Kit aids kids’ outdoor exploration

THE next generation of explorers are making some of their first outdoor discoveries at The Gatekeeper’s Cottage by the Botanical Gardens.

Across 10 Tuesday mornings this term, children under the age of five are participating in BotaniKIDS, which aims to encourage learning through nature play.

The sessions are facilitated by Friends of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens, however convenor Julie Bradby said another group is helping the volunteers deliver the education program in 2022.

“We’ve partnered with Loreto College’s Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning program to support the students in their practical applied learning,” she said.

“The girls who are thinking about careers in horticulture, childcare or early childhood education are going to focus on creating nature explorer kits for us.

“With guidance from us, they’ll work out what’s suitable.”

The BotaniKIDS prototype explorer kit, which the students may take inspiration from, is a mini case which includes crayons, a clipboard, a sample container, bag and peg, a watercolour painting set, and magnifying glasses.

When children head out for a nature walk, which they do every BotaniKIDS session, the Loreto students are set to head out with them, and their parent or guardians, developing a relationship with the young family.

“The children will use their nature explorer kits to collect samples relating to our program. They might look at leaves in more detail, for example,” Mrs Bradby said.

“The key thing about this program is the intergenerational engagement and relationships.

“We’ve got little ones from two years old, their parents, the students, and us as volunteers who are mostly over the age of 70, and are either ex-teachers or ex-nurses.”