Sunshine Coast Grammar School rainforest kindy, where outdoor learning builds wellbeing, creativity and connection through nature-based play.
Kids are naturally drawn to exploring the outdoors. Yet, research shows that outdoor learning does far more than boost curiosity. It transforms the way children think, feel, and connect.
Across the globe, studies have found that time spent outdoors enhances children’s health, wellbeing, creativity, and social skills. It builds resilience, fosters teamwork, and even improves behaviour and attendance.
Australian research has shown that hands-on contact with nature “can play a significant role in cultivating positive mental health and wellbeing.”
Educators also benefit from connecting learning with the outdoors. Outdoor teaching invigorates their practice, professional growth, job satisfaction and personal wellbeing.
When well planned, outdoor experiences complement the Australian Curriculum, academic learning through engagement, discovery, and real-world connections.
Learning outdoors nurtures a love of nature that extends far beyond childhood. Play, after all, is the work of children; it’s how they build life skills like creativity, problem-solving and collaboration.
Kids at the Sunshine Coast Grammar School rainforest kindy making a bird box
Learning through nature at the Rainforest Kindy
Nestled within the lush Sunshine Coast Grammar School campus, Grammar Early Learning Centre’s Rainforest Kindy is a place where children are guided to explore and discover the natural world through play. Within this unique Biosphere setting, the Rainforest Kindy invites children to connect deeply with Country.
Each day brings new opportunities to explore native flora and fauna — to dig, climb, balance, and create. Mud becomes a sensory wonderland, logs are a test of coordination and courage, and the yarning circle a gathering place for shared stories and belonging.
Director Steph Ogle says this immersion in nature nurtures more than physical development. “Through hands-on experiences and meaningful connections to Gubbi Gubbi Country, we nurture curious minds, compassionate hearts, and a love of lifelong learning, preparing children to grow and thrive.”
These everyday moments are rich with meaning. Children have watched magpie geese nesting nearby and picked wild mandarins growing within the campus — experiences that spark curiosity and respect for the living world around them.
Back at the Centre, that curiosity continues to bloom in the thriving Bush Tucker Garden, where children plant, water, and care for native plants. Worm farms and composting systems help them see how waste becomes nourishment, while native bees are seen through the gardens, completing the vibrant ecosystem.
Kids at the Sunshine Coast Grammar School rainforest kindy in the bush tucker garden
Sustainability that starts small
The Cut and Cook Garden bridges home and school life, with families encouraged to pick herbs and edible plants to take home and cook with their children. It’s a simple yet powerful way to extend learning into the kitchen and talk about where food comes from.
Cooking with children also builds fine motor skills, early numeracy skills, and social connections. The Lemon Myrtle Biscuits, a Centre favourite, turn a native ingredient into an edible lesson in science, measurement, and joy (recipe opposite).
Connection, confidence and community
Recently, the nursery children proudly entered their plants into a local community show and took home second prize. For many, it was their first experience seeing their work on display. At Grammar Early Learning Centre, these connections form the heart of every learning journey. For babies, it begins in the nurturing environment of the Nursery Wing, where educators provide gentle, individualised care, following each child’s rhythm for feeding, play, and rest. Soft sensory play, song, and movement nurture developing language and coordination.
As children grow, exploration and discovery take centre stage. The Kindy Wing provides ample space for active play, creative expression, and independent choices. Educators support curiosity and patience, guiding children through stories, rhymes, and routines that build social skills and emotional resilience.
A pathway that grows with your child
Programs are enhanced by the resources and expertise of Sunshine Coast Grammar School. Each term, children take part in hands-on science classes led by the School’s specialist teachers that ignite curiosity, encourage inquiry, and promote teamwork.
Specialist enrichment programs, including music, sport, language (French and Japanese through the ELLA program), and Christian Education, complement the play-based curriculum. Weekly library visits to the school foster a love of books and storytelling. Children also have the opportunity to attend Under 8’s day and Book Week celebrations at the School.
For parents, Grammar Early Learning Centre offers the peace of mind that comes from knowing their child is not only cared for, but also inspired — developing a sense of identity, belonging, and purpose from the very beginning.
Cook and Connect at Home: Lemon Myrtle Biscuits
Delicious Lemon Myrtle Cookies to bake together
Ingredients:
- 125 g unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1½ cups plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1–2 tsp ground lemon myrtle (to taste)
Optional glaze:
- ½ cup icing sugar
- A few drops of water or lemon juice
- A pinch of lemon myrtle
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix well.
- Sift flour and baking powder; stir into the mix.
- Add lemon myrtle and combine to a soft dough.
- Roll into small balls, flatten gently on a tray.
- Bake 12–15 minutes until lightly golden.
- Cool on a rack. Optional: drizzle with glaze and sprinkle with extra lemon myrtle.
Related Stories
Sunshine Coast Grammar School Unveils State-of-the-Art Primary Precinct
Sunshine Coast Grammar Robotics Team crowned Asia Pacific Champions
