Sydney’s oldest outdoor pre-school program recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Our Dandy Lions program has been encouraging kids to get hands-on with nature every Thursday since 2008.
Dandy Lions teaching nature play
Outdoor education is important for a child’s development from an early age. Studies show that playing outside with nature benefits children, not only physically, but helps to produce better results academically, socially and cognitively in the future.
Dandy Lions is educational, fun, specifically-designed activities for children under five and their caregivers. Since the beginning, more than 28,500 people have come through our metaphorical doors!
The first year of Dandy Lions
Dandy Lions was the first program at the Garden to be all about tactile, sensory, and imaginative play out-of-doors. It came about at a time that parents and caregivers were more risk adverse than earlier generations - but the kids had no boundaries - so it was as much about encouraging the parents as the children.