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family
nature
clubs
OV
ERNME
OF
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WE
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Family
FamilyNature
NatureClubs
Clubs
Introduction
Families are discovering that having fun outdoors doesnt require waiting for a special event or
program. Instead, they are taking the initiative and creating their own Family Nature Clubs. These
groups go by different names and take slightly different forms, but they all offer accessible, easy,
low (or no) cost fun, family-orientated activities outdoors.
How to start
If youre reading this document, you may have already given some serious thought to starting you
own Family Nature Club. Are you willing to give it a try?
According to our experts, being organised, enthusiastic
and committed to sharing nature with families will take
your very far in being a successful group leader.
Dont worry if youre not an expert naturalist: Many
leaders say they think their own lack of expertise makes
other parents more comfortable taking part in their
outdoor excursions. On the other hand, you dont have
to do it alone. One approach to starting your own group
is to partner with another family member or friend.
Consider enlisting grandparents they are often a fount
of knowledge about nature and they often have the
time and resources that parents sometimes find in short
supply.
Once youre ready, start with nearby nature places
and spaces that are in your neighbourhood or
community. Youll be surprised at how interesting
your local parks can be whether youre exploring an
urban centre, a suburb or a rural region. Plan a variety
of fun outdoor activities and invite others to join you.
You might simply take your group on a series of walks
through familiar parks or reserves there may be some
families who have never visited them before.
Just pick up
the phone
4. Make it easy
2. Check it out
Its a good idea to check out each location before
you invite people to come along. That way, you
can work out if there are any tricky areas for very
young or old people, and the availability of things
such as toilets and picnic spots. Also you can
decide where everyone should meet and what to
do once there. Check out if you need permission
for a large gathering.
Link to destination check list, event day
checklist and links and resources (further on in
document and give page number once document
finalised)
3. Invite as many
people
as you like
Invite a couple of friends to join you for a family
bushwalk. You could also involve neighbourhood
families, classmates, local playgroups and
community groups like the scouts and guides.
Link to invitations, flyers and notices (further
on in document and give page number once
document finalised)
Ensure the route and length are suitable for the age
of the children. A maximum of approximately 1km
per birthday is a good rule of thumb. Take young
babies or toddlers in prams but as they get older
encourage them to walk at least part of the way.
Many DEC parks have universal access so that
prams can be easily accommodated.
Resources
There are a variety of excellent resources available to help inspire, inform and support Family
Nature Clubs for Families with ideas, activities, tips and tools. The link below gives you access to a
variety of resources, programs and products.
You can use the quick start checklists and templates on the following pages to help
you plan and organise your club. Visit the Nature Play WA website to download
examples of invitations, flyers, forms and others useful tools including an activity
finder and electronic newsletter.
natureplaywa.org.au
A collection of resources
natureplaywa.org.au/resources
Family Nature Clubs in Western Australia
natureplaywa.org.au/familynatureclubs
You might also like to update your knowledge of WAs Flora and Fauna some
handy bush book guides are available (Shop)
www.dec.wa.gov.au
Maps and books to help you in your learning journey and exploration can be found
at your local bookshop as well as from DEC (Shop)
www.dec.wa.gov.au
Unplug and Play: The Unplug + Play Parent Campaign targets parents in Western
Australia, to increase their awareness of the urgent need for children to spend more
time in active play and less time using TV, electronic games and the Internet for
entertainment. (Healthy Living > Healthy Kids > Parents Resources)
www.heartfoundation.org.au
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ich
Decide what length of time and wh
date works best for each outing.
ilable:
How often:
How long:
Once a week on
h month
The first of eac
h season
The first of eac
Once a year on
to
hours, from
dusk
morning
Varies by location
s.
Location:
Activity:
Time:
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Activity checklist
Travel time to location
Convenient meeting location
Public transport options?
up?
weather)
of year to
Seasonal features (i.e. best time
Educational opportunities
Entry fees?
d or puddles
cast?
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Information sheet
This sheet is designed to help you spread the message about nature play. Whether you are inviting
friends to join your Family Nature Club, writing a flyer or talking about nature play at your local play
group or school, you can use this information to help cut and paste, or use it in full.
Download the template at www.natureplaywa.org.au/resources
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Whats involved?
Its simple, all you need to do is make a plan and
then pick up the phone and invite other families to
join you.
Then its just a case of setting out together and
watching your kids grow and discover what you
already know that the best fun happens outdoors.
Its fun, its cheap, its easy, its on your doorstep
and it will form the bedrock of the positive memories
your children have when they look back at their
childhoods.
Essentials:
Water
Layered clothes appropriate for
weather
Appropriate shoes
Backpack
Snacks or picnic lunch
Sunscreen
Hat
Rainjacket if there is the
possibility of rain
Safety:
Whistle
Band-Aids
A participant with CPR/first aid
training
First-aid kit
Extras:
Change of clothes
Pad and pencil
Magnifying glass
Bug box (though remember to
release any creatures once you
have observed them!)
Binoculars
Camera
Field guides (i.e. DEC Bush
Books)
Flashlight for night hikes
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Utilising the web as a communication tool is great for Family Nature Clubs. There are a few ways
to connect to your members, potential members and other clubs.
natureplaywa.org.au
Firstly, register your family nature club on the Nature Play WA website. This allows you to list all of
your clubs details on a searchable database for others to find you. It also allows you to list your other
sites, including blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Flicker.
blogger.com or wordpress.com
Blogger and Wordpress are two of the most common blogging websites. You can setup
your blog for free. Make sure you add your clubs blog to the Nature Play WA website.
facebook.com
Having a Facebook page allows Facebook users to join the group, post messages and connect with
other like-minded users. Users must have a facebook account to interact. Make sure you add your
clubs facebook page to the Nature Play WA website.
twitter.com
Twitter is a stream of short messages a lot of short messages. Use your clubs Twitter account to
announce events and messages. You can link what you tweet to your other pages. Make sure you
add your clubs twitter page to the Nature Play WA website.
flickr.com
Flickr is a photo sharing site. You club can use this site to upload your clubs photos and share them
on the net. Flickr can be shared with other social media sites. Make sure you add your clubs Flickr
page to the Nature Play WA website.
youtube.com
Youtube is a video sharing site. You club can use this site to upload your clubs videos and share
them on the net. Youtube can be shared with other social media sites. Make sure you add your clubs
Youtube page to the Nature Play WA website.
rss feeds and links
Most sites have an RSS feed, which is essentially a news stream of the sites content.
These feeds can be added to other sites and links them all together. Check out the sites
options to see how you can link them together.
w
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Acknowledgments
The Nature Play WA Family Nature Clubs Tool Kit is a publication of the Department of Sport and
Recreation and Department of Environment and Conservation based on a kit produced by Children
& Nature Network (C&NN).
Acknowledgements to:
Children and Nature Network (C&NN)
Richard Louv, Author, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.
Leave No Trace Australia
www.lnt.org.au
Healthy Parks, Healthy People
Department of Environment and Conservation
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