Skip to Content
Close
  • Contact us
  • EDi – staff intranet
  • Smaller text
  • Larger text
  • Reset text size
Home

South Australia

Department for Education

  • For parents and families
  • Working with us
  • For schools and educators
  • For students
  • The department

You are here

  1. Home ›
  2. Working with us ›
  3. Playgroups ›
  4. Playgroups facilitator guide ›
  5. Together activities ›
  6. Nature collecting walk
Go to top of page

Nature collecting walk

Print this page

Back to top

Activity filters

 
Related messages:
Belonging, Talking
Development stage:
Toddlers, Preschoolers
Play type:
Language and literacy, Outdoor, Fine motor, Gross motor, Numeracy, Wellbeing, Sensory, Science, Social
Disposition:
Curiosity, Communication
AEDC domain:
Physical health & wellbeing, Social competence, Language & cognitive skills, Communication skills & general knowledge
EYLF outcomes:
Connect and Contribute to their world, Confident and involved learners, Effective communicators

Nature collecting walk

Looking together

Print this page

Collecting ‘treasures’ from nature can give a child a sense of sentimental value and connection to the natural world. Walking in nature is also a great way to encourage active play.

a child and adult looking at flowers together

Related messages:
Belonging, Talking
Development stage:
Toddlers, Preschoolers
Play type:
Language and literacy, Outdoor, Fine motor, Gross motor, Numeracy, Wellbeing, Sensory, Science, Social
Disposition:
Curiosity, Communication
AEDC domain:
Physical health & wellbeing, Social competence, Language & cognitive skills, Communication skills & general knowledge
EYLF outcomes:
Connect and Contribute to their world, Confident and involved learners, Effective communicators

Activity

A nature collecting walk is simply picking up little bits and pieces you can find outside without disturbing the natural ecosystem. This may include leaves, flowers, twigs, stones, feathers.

It can happen around the yard, a walk together up the street or on the way to or from playgroup.

This can be as simple as you want to make it... you don’t need to take a thing. It’s a great idea for playgroup as it is easy to do and can be done spontaneously.

Parents/carers can talk to the children about things they may find along the way or ask them what they would like to search for.

It’s a lovely opportunity to be together, have a chat and notice what’s around us.

Children may like to collect little objects while they walk or may just like to look and notice.

What you'll need

There are different ways of doing a collecting walk, you could:

  • Make it simple and just collect as much as you can fit in your hands.
  • Take a bucket or basket to carry the collection in.
  • Put a strip of masking tape around each child’s wrist so the sticky side is outside, collecting things to put on the wrist band.

Optional extras:

  • magnifying glasses
  • binoculars
  • tongs or a scoop for picking things up
  • camera for things that can’t be collected.

Words to use

  • Flower, bud, petal
  • Soft, scented, smell, pretty
  • Pink, yellow, blue, green
  • Trees, leaves, move, sway, breeze
  • Sun, shadow, dappled, sunlight
  • Colours, changing, turning
  • Soft, crispy, crumbly
  • Cool, cold, windy, rainy
  • Clouds, sun, sky

Questions to discuss

  • Can you feel the grass underneath your feet?
  • Are you looking at the sky? What can you see?
  • Can you hear the birds singing?
  • What else can you hear?

Learning through play

Ways to develop numeracy through play

  • With the collections, children may sort, group and organise.
  • Talk about patterns in nature and our world.
  • Look out for numbers in the environment, eg on letterboxes.
  • Make size comparisons of different objects.
  • Talk about weight – which rock feels heavier/lighter.
  • Count how many...
  • Make a graph to record what you find.
  • Estimate and make predictions about what you might find.

Ways to develop literacy through play

  • Talk with children as you go on your walk about the things you see.
  • Use lots of adjectives to describe what you find.
  • Make comparisons and talk about opposites.
  • Talk about all the different parts of plants that you find (roots, stem, leaves, flowers).
  • Talk about colours and hues.
  • Talk about the weather.
  • Talk about the seasons and changes that you notice.
  • Read signs and environmental print.
  • Make a book about your walk.

Extensions and variations to this activity

  • Have glue and paper on the table for children to make collages with their findings.
  • Make a nature crown by gluing or sticking items that you find on a cardboard crown shape.
  • Add items to the looking table with magnifying glasses.
  • Add items to the playdough table – make a playdough garden on a paper plate or plastic cup.
  • Add items such as pinecones, gumnuts, sticks, wood rounds or bark to the construction area.
  • Glue or paint on bark or other natural objects such as rocks or pinecones.
  • Suggest to families they try a nature walk around their home, or the beach, park, etc.

