You may have heard about bush kindergarten, but have you heard about beach kinder?
Deakin University research has for the first time observed the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) learning benefits of 'blue space' education settings for pre-school aged children.
Beach kindergartens are similar to bush education programs but are hosted in coastal settings.
Dr Chris Speldewinde of Deakin's Centre for Research for Educational Impact said the STEM teaching and learning benefits of bush kindergartens were known.
His previous research found Australian pre-school aged children who participated in bush kinder programs could have better STEM learning outcomes than those who remained indoors.
But the learning potential of coastal or beach-based environments was less understood, and Dr Speldewinde said Australia offered a unique setting to explore these given its warmer climate.
'Swimming and going to the beach in summer are firmly embedded in Australian culture as a popular pastime. We are lucky to be blessed with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world,' Dr Speldewinde said.
'Bush kindergartens have been growing in popularity in Australia and we noticed some educators moving their programs to the beach. We wanted to find out the value that play in the sun, sand and surf had for children in exposing them to STEM concepts.'
Beach kindergarten sessions reviewed in the study involved preschoolers aged four to five years being allowed to explore and play creatively with unstructured nature-based materials in coastal settings.
Balls and buckets were left at home, with children instead encouraged to interact with seaweed, shells, sand, rocks, wildlife and water.
Dr Speldewinde said youngsters experienced seasonal changes, learned about nature and the environment, food supplies sourced from the sea and the impact of the tides on erosion.
Exploring rock pools proved a great way to start early conversations around physics and biology.
And educators helped children grasp engineering fundamentals by experimenting with natural materials to build sandcastles and bridges, while kids also learned about gravity, evaporation and how to categorise shells.
'Our research proves coastal environments can be rich learning contexts for youngsters and I would encourage early childhood educators and parents to dip their toe in the water this summer by turning their next trip to the beach into a learning experience,' Dr Speldewinde said.
'Going to the beach is a great low-cost way for families to spend quality time together. We also found blue spaces can act as a calming and enriching place to learn about the environment for children with behavioural, mental, emotional and social issues.'
Despite the proven learning benefits of bush and beach kindergarten, Dr Speldewinde said there were still only limited agreed sets of curricula in Australian states for early years educators running beach and bush programs.
More guidance in this space was needed so educators could roll out their programs effectively, he said.
The study findings have been published in the Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education.
