Our Program Pillars

One of the things that makes Enchanted Childhoods programs unique is that we carefully and intentionally balance child-directed play alongside provocations and intentional teaching moments designed to support children’s physical, cognitive, and social/emotional development.

Our program is structured around five key pillars (as below) - all of which are underpinned by our belief in the value of unstructured outdoor play for children and the importance of providing children with the agency to lead their own learning.

STEM- we recognise that children are natural scientists, operating on the world around them and forming new understandings based on discoveries and experimentation. Our program provides experiences where children can learn about chemistry and experiment with mixtures and reactions; test engineering concepts by building structures; build understanding of volume and capacity through water and mud play; categorise natural objects by shape, size, texture, and function; and learn about the natural world through observation and interaction to name just a few!

Creative expression- natural environments are rich with loose parts and possibilities. We love that these can inspire so many open-ended play opportunities where a stick may become a wand, or a fishing rod, or be used for cooking marshmallows, or constructing a fort, or turning into a ‘hay hay’ sock horse. Natural environments have been demonstrated to enhance creativity and we love seeing the unique artworks and creations that are inspired by our beautiful surroundings. You may notice that at Enchanted Childhoods we rarely see two pieces of artwork alike- this is because to us the value is in the process of creation, rather than the end product, and we support children to express their imaginations and individuality in their work.

Sensory exploration- our sensory system shapes the way we perceive, draw meaning, and make decisions about what’s happening in the world around us and how to respond to this. For this reason, we are really passionate about the rich sensory opportunities that are available in nature that can strengthen children’s sensory systems. In particular, nature play supports the development of proprioception and our vestibular systems- both of which are crucial to enable children’s success in more formal learning environments. In addition, science tells us that outdoor environments are naturally calming and can play an important role in reducing physiological markers of stress while also supporting greater emotion regulation. It also opens a richness of experience not available when we interact with the indoor world or technology and primarily utilise only sight and sound. For these reasons, we welcome rich sensory engagement at our programs through bare feet, mud and messy play, and the opportunity to engage our tactile, smell, and taste senses as well as sight and sound.

Nature connection- A sense of psychological connection with the natural world is known to be protective for our physical health and psychological wellbeing, which is why forging such connections is something we value so highly during our programs. This is about not only spending time outdoors but also experiencing a sense of oneness or connection with something larger than ourselves and having a sense of self that includes our relationships with other living beings. A strong sense of nature connection is developed through time in nature, but also sensory engagement with the natural world, purposeful engagement with nature’s beauty, considering meaning and metaphors in nature (such as there being different ‘seasons’ to life or the knowledge that a storm will pass), and also through showing compassion to other living creatures.

Storytelling and imaginative play- We love books for the important contribution they make to developing literacy skills but also because they provide such rich inspiration for children’s play! During our programs we enjoy sharing popular stories with our explorers and then providing provocations for children to take on new characters or roles through dress-ups and puppets and socio-dramatic play and to share performances or to draw items and events from the story into their play schemes. Through this socio-dramatic play we see children’s social skills come to the fore as they step into new worlds and negotiate rules and roles.

One of the wonderful things about empowering children to lead their learning and pursue their interests and natural curiosity is that no two days are ever the same... and every day is abundant with possibilities!

We hope to see you at a program soon, where children can explore, connect, discover, and grow at their own pace, whilst being nurtured by nature.