More outdoor play with Bush Kinder program

State Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes announced the recipients, with the Bush Kinder grant designed to increase the amount of time children spend playing and learning in nature.

Bush Kinder is run in parks, bushland and beaches, giving children the chance to explore and develop curiosity through activities such as climbing trees, playing with natural materials and watching wildlife.

This round’s recipients include:

The program provides one-off $6000 grants to help kindergartens purchase equipment for outdoor activities, with the government investing $3.6 million over four years to expand the program to up to 600 kindergartens across the state.

“Programs like bush kinder are a fantastic way to connect our youngest learners with nature,” Ms Symes said.

“These grants mean more local kindergartens in Northern Victoria can take learning outside, helping our kids grow in confidence and curiosity.”

In this round of grants, 43 regional kindergartens and 107 metropolitan kindergartens will establish the bush kinder programs.

To find out more about the program and the kindergartens selected, go to https://www.vic.gov.au/bush-kinder-grants-program