On 17-18 May 2012, 60 primary school students gathered at the Melbourne Town Hall to create Australia's first Play Manifesto - for kids, by kids.

Hosted by Play for Life and Play Australia, one of the outcomes from the Play Summit will be the handing up of the Play Manifesto to the UN in New York to form part of Australia's contribution to the UN General Comment on Article 31 (the right to play) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Download and print out a copy of this file to stick up on your fridge...

ABC Prgram 'The Drum' anaylsis here.

Full program details for this Parks and Leisure Australia Event here.

Professional Development Program 2012.

Download the Program here.

Full details and online registration to this event hosted by the

Victorian Child and Nature Connection

One of the world's leading neurologists, Dr Judy Willis, says educational engagement with children in the early years pays off.

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This report presents compelling evidence that we as a nation, and especially our children, are exhibiting the symptoms of a modern phenomenon known as ‘Nature Deficit Disorder’. We look at what this disorder is costing us, why it’s proving so difficult to reverse, and gather current thinking on what we must do to eliminate it, before opening up the question to the nation for consideration.

The Scandinavian tradition of using nature and the outdoor environment as a learning resource and not simply as a place for children to ‘let off steam’ has become an important aspect of pedagogy in Denmark – where the majority of kindergartens and early year’s settings use the outdoor environment all year round.