Supporting parent engagement in play

Play prompts:

Ask questions, like:

  • What do you think we’ll find today?
  • What can you see?
  • Look, can you see the...?

Parents or carers can:

  • Comment on what their children are doing (say what they see).
  • Talk in their home language.
  • Use literacy and numeracy words (see words to use section above).
  • Comment on what they notice the child exploring – “Oh, you found some leaves! You are seeing how they crunch and crumble in your hand”.
  • Extend the child’s interest, by talking about what they find.
  • Help children to extend their ideas, by providing a basket for collections, a camera for a photo, or taking them to the library to find more information.
  • Extend the child’s interest by adding some sensory words.

You can help families by:

  • Modelling what you want them to do.
  • Talking to them about the focus of the activity and what children might be learning.
  • Writing up words that go with the activity.
  • Making suggestions on what families can do at home.

Related Great Start activities

Great Start activities are for parents and carers to do with their children.

  • Outside with baby
  • Seasons

Add your own ideas

Print this page —   to add your own ideas for this activity.









Back to activities More Looking together activities

Contact

Learning Together Communities Team
Email: Education.LearningTogetherCommunities@sa.gov.au

Other pages in this section

  • Blowing bubbles
  • Cardboard box play
  • Discovery bottles
  • Discovery table
  • Dramatic play – shopping fun
  • Environmental activities
  • Fun with food
  • Group time dancing and games
  • Group time songs
  • Handprint welcome sign
  • Healthy eating – snacktime
  • Height chart
  • Making musical instruments
  • Making playdough
  • Making signs
  • Mirror play
  • My family
  • Nature collecting walk
  • Obstacle course
  • Peekaboo
  • Photo booth fun
  • Planting a seed
  • Pop-up puppet
  • Sand play
  • Sensory tray play
  • Small world play
  • Story bags
  • Water play

Was this page useful?

  • About playgroups: a facilitator's guide
  • Value of playgroups

    Find out why playgroups and learning through play are important and how playgroups benefit everyone

  • Using this resource

    Find out how to use this resource

  • Set up your playgroup

    Information for new or existing playgroups, from finding a location, defining a purpose and ideas to promote your playgroup.

    • Promoting your playgroup
    • Defining your playgroup purpose
  • Safe and healthy environments

    Information to make spaces safe and support children’s health and wellbeing.

    • Child safe environment
    • Supporting healthy habits
  • Engaging with your learners

    Learn about the Together messages and how to set up areas to support children’s learning, play and development.

    • The Together messages
    • Setting up learning areas
    • Support children’s development
    • Sourcing and storing equipment
  • Plan your program

    Learn what to consider and include when planning your program and routine, and reflecting on how it’s working

    • Creating routines and structure
    • Planning a term program
  • Together activities

    Search through the suggested Together activities for ideas to offer as part of your playgroup.

  • Resources

    Access templates, forms, books, songs and other resources you may need for your playgroup

    • Books and reading
    • Songs and singing
    • Sensory recipes
    • Shopping lists
    • Templates, links and other resources

