Bec and Asa sat with Dr. Kelsie Prabawa-Sear to talk about Nature Play WA‘s exciting new website: Play in WA. This site enables the Perth community to find the best play spaces, and other family-friendly walking trails, beaches, and regional parks to explore.
Play in WA
“You can search by play features, such as, water or somewhere to dig or something that’s youth friendly for older kids or you could look at it geographically. This opens up a whole world of opportunities for families that are looking for places to go.”
Nature Play WA are thrilled with the traction it is already receiving. It launched at the beginning of the school holidays this year. Kelsie said they were surprised to find not only an interest in in playgrounds but also in nature spaces.
Built for Families
“Families that want to go for a picnic or a hike or just go to a water space or somewhere that’s got a lot of shade. So that’s good because you can search by those things. And then things like, fenced areas, playgrounds with fences, or accessibility.”
Kelsie said that using Play in WA can help people to narrow down their searches by location, parking, facilities to find more niche playgrounds and nature spaces in the metro areas and outer regions of Perth.
More Than Just Play
The need for playgrounds has shifted into also looking for water fountains, toilets and cafes. Ultimately, the search is as much for the parents as the child.
“The truth of the matter is, parents get bored going to the same places and the kids get bored too. And we find with playgrounds, once they’ve kind of conquered it, they want to move on,” said Kelsie. “Nature spaces are a lot more open-ended. You can climb, build cubbies or you can bring your ball and kick it.”
Kelsie explained that there is a diverse need within Perth, which is why Play in WA can be a valuable tool for parents. Asa also mentioned that it is very helpful for anyone looking for a quiet river spot with great coffee nearby.
Check out the full chat with Dr. Kelsie Prabawa-Sear from Nature Play WA below.