MEDIA RELEASE 23 April 2017 |
With so much time spent indoors in this day and age, families are craving new opportunities to spend time outdoors.
Families in Victoria with children aged up to 12 now have an opportunity to discover, learn about and look after nature with the Victorian National Parks Association’s Wild Families program, which is being launched today at Yarra Bend Park, 11am-2pm on Sunday 23 April, 2017.
The association’s Caitlin Griffith said Wild Families was inspired by an interest in developing activities for children, the global nature play movement, and her own family.
“When I became a parent I found that taking part in nature-based activities I used to enjoy became really challenging,” she said.
“The Victorian National Parks Association was keen to develop our approach to educating the community about our state’s wonderful natural places and the fascinating creatures that live here.
“We decided that while working with families was incredibly valuable, we also wanted to provide an opportunity for parents with children to get more involved in the great outdoors.”
The program encourages families to get out into nature by hosting ‘wild adventures’ with a focus on discovering and caring for nature.
This Sunday, the final day of Victoria’s Nature Play Week, the Victorian National Parks Association joins families with a love for nature to launch the ‘Wild Families’ program.
Celebrations at Yarra Bend Park will include:
- The ‘Wild Scientists Tent’, where adults and children can uncover nature’s secrets as if they were real nature scientists.
- ‘Wild Adventurers Activities’, where families can take an adventure with a twist.
- ‘Wild Creators Space’ will give families the chance to build a forest. There will even be an opportunity to meet a local park ranger.
“Spending time in nature is highly beneficial for the physical and emotional health of children and adults. Learning and discovering together is also a great activity for quality family time,” Ms Griffith said.
