Bush school: Connect children to nature
Tuesdays and Fridays, 9:30am to 11:30am Tuesday 30 April to Friday 5 July
Want to get your kids off the screens – and out into nature? Join our Bush School program!
Bush School at Centennial Park will get your kids moving, creating, and thinking in a stimulating outdoor environment every week, giving them a chance to explore, discover and learn at their own pace.
This unique nature play program tailored for children aged 2.5 – 5 years is led by our expert education rangers, who bring urban children and their parents back to nature in the heart of Centennial Park.
The program is designed to inspire a love for the natural world in children through outdoor games, bushcraft activities and storytelling.
After just a few sessions, your child will have gained all the benefits of nature connection and nature play by developing their creativity, confidence, attention, and sense of responsibility in the great outdoors!
Discover the activities for May and June:
May sessions
Week 1 - Tues 30 April & Fri 3 May: Hear the story of the Little Brown Spider and craft your own woven spider web.
Week 2 - Tues 7 May & Fri 10 May: Explore the pine forest to discover the wondrous yellow-tailed black cockatoo, who visit the park each autumn.
Week 3 - Tues 14 May & Fri 17 May: Use your listening and music-making skills to enjoy the songs of the yellow-tailed black cockatoos.
Week 4 - Tues 21 May & Fri 24 May: Create leaf art and hear the story of Lilly The Leaf.
Week 5 - Tues 28 May & Fri 31 May: Weave with natural materials and enjoy more leafy fun with magical autumn stories.
June sessions
Week 1 - Tues 4 June & Fri 7 June: Learn animal tracking skills following tracks, scatts, sounds and more- test your skills to get a closer look at who lives in the park!
Week 2 - Tues 11 June & Fri 14 June: Imagine and discover what it’s like to be a turtle with a turtle game, story, and turtle egg craft.
Week 3 - Tues 18 June & Fri 21 June: Build a shelter the Bush School way! Adventure out to discover animal shelters and return to build our own stick shelters as a team.
Week 4 - Tues 25 June & Fri 28 June: Discover the wonderful world of microbats and echolocation on this batty session.
Week 5 - Tues 2 July & Fri 5 July: Cosy up by the Bush School campfire, watch the pop corn pop, and cook your very own damper with this beloved Bush School fire session. The perfect way to warm up the winter season!
*Weekly session themes subject to change pending weather and children's emerging interests.
Bush School is available at $35 per session, and we now offer a 10% discount for booking a five-week pass ($157.50 instead of $175). Bush School will run on Tuesdays, and Fridays from February to December 2024.