Tessa Rose Natural Playspaces

Tess Michaels

Tess Michaels
Location
Sydney, Australia
Birthday
February 01
Title
Landscape Architect
Company
Tessa Rose Landscapes
Bio
Tess Michaels is a natural playspace and landscape designer, early childhood teacher and workshop presenter with a passion for natural play and sustainable outdoor environments for children of all ages. tessaroselandscapes.com.au

OCTOBER 23, 2012 7:36PM

TESS MICHAELS of TRPLD, super wicked ninja playspace designer and JAMIE MILLER of JM Landscapes, way cool awesome FIEB building legend, wish to congratulate Innaburra Anglican College Preschool, Bangor, New South Wale, winners of a Highly Commended Award in the 2012 Australian Kidsafe Awar/… Read full post »







Log in, tune out: is technology driving us crazy?

Something that sent shivers down my spine since I saw the U-Tube video of the toddler poking a magazine with her finger thinking it was a tablet computer. The article is a bit like the debate on climate change. Every/… Read full post »
Free Range Kids » I Send My Kids Outside to Play…But They Don’t Know How

A really sad article from Free Range Kids, describing the results of the the gradual anti-socialisation and leeching of imaginary play that's occurred in our child-rearing and educational systems. My beli/… Read full post »
OCTOBER 19, 2012 5:37PM

Finding the cure for city anxieties

Finding the cure for city anxieties

A light but insightful article from Richard Glover of the SMH.

Full article can be read from the link above.   

.....American writer Richard Louv has been in Australia talking about his theory of ''nature-deficit disorder''. For most people/… Read full post »
Free Range Kids » Because Logs, Leaves and Branches are SO HARD TO FIND???


I would have to a disagree with Lenore on this one. It is a life or death issue. A style of life, and a death of nature issue. If we don't allow our children/… Read full post »






Kindercamp creates opportunities for success in, outside classroom - Holland, MI - The Holland Sentinel

The full article can be read from the link above.
What a great programme and how intelligent to use the the transitional period as a non-confronting segue from an early
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Children who spend three-quarters of their time in sedentary behavior have up to nine times poorer motor coordination than active peers

Link to the original article by clicking on the hyper-link above
Children who spend more than three-quarters of their time engaging in sedentary behaviour, such as w
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SEPTEMBER 13, 2012 11:18PM

Growing Greenies: One Wild! Summer...

Growing Greenies: One Wild! Summer...

Just finished reading this blog by RebbeccaJ at "Growing Greenies". Fantastic! If you're an educator and looking for ideas on how to introduce or extend nature based concepts, there's buckets of great stuff here. Love the decorated "observation tubes".


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If you've missed Dr Palacios ' previous two articles you can find them here and here.
In this article she deals with concepts of physics and nature.  
If your looking at additional ways to get into gardening or for interestin
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I just finished reading a  really enjoyable post on Developing High Quality Role Play by Kierna Corr at Learning for Life. It related to a work shop she recently  attended with Margaret Edgington, and describes how she facilitates high quality role play at her centre. I/… Read full post »
SEPTEMBER 6, 2012 11:41PM

White Hutchinson

I've always been a great fan of White Hutchinson. In my mind as well as being foremost in the provision of high quality, developmentally based playspaces globally, they have a great understanding of and dedication to the construction of nature based playspaces.

I get their eNewsletter and thought I/… Read full post »


Wow ! Not really.  Why? I get sick of asking why.  Just because you can doesn't always mean you should. 
Plant...Computer, Plant ...Computer, Not Frankenplant! Not Plantputer! Not Complant! 

This may be very left ba
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AUGUST 31, 2012 8:17PM

Careful, they might scare you


A good but light article focussing on risk taking in play and peripherally, nature deficit. There are some great points made by David Eager, the chairman of the playground committee of Standards Australia and I've been  consistently expressing the poi
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Evergreen Brick Works programs help combat Toronto kids’ ‘nature deficit’ - thestar.com

"How many city kids do you know who’ve caught a frog? Seen a deer bed? Identified, picked and tasted edible flowers?" The short answer is bugger all.

Unless it's in a picture on the internet or presented/… Read full post »
Let the kids go wild | Cincinnati.com | cincinnati.com

Interesting design. They also discuss risk in play, which has been all but annihilated by fear of potential litigation. An interesting addendum to this article may be Children’s Risky Play from an Evolutionary Perspective: The Anti-PhobicRead full post »
Children In Nature - Parents Press - July 2012 - Alameda, CA

Great article. In culture were it is implied that that we should live fast lives, eat fast food and seek fast connections....slow is good. I particularly like their inclusion of the UK’s National Trusts list of 50 Things to Do/… Read full post »

The full article can be read from the link above  


Naturalist Mike Weilbacher lives in Merion Station and directs the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education in Philadelphia. 

“Eve/… Read full post »

There's an interesting line in this article that suggests, "Humans instinctively know how to help ourselves to natural healing found in greenery, fresh air and water." Instinct may be innate however it is easil
Read full post »
Young People Want To Work Outside In An Online Age | Care2 Causes

I know the expression has been done to death but it truly warms my heart to hear that not all of the Y generation is so "me" obsessed. Then again if someone offered me unlimited/… Read full post »
Dr. Rebecca Palacios: Science for the Summer! Part Two: Explorations

In the prior post Setting the Stage Dr. Palacios talked about simple activities parents can use to promote  and determine their children's interest in nature, here she discusses a process for observing insects. The simple pro/… Read full post »
Dr. Rebecca Palacios: Science for the Summer! Part One: Setting the Stage

I've posted a piece by Dr. Palacios before on Learning through waterplay. Here and in the subsequent posting she talks about simple activities parents can use to promote their children's interest in nature.

TheRead full post »
How digital culture is rewiring our brains

I've read a number of other contemporary articles in the same vein and they all appear to make the same points as Baroness Greenfield. The wholesale adoption and introduction of digital technologies to young minds without an understanding of the long t/… Read full post »
Outdoor Play May Protect Children's Eyes From Nearsightedness: Study

So let me get this straight...as well as being good for your physical and mental health, playing outside won't make you go blind?

The full article can be read from the link above 

"Playing outside doesn't just boost/… Read full post »
Feeling the Deficit? UK Woodlands Offer a Natural Remedy! | Travel News

A long way from C.S.Lewis' "If I say it three times it becomes true". In this case there has to be a book, a movement, a report, an inquiry....before we recognise what's right in front of us./… Read full post »


A really thought provoking article about our communications with children in respect to their interactions with nature. How much are our own perceptions effected by our own fears and ignorance of nature?

The full article can be read from the link above&nb
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