I have always been drawn to trees. I grew up in Melbourne, on a large suburban block. The backyard was filled with these spectacular towering Gum trees and a storybook Weeping Willow. The front yard had a Liquidambar that would burst into glorious autumn colour every year. The first home I purchased had a flowering Gum as centrepiece of the…

One of my favourite things to do with my family is to go exploring the outdoors and Melbourne’s western suburbs (and beyond), offer many beautiful and accessible natural areas to explore.  Getting outdoors with your family is essential for your health and well-being so I’m sharing my absolute 12 favourite spots for you to discover on your next family adventure!…

We hear a lot about the importance of risky play (which we love to refer to as adventurous play!) these days in an age where supervision and safety are deemed paramount. Ironically it may be safer now than in the early 1900s, but a rapid increase in news means our ‘fight or flight’ as parent’s is hugely and constantly heightened.…

Nature Play Week 2025 will run from April 2 – 13th with over 100 nature play events and activities in Victoria for families to participate in! Nature Play Week celebrates initiatives of all shapes and sizes that reconnect kids with nature and the outdoors. Something that we are very passionate about. At Eco Explorers, we are passionate about nature play for…

Rock pools are amazing places to explore with children and there’s no summer holiday that’s complete without a rock pool ramble! With endless shorelines to explore and a huge diversity of marine life living in one of the worlds most pristine waters, Victoria has some spectacular rock pools to discover. From migratory whales to tiny seahorses, and the underwater gardens…

Why I should let my child play in dirt … in fact, it can help the little ones greatly. You may be aware of the immune-boosting benefits of playing dirt in early childhood. One study concludes that children aged 3-5 who had interacted heavily with healthy soils had higher levels of anti-inflammatory proteins in their blood, contributing to healthier immune…

Babies are naturally curious and the outdoors awakens their senses like no other environment. Have you ever watched a baby laying back on a mat and looking up at the trees swaying above them? The wind on their face, listening to the sounds of birds and other children playing nearby. They are learning and taking it all in and these…

Listening to birds …. Growing up as a child in the bush, I was very attuned to bird calls and their meanings and would often sit and watch the wedge-tailed eagles as they flew down to catch their prey. What a spectacular sight that was! Birds are highly important and respected to the first people of Australia. For the Kulin…

Father’s Day is coming up and here at Eco Explores Australia, we believe in creating meaningful experiences and looking beyond the socks or jocks for dad presents!  So instead of buying something that will end up in landfill why don’t you give dad the gift of some quality time with you? Check out our 6 eco-friendly activities to do with…

Spring is an exciting time in the garden, especially for children.  The outdoors is a sensory delight, the scent and colour of the flowers in bloom, and the droning of the bees around them, the birds building their nests. The days and the soil are warming up. It’s a perfect time to venture outside to sow your own seeds with…