The strong intent to maximise cultural immersion through a nature-based play space has created Warru Warru. Committing to local Country based values has resulted in impressive cultural, environmental and social learning opportunities for children. Planting has renewed and enhanced local landscapes and shade. Warru Warru is a big achievement across the criteria for a small, imaginative and fun play space.

Warru Warru Playground is located at the St Therese’s Primary School in the southern suburbs of Cairns. It is a well vegetated linear space wedged between the school’s buildings and its property boundary. ’Warru Warru’ which means Group of Children was named by Hendrick (Henry) Fourmile, one of the traditional elders of Cairns (Gimuy Walubara Yidinji). ’Warrru Warru - Our Nature Playground is planted in the soil of our local Indigenous forebears, among the dreams of those passed and in the hope of our future efforts to respect and protect our common home - Mother Earth’.

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The Little Roo’s Playground builds on a short story created by the Whitfield State School teachers to assist children transition from preschool into prep. The narrative is brought to life with the creation of a series of play experiences featuring little Roo’s new friends, each character based on animals found in North Queensland. The outcome functions beyond the basic purpose of a playground, providing prompts for lessons on the natural environment, relationships, resilience and fostering environmental stewardship in later life.

The space itself is a beautifully crafted set of natural play structures which incorporate sensory and tactile experiences. Connected through the storytelling, independent play assists the process of education through the child’s experience and imagination. This project provides inspiration for others to consider celebrating their own stories and values through the development of bespoke play space.

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Nature Play in Practice

For most adults, childhood memories of roaming the neighborhood, climbing trees, building cubbies and swimming at the local creek, are recalled with the freedom of a time when society was not as risk averse as it is today. Nature Play is the notion that natural play spaces offer the best opportunities for today’s children to experience the kind of free play outdoors that is seldom on offer.

The philosophy was to create a multi-sensory play experience free from the uniformity and regularity of standard "off the shelf" play equipment, providing children with a myriad of directions to take their play experience. Nature play is not a new concept, but in Queensland there are very few practical examples of the idea being implemented. This presentation tells the story, using practical examples, of how nature play is being implemented in North Queensland.

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