Page last updated: 26 Feb 2024

Feedback and complaints

Schools and preschools

Other department services

EDi – staff intranet
Site map

Talk to us

  • Linked in
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram

Careative commons attribution

South Australia

SA.GOV.AU

White Ribbon Workplace

Department for Education

  • Contact
  • Accessibility
  • Acknowledgement of Country
  • Copyright
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy
  • Menu
  • For parents and families
    • Enrol in a school or preschool
      • Find your local school or preschool
      • School enrolment
      • Preschool and kindergarten enrolment
      • Zones, catchments and capacity management
      • Families on 457 or 482 visas
      • New schools and major upgrades
      • School and preschool open days
      • Support for Australian Defence Force families
    • Term dates and calendars
    • Find schools, preschools and other services
    • Financial support and concessions
      • School Card for low-income families
      • Financial support schemes
      • Student travel concession and allowances
      • Grants for children in care
      • Student home internet program
      • International tertiary students – enrol dependents
      • Country students impacted by drought
    • Curriculum and learning
      • Early years
      • Primary and secondary
      • Literacy and numeracy
      • Reports and assessments
      • School Sport SA
      • Aboriginal school programs and initiatives
      • STEM learning
      • Artificial intelligence in schools
      • Financial literacy
    • Parent engagement
      • Families learning together
      • Engaging in your child’s learning
      • Learning Together programs
      • The early years
      • The primary years
      • The secondary years
      • Communicating with school
      • What being engaged means – videos
      • Hear from parents, students and teachers
      • Parents in Education funding
      • Parent engagement framework
      • Parent engagement survey
      • Learning activities to do at home – Our Learning SA
    • Safety and wellbeing
      • Bushfires
      • Child protection
      • Attendance at school or preschool
      • Bullying and cyberbullying
      • Behaviour support
      • Health and food
      • National Student Wellbeing Program (NSWP)
      • Sexual behaviour in children and young people
      • Gender and sexual diversity
      • Consent and sexual consent
      • Mental health
      • COVID safe measures and requirements
    • Student health and disability support
      • Support Services for students
      • Improving support for autistic students
      • School disability support
      • Preschool disability support
      • Health and complex needs support and management
      • Health and disability programs
      • Behaviour services
    • Early childhood services
      • Out of school hours care (OSHC)
      • Find a childcare service
      • Find a playgroup or playcentre
      • Choosing a childcare service
      • Immunisation requirements
      • Family day care
      • Children's centres for early childhood development and parenting
      • Occasional care for children under school age
      • Programs
    • Volunteering
      • School, preschool and children's centre volunteers
      • What volunteers need to know
      • Student mentoring
      • Celebrating volunteers
    • Host an international student
  • Working with us
    • Careers in education
      • Find a school or preschool job – Edujobs
      • Become a teacher in SA
      • Teacher recruitment for 2025
      • Opportunities in country South Australia
      • Opportunities for pre-service teachers and graduates
      • Teachers and school and preschool leaders
      • Support roles in schools and preschools (ancillary)
      • Other roles and opportunities
      • Work conditions
      • Working with children check (WWCC)
      • Funding and support for careers in early childhood education
    • Teacher initiatives
      • Public Education Awards
      • Orbis – professional development for teachers
      • ThankED – say thanks to SA education
      • Employee recognition events
    • Out of school hours care (OSHC)
      • Employment and recruitment
      • Professional development and training
      • Policies, contacts, checklists and tools
      • Running an OSHC service
      • Roles and responsibilities
      • Establishing or closing an OSHC service
      • Third party providers
    • Volunteers
      • School, preschool and children's centre volunteers
      • What volunteers need to know
      • Why volunteer with us
      • RRHAN-EC training for volunteers
      • Student volunteers – information for host organisations
    • Governing councils
      • About governing councils
      • Membership and roles
      • Working on governing councils
      • Elections and meetings
      • Working with others
      • Training and resources
      • Finance and budgets
      • Legal requirements
    • Family day care
      • Family Day Care Educator portal
      • Family day care providers
      • Become an educator
    • Playgroups
      • Playgroups facilitator guide
      • Learning Together Communities
      • Mentor program
    • Builders, design and maintenance
      • Standards and guidelines
      • Designing buildings and spaces for everyone
    • Service providers
      • Student health care plan – for health professionals
      • Non-government preschool service providers funding
      • Access sites to work with children with disabilities
      • Supplying goods and services to the department
      • Tailored Learning panel of providers
      • Wellbeing programs directory
      • Speech pathology or psychology external providers
      • School Mental Health Service
      • National Student Wellbeing Program (NSWP)
      • Sexual health education providers
    • RRHAN-EC mandatory notification training
      • RRHAN-EC list of courses
      • Fundamentals course
      • Masterclass: RRHAN-EC training
      • Check what training you need
      • Keep your RRHAN-EC current
      • Certificate expiry dates
      • Resources and checklists
      • Training organisations for masterclass
      • Training for external organisations
      • RRHAN-EC training for volunteers
  • For schools and educators
