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Become a Nature Play Practitioner, or bring Nature Play into the work you already do
For some, this training is the beginning of becoming a Nature Play Practitioner, developing and delivering dedicated Play the Nature Way® sessions for children and families in their communities.
For others, it adds specialist Nature Play knowledge to the professional role they already have. A teacher can bring it into curriculum and outdoor learning, an early years practitioner can embed it within their provision, and an Occupational Therapist or other professional can use the learning to enrich their existing work with children.
On successful completion, you'll receive your Play the Nature Way®: Nature Play Practitioner certificate. How you use that qualification is up to you. You can develop your own Nature Play provision, bring the learning into the work you already do, or combine the two.
Play the Nature Way® is a specialist nature play training course created by Carly Budd, Specialist Paediatric Occupational Therapist and founder of the Developmental Play Academy®.
Designed for those working with children aged 1–8 years, the training brings together child development, movement, sensory experiences, outdoor play and the natural world, helping you understand not only what to offer, but the developmental why behind the play.
Whether you work in early years, education, therapy, family support or already provide outdoor or nature-based experiences, you'll gain practical ideas and knowledge that can be adapted to the children and setting you work within.
You can use the training to create dedicated Nature Play sessions, or embed the knowledge and ideas into your existing practice, including using nature and outdoor environments to enrich learning and take elements of your curriculum outdoors.
Putting Play the Nature Way® into Practice
Play the Nature Way® gives you both the why behind nature play and its profound impact on child development and wellbeing, with practical ways to bring that knowledge into your work with children aged 1–8 years.
You may choose to deliver dedicated Play the Nature Way® sessions for children and families, or use the knowledge and activities within your existing role. For teachers and early years practitioners, this could mean embedding nature play into your existing provision, taking elements of the curriculum outdoors and using the natural environment to create meaningful opportunities for movement, sensory exploration, learning and play.
You'll receive your own practitioner manual containing over 75 OT-informed Play the Nature Way® activities, alongside 30 themed teaching plans packed with additional ideas that you can use, adapt and build upon.
The broad 1–8 year age range also means activities can be adapted for different developmental stages, mixed-age groups and sibling sessions.
Themed plans include:
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The seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter
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New Moon and Full Moon
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Weather, including Rain Rain, Come and Play!
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Flower Fairies
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Terrific Trees
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Life cycles, from egg to chick and caterpillar to butterfly
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Seasonal celebrations including Ostara, Beltane, Summer Solstice and Winter Solstice, and more
The plans are there to give you a starting point, rather than a script you have to follow. Take the ideas, adapt them for your children and setting, and use your growing understanding of development to make nature play meaningful within your own practice, provision or curriculum.
Safe and Considered Nature Play
The training also includes a dedicated module exploring the practical considerations involved in offering nature play safely and responsibly.
This includes risk assessment, insurance, first aid considerations and respect for the natural environment, helping you think about how to create positive nature play experiences both outdoors and indoors.
If you go on to deliver independent Play the Nature Way® sessions, you'll also consider the professional responsibilities involved in providing sessions for children and families.
BONUS EXTRAS
As well as Carly’s online video lectures there are two recorded Expert Guests lectures too! Rebecca Jepson fellow Paediatric Occupational Therapist with a specialism in Ecosensory Therapy, as well as Louise Marie, Founder of SHE's Medicine, Women’s Circle Facilitator Training, and Forest School Leader.
When you invest in this training, you will have the option to join the Carly Budd Developmental Play Academy Student Forum (via Facebook) for ongoing support and networking with other students and Practitioners of the Academy.
Who is this training for?
Play the Nature Way® is for professionals who want to deepen their understanding of nature, play and child development, including:
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Teachers and teaching assistants
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Early years, nursery and preschool practitioners
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Occupational Therapists and other health professionals
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Family support and community practitioners
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Childminders
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Forest School and Outdoors practitioners
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Children's activity and parent-and-child class leaders
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Developmental Play Practitioners wanting to bring more Nature Play into their existing work
Whether you want to develop dedicated Nature Play provision or bring this knowledge into a role you already love, the training gives you the developmental understanding, practical ideas and resources to make Play the Nature Way® your own.
How to Study
Play the Nature Way® is completed online and in your own time, with 12 months to complete your training.
You will study four modules and submit three short written assessments.
As part of your assessment, you will also create and submit your own teaching plan, including considerations around risk. This gives you the opportunity to bring together what you have learnt and think about how you would apply it within your own setting or practice.
There is also a short practical assessment consisting of a 5–10 minute video demonstrating at least one nature play activity and explaining its developmental benefits. This can be completed within a real-life session or as a mock session.
On successful completion, you will receive your Play the Nature Way®: Nature Play Practitioner Certificate. You can then use your learning in the way that best fits your professional role.
You might embed nature play and outdoor learning into your existing teaching, early years provision, therapy or family support work, using the knowledge and activities to complement what you already offer.
Or you may choose to develop and deliver dedicated Nature Play sessions for children and families aged 1–8 years.
The training is designed to give you the knowledge and practical foundations while allowing you the flexibility to adapt what you have learnt to the children, families, curriculum and environment you work within.
Investment
The investment for Play the Nature Way® is £349.
There are no ongoing Academy membership, licence or franchise fees.
You can pay in full or use Klarna or Clearpay instalments, subject to their individual terms and conditions.
Play the Nature Way® is professional development training rather than a franchise. This means you have the flexibility to use your learning within your existing professional role and setting, or to develop your own Nature Play sessions and services.
If you choose to provide Nature Play sessions independently, you are responsible for ensuring you have the appropriate professional indemnity and public liability insurance, policies, risk assessments and any other professional requirements relevant to your work.
As part of the Developmental Play Academy®, you'll also become part of a wider community of practitioners using developmental play within a range of professional roles and settings, with opportunities to continue developing your knowledge through further CPD.
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TESTIMONIALS
"This course is way more than I expected, I love how Carly has used her amazing knowledge as an OT, her play expertise and her love for nature, and put it together in a genius course. This work is the future of Toddler Classes, and I couldn't be happier to be starting my journey here at the Developmental Play Academy with Play The Nature Way"
Abbii - Loving Little Minds UK
“I would highly recommend Carly's PTNW course. Throughout, it is professional, well structured and written so thoughtfully (especially around the important topics of inclusivity within the early years) As a busy mother of three young children, I really enjoyed the course content as it gave me quick, easy and inexpensive play ideas for my own family. The course was ideal for me as it offered flexible learning, meaning I could study in my own time and at my own pace. Carly and her team have created an amazing course. The work they're doing in the world is so important in helping early years' practitioners to expand their knowledge and offerings to help support a wide range of families."
Tara- Sacred Space with Tara
