Meerilinga staff were very lucky to attend a Nature Play Solutions Personal Development Day on 15 September 2014. Learning all about how to achieve positive play with children by using the new natural play areas in Meerilinga Children and Family Centres to their potential. Our speaker, Outdoor Play Consultant Kerry Logan spoke of how much she enjoys sharing everyone’s journey of change and how nature play areas can positively impact children. Kerry discussed the Development of the “Loose Parts Play Sessions”, using a diverse range of recycled and recyclable materials. This innovative theory based initiative was the core of the teachings on the day.
Guest speaker Michael Follett, OPAL founder and Director from United Kingdom, shared his experiences from his early work in schools where he focused on how adults could get children to play differently, through interventions like behaviour management and playground games. Michael’s philosophy and aim is about developing a strategic and policy based approach to improving play.
Meerilinga staff were inspired to introduce all the new ideas that they had learnt on the day and the concept of “Loose Parts” is on everyone’s mind with evidence of implementation in all Meerilinga programs.
