5 Minutes with Bush Kindy Teacher, Areta Farrance

Founded and run by Early Childhood Teacher Areta Farrance, The Brookhaven Bush Babes program encourages families with children aged under 5 to come together in the park and explore nature and messy play while building new friendships.

This 12-week pilot program, sponsored by Frasers Property, was launched in August 2023 and alternates visits to Ullman Oval and Discovery Park. I had the immense pleasure to attend one of Areta’s sessions and immediately witnessed a grounding and relaxing atmosphere with a strong sense of connection to nature and people. We spoke to Areta to learn more about her passion for inspiring families to engage in nature play.

Tell us a bit more about you and what inspired you to start your company Bush Kindy Teaching? 

Well, I’ve been an early childhood teacher since 2003 and have spent a lot of that time in the classroom.  As much as there is a lot of value in having a beautiful indoor space, my heart is in outdoor education. I started running bush kindys in 2011 and it’s been a passion of mine ever since.  To the point that I decided to make it a small business and go mobile and reach more families and activate more green spaces in my city of Logan. 

What attracted you to Brookhaven?

I was running a session and met the wonderful Mikaila who approached me and asked if I would be interested in running one at Brookhaven. I met Marion to discuss this further and the rest is history. The Brookhaven community is set in such a beautiful location and has so many lovely families so it just makes sense to provide a facilitated program here that will hopefully inspire families to make friendships with their neighbours and get outside more with their children.

How would you describe a typical Brookhaven Bush Babes session?

We start with an acknowledgement  of country and a conversation to settle everyone in. Then the children commence what we call “free play”.   I have nature inspired “play spaces” set up. We value child-led learning as this is where children can use their problem-solving skills, their creativity and their bodies to explore nature. We follow the children’s interests and extend on these each week.  When the time is right during a session, I run group time which includes nature inspired music, movement and puppet play, songs and sometimes a story.

What are the benefits of  nature play?

Research has shown that nature  play, particularly for children 0 to 5, is essential to optimal learning and development. Nature carries no bias, which means a child of any background or ability can find an optimal learning experience through play. Play is how children learn best. When a child plays in nature, their five senses are fully engaged, establishing essential brain connections that form the foundation for more formal learning at school. Nature play also connects us with the land and where we live and helps to develop our sense of belonging in the community.

How could parents extend nature play beyond this playgroup?

When families spend time outside with their children, they can have fun observing how their child plays, for example if they notice a bird, talk about the bird, extend their language development by asking what colour it is? Where is it flying? What does it sound like? Allow children to take small risks like playing with a stick or balancing on a log. Allow children to play in the rain if they have good wet weather gear, it’s wonderful to feel the the water on your face and understand the science of the seasons.

I imagine that you witness many magical moments, can you share one of your favourite moments?

Some of my favourite moments so far at Bush Babes have been watching the children become more confident on uneven ground, using their balance to navigate the rocks and muddy surfaces. Watching them carry baskets to collect things, and I particularly enjoy seeing how messy they get. I also really enjoy a “coffee” or a “soup” from the mud kitchen, especially when they feed it to me!