To Freerange Or Not…

Photo Credit: Karin Calvert

by Nichole

I have just recently subscribed to receive two emails from websites dedicated to childhood. With common threads, the sites discuss a range of childhood issues, and highlight some of the restrictions that parents and society now place on children.

What I remember as a child, walking to school, playing in the street, riding my bike until dark, playing on the monkey bars, investigating the natural environment including creeks and tadpole puddles, and taking risks, is for many children something they have never, and may never experience.

Bubble wrapping kids and sanitizing their childhood experiences is like an epidemic. Fear of what might happen is pushing many parents to restrict their children’s experiences to those they feel they can control, and to inside, sedentary activities.

Without allowing our children a degree of risk taking, natural consequences, problem solving, success and failure, navigating life and learning from their experiences, what skills and messages are we arming our children with to meet the wide world as they grow? How do our children incrementally learn to navigate their way, if we don’t incrementally allow them freedom to try, make mistakes, and learn?

As I write this on the day before school goes back, I wonder, why is the park empty at 3pm, and where are the kids? The answer may well be in front of a large screen TV with an electronic device.

So if you lean more towards being a free range parent, the websites below might speak to you too, or if not they may challenge your way of thinking. And if you have an opinion on the subject, let us know too. How do you feel about your town and how child friendly you would like your community to be?

Free range kids

rethinking childhood

Outdoor Inspiration For The Cooler Months

With Winter well and truly upon us, it seems increasingly more time gets spent indoors than out. So I find that if there is a sunny break in the weather and a chance to get outdoors presents itself, I am keen to get the kids gumboots on and the backdoor open for some outside time in the fresh air and a quick run around.
Finding ways to explore the outdoors can be a fun, cheap and simple activity that kids of all ages can enjoy. Moorabool has so many great choices for outdoor places to explore for kids, no matter what part of it you live in. It could be as simple as walking around in the street you live in, visiting the local park or playground, or a bushwalk in a nature reserve or state park.
Ideas to get your kids outside could range from nature walks observing the sights and sounds around you, watching birds, pointing out different trees, hunting 'treasure' from nature and collecting interesting found objects, ball games, chasey with other kids, helping in the garden, playing with a pet outside, flying a kite, digging in a sandpit, making boats to sail in puddles, climbing a tree, riding a bike, any way you can get your kids outside and active and interacting with nature around them.
This week I took my young kids for a walk to Darley park, primarily for a play at the playground, but we ended up mostly in the garden beds collecting leaves and gum nuts, 'fishing' with sticks, and finishing up our visit by walking through the native garden which became 'outer space' and our mission was to find specimens to take back to Earth.

When we arrived back at home we had a little bag full of rocks, bark, gum nuts, leaves of all shapes, colours and sizes and we set them up on a table and arranged them in interesting ways, and then our treasures from nature became a busy city with roads and cars. As an added bonus, this collection has potential to be used in all sorts of art and craft activites, with endless outcomes.


So, basically, the more time you spent outside in whatever capacity encourages your child to use their imagination and is a great psychically and mentally stimulating experience.
It seems obvious to mention, but if the weather looks like it could change in a moments notice, be prepared! Before heading out always grab an umbrella, plus hats and coats for the kids. Sometimes the winter sun can lull you into a false sense of security before it turns nasty in an instant!

If you would like further ideas of ways to explore the outdoors, here are some links to a great (US based) site with plenty of suggestions big and small for kids of all ages to have fun outside. There are plenty more to uncover at this inspiring site but these links are a fantastic start!

50 Ways To Explore Nature In Your Own Backyard


Winter Nature Scavenger Hunt


25 ideas For Turning A Neighborhood Walk Into A Nature Adventure


For A Pictorial Guide To Playgrounds In Moorabool Check Out Our Playground Guide Page!


Natural Attractions In Moorabool

By Daisy