergarten program and culture for our service and most importantly, for our kindergarten children!”
- Chelsea 4-year-old kinder ECT
“As a new ECT graduate, I am passionate about providing opportunities for children to learn. I believe a successful Bush Kinder program provides an opportune play- and inquiry-based learning environment. Outdoor spaces in Bush Kinder evoke an appreciation and awareness for the environment, are open-ended, offer many natural resources to engage with and develop spontaneity, risk-taking and exploration skills. Research has shown that Bush Kinder programs enhance children's learning and engagement as they co-construct together, leading to deep, extended enquiries.”
- Jenny 4-year-old kinder ECT
The whole Aspire team is so excited to see the Bendigo Bush Kinder Program thrive, and to set the standard for Bush Kinder programs in the future.
Want to learn more about our Aspire Bendigo centre? Enquire by calling 1800 978 429 or contact us here – Contact Page.
