A Framework of Facilitator Typologies in Place-Responsive, Unregulated, Australian Nature Play Programs

Abstract Nature play programs are becoming increasingly common in both regulated and unregulated early childhood education programs in Australia. Whilst existing research has established that regulated Australian nature play programs are place-responsive, aligning more with the Danish Nature Kindergarten approach than the commodified British Forest School model, there is negligible research in unregulated programs. In response to this gap, we investigated the philosophies and pedagogies of facilitators in unregulated, Australian nature play programs. We employed a qualitative multiple case study methodology and explored eight individual case studies through multiphase, sequential data generation. The three phases involved two focus groups, plus one individual field observation, and semi-structured interviews with each facilitator participant. Through both thematic and narrative analysis, we identified nine shared philosophical themes: nature connections, First Nations Peoples perspectives, sustainable actions, child-directed play, child-responsive interactions, risky or adventurous play, challenging mainstream paradigms, advocating and educating, and building community. However, variation in the depth of facilitators' approaches led to our identification of three nature play facilitator typologies: nature pedagogues, nature guides and nature players. These findings will be of interest to educators, regulatory bodies, and policy makers, and insights from this study may inform future practice, policy, and professional learning in the early years sector.