Diary of a Playworker: Summer Reflections
That’s a wrap on our summer school holiday programs!
We did it - we made it through our biggest summer holidays yet.
And as a humble playworker, I want to acknowledge what a privilege it has been to spend time with these incredible kids, outdoors, in all sorts of weather conditions, laughing, playing, creating, and connecting with nature.
Yes, it’s light-hearted and playful, but it’s also deeply meaningful and profound.
I write this purely from my perspective - hi, I’m Ellen. I’m a supervisor on the Sunshine Coast, and I’ve been lucky enough to take part in holiday programs since mid-2020.
With each term, with each year that passes, I find my roots reaching deeper and deeper into the forest.
I’ve seen kids grow, I’ve seen the creek flood and dry out, I’ve seen trees fall and flowers bloom.
And I’m in awe of it all.
I’m actually feeling a little emotional writing this - perhaps it’s pure exhaustion after being on my feet, holding space for a lot of kids and my fantastic team, battling through wet days and picking myself up from slipping over in the mud - or perhaps it’s just because I feel my heart is so full from being able to witness what goes on when kids get to just be kids, and we just get to be outdoors together.
I feel it’s important to share these reflections.
For all of our incredible parents and families who dropped off their kids to our programs - you get to see some of their creations, and the smiles on their tired faces at the end of the day. You get to hear their stories, celebrate their successes, commiserate with their lost weapons (stolen by goblins, I’m sure of it) and tend to the enormous task of removing mud and dirt from their shoes and clothing.
But I’ve been able to see them in the small moments, and that’s what I treasure.
The beautiful connections between siblings, the way they look out for each other and help each other through the day. And on that note…
The kindness in strangers - kids that have never met before, hanging back to help a younger wildling down the muddy path so they didn’t feel alone.
Generosity in bucket loads - sharing a pretty awesome crossbow with a friend during our medieval tournaments, after their own weapons were stolen by goblins. And then having the maturity to share the win with a new friend.
Resilience - it absolutely amazes me how kids can be sopping wet for six hours and keep on playing. It’s like they just decide to focus on other things. When it gets hard, they make it fun. They go fishing for yabbies, they throw themselves down the mudslide, they go jump in puddles. It’s so simple, and yet so inspiring.
Creativity - from primitive weapons to intricately woven nature-crafts, from creative cubbies to radical rafts, and marvellous mudslides to potent potions.
Their creativity extends beyond tangible items - it comes through in the games they create. Give kids a little bit of space and autonomy, and before you know there’s a siege happening over in cubby town, the enemy is stealing arrows and there’s a team of guards protecting against the next attack. No matter the day, there was always some interesting play going on.
Kids form games and rules by consensus, by trial and error, and they hold each other accountable to those rules. Personalities emerge, natural leaders take charge, tricksters turn things on their head, quiet friends become steady and reliable teammates, and reluctant lone wolves eventually find a way to be themselves but still be involved.
Every child finds a way to make their day special in the forest.
Even when they’re the only girl in a program full of boys, even when they’re a couple years older than the others, or even when their abilities are different, through the natural openness and compassion of children, everyone is accepted and there is space for everyone to belong and for everyone to have a good time.
There is so much I could say about the last few weeks… but mostly I just want to express how optimistic I feel about the future.
These kids are incredible.
And as a collective, they are capable of so, so much.
Their EQ (emotional intelligence) is so high.
They are tapped in, tuned in, turned on to their environment - to the animals, plants and people that call the forest home.
And they care - they just care.
They have huge hearts, vibrant imaginations, and infinite energy!
And it’s been such a joy for me, and for my colleagues, to get to play, connect and explore alongside them.
One of my favourite things is when children get absorbed in their tasks and they start talking. All sorts of conversations take place around the whittling circle, and at lunchtime when we share jokes and riddles, or while the kids are playing with rock paint by the creek or skipping stones.
Out of everything, this might be the thing I treasure most. Just being able to listen to what they have to say.
In my heart of hearts, I love stories. And kids are just brimming with stories. Their stories are often about the snake they saw or the holidays they’ve had, or about the grandparents that passed away, or about their pets. Sometimes, they have the most incredible knowledge about the world, sometimes, they have a unique way of expressing themselves.
Every child is unique, magical, and has something important to teach me.
To you parents, I say a huge thank you. You are the ones on the ground doing the hard work of raising wildlings, and you’re doing an incredible thing. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
It’s been a big few weeks, and we’ll be taking a few days to rest, recover, and fill up our cups again before we welcome our playgroup, kindy and homeschool kids back to our term programs.
We absolutely love what we do at Wildlings, and it wouldn’t be possible without your support.
May 2024 bring you more joy, nature time, connection, slowness, peace of mind, adventure, laughter, memories, magic and mud!
Until next time,
Stay Wild!
Ellen xx
Written by Ellen Nesbitt. Ellen is a nature play advocate and creative writer with a passion for helping families connect with the outdoors. She is dedicated to exploring ways to nurture children's creativity, independence, wellbeing and love for nature.