• VIC/TAS

VIC/TAS Nature Play and Child Wellbeing Webinar RECAP

  • October 25, 2024

In celebration of Children’s Week 2024 we hosted a webinar exploring the benefits of Nature Play and the critical role it plays in supporting children’s social and emotional wellbeing. 

We were thrilled to hear from Dr Kristel Alla and Dr Mandy Truong from the Australian Institute of Family Studies as they discussed their recently released paper ‘Nature Play and Child Wellbeing’ and examined what the research evidence says about the different types of contacts with nature that promote child wellbeing. 

With Nature Play being at the forefront of many contemporary developments, the webinar offered valuable insight for anyone involved in the planning and design of public playspaces. We’d like to thank all who attended, particularly our presenters, Kristel and Mandy, for their time and expertise. 

You can find more information on the paper and the full webinar recording below. 

‘Nature play and child wellbeing’ Paper Overview

This resource summarises what the research evidence says about the different types of contacts with nature (‘nature contacts’) that promote child wellbeing. It describes a common type of nature contact for young children, ‘nature play’, and summarises the evidence for the benefits of nature play and nature contact for young children. It also provides some considerations for practitioners and other professionals working with young children.

The term ‘nature play’ in this resource refers both to nature contact more broadly (i.e. the different ways children connect with nature) and more specifically to child-led, unstructured play activities in nature.

Thanks to the Authors and our Presenters

Dr Mandy Truong

Research Fellow, Australian Institute of Family Studies

Dr Kristel Alla 

Senior Researcher, Australian Institute of Family Studies

Children’s Week is a national celebration. It recognises the talents, skills, achievements and rights of children. The event takes place in October every year, with thousands of Victorian children taking part in the festivities.


The theme for Children’s Week 2024 is: “Children have the right to a clean and safe environment”.

Local councils, not-for-profit organisations, schools and early childhood services organise a variety of events during Children’s Week. These include open days, displays, special events, virtual spaces and online-based activities. The events celebrate childhood and showcase children’s achievements.

This event was proudly brought to you in partnership with