    • Curriculum and teaching
      • Curriculum taught in SA
      • Pathways to further education and employment
      • Year 10 to 12 curriculum
      • Teaching and learning resources
      • Remote teaching activities (Our Learning SA)
      • Teaching for Effective Learning
      • Curriculum programs
      • Assessment
      • Teach podcast
      • Technical colleges for VET in high school
      • Library – Education Leaders' Day
    • Programs for students
      • School Sport SA
      • Music
      • Water safety
      • Student volunteering
      • Challenges, competitions and awards
      • DreamBig Children's Festival
      • SA Schools Constitutional Convention
      • Community Language Schools (CLS) program
      • Backpacks for refugee children
      • Rural Youth Ambassadors Program
      • Civics in the City grant program
    • Strategies and initiatives
      • School and preschool improvement
      • Digital Strategy
      • Music Education Strategy
      • Wellbeing for Learning and Life framework
      • Parent engagement
      • Sustainability program
      • Schools as community hubs (SACH)
    • Child protection
      • Reporting child abuse or neglect
      • Child protection curriculum
      • Policies and guidelines
      • Protective practices guideline
      • Information sharing guidelines
      • Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect training (RRHAN-EC)
      • Duty of care to protect children
      • Child safe environments
    • Health, safety and wellbeing
      • Bushfires
      • Health support services and programs
      • Specific conditions and needs
      • Health management
      • Practice guidance for learners with additional needs
      • Right Bite Food and Drink Supply Standards
      • Sun protection in schools and preschools
      • Bullying prevention tools and resources
      • Gender and sexual diversity
      • Sexual behaviour in children
    • Family Day Care Educator portal
    • National Student Wellbeing Program (NSWP)
      • About the National Student Wellbeing Program
      • Government schools in the program
      • Approved NSWP service providers
    • Grounds, buildings and facilities
      • New schools and major upgrades
      • Maintenance
      • Canteens and food supply
      • Education Development Centre (EDC) bookings
      • Bookmark library system
      • Update your education and care location details
      • Using school facilities
      • Facility design standards
    • Approved suppliers contact list
    • Out of school hours care (OSHC)
      • Principal's role
      • Running an OSHC service
    • School Card for non-government schools
  • For students
    • Term dates and calendars
    • Curriculum and learning
      • Curriculum taught in SA
      • Year 10 to 12 curriculum
      • Learning activities to do at home – Our Learning SA
      • Home education
      • Music
      • Learning support programs
      • Aboriginal education
      • STEM learning
      • Student home internet program
      • Mature age students
      • Minecraft software
      • Student volunteers
    • Information for students starting secondary school
    • Awards and scholarships
      • Scholarships
      • Amy Levai Aboriginal teaching scholarships
      • STEM scholarships for high school students
      • Award for Leadership in Languages and Cultures
      • Governor’s Civics Awards for Schools
      • Muriel Matters Awards
      • School Sports Awards
    • Competitions and challenges
      • Premier’s Reading Challenge
      • Premier's 'be active' challenge
      • Premier's Anzac Spirit School Prize
      • The Eden School Prize
      • Sports competitions
    • Health, safety and wellbeing
      • Health support planning for children
      • Bullying – advice and support for students
      • Alcohol, vaping and other drugs
      • Mental health
      • Unwanted sexual behaviour and harassment
      • Gender and sexual diversity
    • Getting past school results
    • Public Education Student Forum
  • The department
    • Our strategy for public education
    • News and media releases
      • Latest news
      • Media releases
    • About the department
      • The Minister for Education, Training and Skills
      • The Chief Executive
      • Organisational structure
      • Annual reports
      • Governance
      • Freedom of information
      • Contact us
    • Strategies and plans
      • Our strategy for public education
      • Digital Strategy overview
      • Country Education Strategy
      • Early Learning Strategy
      • Music Education Strategy
      • Aboriginal Education Strategy
      • Reconciliation Action Plan
      • Disability access and inclusion
      • Workforce Strategy
      • Specialist Teacher Workforce Plan
      • Career Education and Pathways Strategy
      • TAFE SA roadmap for the future
      • Review of the Construction Industry Training Fund Act 1993
      • Purpose statement for public education
      • 20-Year Infrastructure Plan for Public Education and Care
    • Feedback and complaints
      • School or preschool complaints
      • Feedback and suggestions
      • ThankED – say thanks to SA education
      • Help with complaints
      • Translations – raising a complaint
      • Public interest disclosure
      • Merit selection reviews
    • Services and facilities
      • Update your education and care location details
      • Using school facilities
      • Mail and distribution
      • Education Development Centre (EDC) bookings
      • Pay your invoice online
      • Schools and preschools funding and RES notes
    • Policies and legislation
      • Education and Children’s Services Act 2019
      • Education legislation
      • Find a policy
      • Policy consultation process
      • Stakeholder engagement – our framework
      • Information sharing guidelines
    • Department initiatives
      • ThankED – say thanks to SA education
      • Country education
      • Domestic and family violence prevention
      • Study abroad in South Australia
      • Year 7 to high school evaluation report
    • Research and statistics
      • Statistics and data
      • Reviews and responses
      • Conducting research
    • Committees and panels
      • Aboriginal Expert Advisory Panel
      • Multicultural Education and Languages Committee (MELC)