Students and families have been exploring the new Nature Play area at Kersbrook Primary School, enjoying the possibilities on offer: tyre swing, rope ladder, balance rope, tunnel, dry creek bed, bridge and a circular huddle.

Our volunteers have planted over 300 plants from Kersbrook Landcare Nursery. Heidi and Yvonne from Kersbrook Landcare Group grew the plants at their South Para Nursery and gave us excellent advice in planning the native garden.

‘Our new Nature Play area is the latest jewel in the Kersbrook Primary School crown. We want to instil a sense of wonder, generate curiosity, and spark the imagination of our students,’ said Jill Gurner, Principal. 

‘We aim to inspire respect for the environment and allow our students to develop risk taking skills, improve confidence, health and wellbeing.’

 The Nature Play area has physical, emotional, and social benefits for developing children. This includes improving fine and gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination, providing natural objects for sensory stimulation, and learning across important curriculum areas. 

The native garden is important to showcase just a few of the plants and grasses that still exist in this area. These have been farmed and used for food sources by Peramangk people and the native fauna still relies on native plants for their survival. 

Kersbrook Primary School offers small class sizes to maximize learning opportunities for all students. Experienced and dedicated teachers are committed to providing the best education for all students at our school. The school has been budgeting and fundraising for Nature Play over several years and considers the cost of the Nature Play area as an investment for current and future students.

Kersbrook Primary would like to thank the Federal Government’s Local Schools Community Fund for their grant of $10,000 towards the project and Rebekha Sharkie MP, the Federal member for Mayo for her support. For more information on Kersbrook PS, please visit https://www.kersbrookps.sa.edu.au/