Frequently Asked Questions

Born Wild Community offers a range of nature-based programs designed to suit different ages, interests, and developmental stages. For babies and toddlers, our Playgroups provide a gentle introduction to outdoor exploration with parents and child staying, playing and exploring together in their own time. Bush Kinder is ideal for preschoolers, encouraging independence and curiosity through nature play. It is a supported drop off arrangement where you can choose to stay, stay for some of the time or leave your child in the care of our facilitators. Forest School and Forest Skills cater to children up to 12 years, focusing on adventure, resilience, and bushcraft. Again, a supported drop off program. Yoga and Nature Play is for the whole family and blends movement with mindfulness for all ages, while Wildflower Kids community groups offer free, flexible, sometimes facilitated sessions for little ones. With program lengths from 1 to 5.5 hours and a multi-age approach, your child can find a space that meets their needs while benefiting from inclusive, nature-driven learning. 

Born Wild Community programs run in all weather, rain or shine. Sessions will go ahead in wet conditions as long as there is no lightning or hazardous winds. If heat and/or fire danger is extreme a decision will be made to cancel. We encourage families to dress children appropriately for the weather, in cooler weather this includes a rain jacket, gumboots, warm socks, and wet weather pants, and to pack a spare set of warm clothes. While we provide shelter when needed, we find that rainy days often bring the most joy, with children embracing the adventure of splashing in puddles (and mud) and experiencing nature in its truest form. 

Bush Kinder, Forest School and Forest Skill programs offer a supported drop-off approach, allowing parents to stay as long as needed to help their child feel comfortable transitioning to independent attendance. We recognize that some children may never reach this stage, and we fully respect their individual needs. Our Bush Playgroups, Community Playgroups and Yoga are Stay and Play sessions where families are fully responsible for the care of their children.

We understand that financial challenges, especially during times of illness, can make it difficult for families to commit to a full term of Nature Play. While we do have program costs to cover, we strive to be as flexible as possible. If you notify us at least 24 hours before your session, you’re welcome to make up any missed sessions within the following six months. To reschedule, please email us with your preferred day or time so we can confirm availability. 

Our Bush Kinder and Forest School program costs reflect significant essential expenses such as employees, insurance and site fees. We are fully insured through Sportscover Insurance, providing comprehensive coverage, including $20 million in public liability insurance, ensuring the safety and security of our programs. 

We no longer offer trial sessions, but we do have 2-3 casual spots open most sessions. Additionally, we host free or low-cost events throughout the year, including Community Playgroups, Children’s Week, Kids in Nature Week, Family Play in the Gardens, and other festivals. If you're looking for a low-cost option to explore our space, you can book into our Casual Nature Playgroup, which welcomes all ages. This one-hour stay-and-play session runs alongside our Bush Kinder and Forest School programs, offering a great opportunity to experience the environment, meet other participants and facilitators, and get a feel for our longer programs before committing. 

After enrolling, you will receive a ticket and email outlining everything you need to bring and our terms and conditions. Essential items include:

• Hat, sunscreen, and insect repellent (we do provide these as well).

• Wet weather gear (rain jacket, gumboots, and wet weather pants) if needed.

• Towel.

• Water bottle and lunch box with lunch and snacks (we will offer additional fruit and a sweet snack  during our programs that have a story time component).

• Closed-toe shoes.

• Loose fitting clothing with long sleeves and pants wherever possible (these keep away the mozzies and protect from the sun.

• Extra bag for wet clothes.

• Spare clothes, including socks.

We are not a childcare service, government approved kindergarten, or school. We are an outdoor activity provider, similar to scouts, gymnastics or netball. While we are not a regulated childcare service, many of our programs are drop-off services, and we comply with several National Quality Standards set by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA), particularly around child safety, staff-to-child ratios, and qualification requirements. Although we use the terms "Bush Kinder" and "Forest School", our programs are not a replacement for government approved kindergarten or schooling. Many families have their children attend in conjunction with formal schooling options. We also have a number of home schoolers who attend as part of their home-based education.

Yes, if you self manage or have a plan manager for the NDIS funding you can use these funds to pay for Born Wild Community programs. Payment must be made in full to Born Wild Community via the Invoiced Ticket option and Bank Transfer. You can then use the invoice to claim, following the delivery of the service.

The NDIS categories likely to be the most suitable are:

CORE: Social Community and Civic Participation

CAPACITY BUILDING: Increased Social and Community Participation, Development of Daily Living and Life Skills

Please contact info@bornwildcommunity.org.au to discuss further and arrange an appropriate invoice.

At Born Wild Community, we do everything we can to make our programs affordable for families, aiming to keep the cost of our supported drop-off sessions around $15 per hour. We know that’s a significant investment, and we want to be transparent about why these rates are necessary to keep our programs safe, enriching, and sustainable.

Our sessions run for extended periods outdoors in all weather, and we maintain a low adult-to-child ratio (1:8 or less) to ensure every child is supported, seen, and safe. This means more qualified staff and trained volunteers, and a higher investment in wages and time.

We are a fully self-funded charity and social enterprise. Unlike many other services, we receive no ongoing government or council funding and rely on program fees, community donations, volunteer support, and occasional grants. Our insurance is comprehensive and costly, reflecting the perceived risks of outdoor programs, even though we operate with high standards of care and safety.

We also provide and maintain quality tools, outdoor shelters, mats, and other equipment that allow children to play, build, and explore freely. These materials are well-used and intentionally not over-protected, as we believe real play involves real experiences, sometimes messy, sometimes risky, always meaningful. Replacing and repairing resources is a constant cost.

In addition, we pay site fees to lease the land we meet on, and every session involves hours of behind-the-scenes work: setting up, packing down, and preparing a safe, welcoming learning environment.

Every dollar goes back into making our programs as enriching, inclusive and sustainable as possible.

We understand that some of our programs are not financially viable for some families. That is why we offer a range of playgroup options, stay and play sessions and community events. Nature play is a human right and should be available to everyone.

Wildflower Kids is where we started in 2024. Yes our community playgroups are run by volunteers. However we still have insurance, resourcing and incidentals to cover. Where possible we reimburse our volunteer facilitators for fuel and any purchases they make for the playgroups. We regularly donate to Feed Me Bellarine in return for fruit and sweet snacks. We aim to build a playgroup which is self-sufficient, has longevity, and where those who cannot financially contribute, are never expected to.