Nature
Space
We believe that God’s nature provides children with an opportunity to experience school life in a unique and inspiring way. Victoria Park Christian School provides outdoor classrooms and a Nature Space. Our Nature Space provides our students with open-ended opportunities for unstructured play and discovery, nature-based sensory experiences and exploration. With open-ended opportunities, students have that sense of being and doing what they can imagine and are encouraged to think outside the box.
Students are learning to be ‘risk assessors’ while challenging themselves just outside of their comfort zones. Our Nature Space keeps our students active through running in large open spaces, scootering, climbing in the tree house and by just being in a wide open space or under the canopy of our beautiful trees. Our students are the happiest when playing in nature.
Research findings prove that:
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Children who play in natural environments develop better coordination, motor fitness, balance & agility
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Natural environments foster more diverse imaginative and creative play, developing language & collaboration skills
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Cognitive development is heightened through improved awareness, reasoning & observational skills
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Spending time in nature reduces stress
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An increased affinity to love nature along with a positive environmental ethic
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Natural environments stimulate social interaction between children
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Children who play in nature have more positive feelings about each other
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Early experiences with nature have been positively linked with the development of imagination and the sense of wonder – an important motivator for life-long learning.
