By CELA on 10 Feb, 2025

Many a childhood memory is made of clambering over rocks, building sandcastles or playing in the waves. Children love the endless adventure that a beach provides, along with the sensory delight of feeling the sand between their toes and the cool water splashing against their skin. 

Now, beach kindy is gaining recognition for its potential to enhance children's early learning experiences. Following on from the popularity of bush kindy, it is a form of outdoor education that fosters a love of nature, stimulates curiosity, and nurtures essential skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). 

What the research says

A study conducted by Deakin University has shed light on the significant benefits of beach-based education, with researcher Dr. Chris Speldewinde emphasising the rich learning opportunities that coastal settings provide.  The research focused on preschoolers aged 4 to 5 years, supporting them to explore and play creatively with unstructured, nature-based materials. Children were invited to interact with seaweed, shells, sand, rocks, wildlife, and water, fostering a deep connection with their natural environment. 

Dr Speldewinde says beach excursions allow children to experience seasonal changes, learn about nature and the environment, food supplies sourced from the sea and the impacts of the tides on erosion.  

He told ABC Radio how children observed the tides:

They were standing there and talking about how many waves would come in and how the depth of the water was slowly increasing. They were using their hands to sort of count the depth. They put one hand into the water and put another hand on top to say oh, it’s two hands now and three hands.

The beach can also have calming benefits for children, he noted: “We also found that blue spaces can act as a calming and enriching place to learn about the environment for children with behavioural, mental and emotional and social issues.”  

Benefits of beach play 

By engaging with natural elements like sand, water, rocks, and marine life, children can: 

  • Develop STEM skills: Beach kindy offers a hands-on approach to exploring scientific concepts. Children can observe natural phenomena such as tides, erosion, and weather patterns and experiment with engineering principles by building sandcastles and structures. 

  • Enhance cognitive development: The open-ended nature of beach play encourages children to think critically, problem-solve, and make connections between different ideas. 

  • Promote social and emotional learning: Beach kindy provides opportunities for children to collaborate with peers, share experiences, and develop social skills. The calming and inspiring nature of the coastal environment can also contribute to emotional well-being. 

  • Foster environmental awareness: By spending time in nature, children develop a sense of connection to the environment and an appreciation for its beauty and fragility. They can learn about marine ecosystems, conservation practices, and the importance of sustainability. 

Clovelly Childcare Centre’s beach outings 

Beachy Kindy is a core component of the Clovelly Childcare Centre curriculum. It started after an inspiring session at an Early Childhood Environmental Education Network (ECEEN) conference and has now become a weekly event for children in the Joey’s room (ages 3-6 years). It’s also an occasional outing for the children under 3 (parents sign a waiver form at the start of the year). 

Director Deborah Zerbst says timetabling a visit to Clovelly Beach once a week enables children to practice risky play in a different environment: “Our initial aim was to support children with opportunities to develop their executive functioning skills by providing wider opportunities of play beyond our centre’s playground.” 

"Our children experience a sense of wonder as they walk barefoot on the sand, paddle in the ocean, examine tiny rock creatures, and watch fish and whales amidst a landscape of shifting shades and colours. The beach is a magical environment, with nature a captivating teacher.” 

In addition to the beach activities, children learn to cross roads safely, meet local residents and discover local flora and fauna on the 1km trip. Once at the beach, they discover crabs in waterholes and captivating rock formations, lie on their backs in the sand making angel patterns, paddle in the water, and spot migrating whales, dolphins or a shoal of famed Clovelly gropers. 

Clovelly Beach is on Bidjigal and Gadigal land. “After some playtime, we gather together and acknowledge the ownership of the land,” says Deborah. “Children are taught to recognise how Elders past and present have cared for the land. The children pledge to remove plastic from the water, mindful of protecting wildlife from choking on plastic packets carelessly thrown into the water.” 

After expanding their geographical knowledge, both children and staff return to the service feeling relaxed and more deeply connected to their natural environment. “It is a rich meditation of sensorial magnificence,” reflects Deborah. 

Getting started 

Educators can consider the following to effectively integrate beach kindy into their early childhood education practice: 

  1. Plan and prepare: Develop a clear plan for each beach visit, outlining the learning objectives, activities, and safety considerations. 

  1. Create a safe and supportive environment: Prioritise safety by conducting risk assessments and ensuring that children are supervised at all times. 

  1. Encourage exploration and discovery: Provide children with opportunities to explore the beach independently and at their own pace. 

  1. Facilitate learning through play: Encourage children to engage in unstructured play, such as building sandcastles, collecting shells, and paddling in the water. 

  1. Integrate literacy and numeracy: Incorporate literacy and numeracy skills into beach activities, such as counting shells, measuring distances, and writing stories inspired by the coastal environment. 

  1. Document and reflect: Document children's learning experiences through photographs, drawings, and written observations. Reflect on the effectiveness of the program and make adjustments as needed. 

  1. Extend learning beyond the beach: Consider how to integrate learning opportunities beyond the surf and sand. Children could create a collage, for example, or read picture books about the ocean. Magic Beach by Alison Lester is a well-loved classic. 

 

Potential beach kindy activities 

Some engaging activities that educators can incorporate into their beach kindy excursions include: 

  • Sensory play: Encourage children to explore the textures and temperatures of sand, water, and rocks. 

  • Nature scavenger hunt: Create a scavenger hunt list of items to find on the beach, such as different types of shells, seaweed, and marine life. 

  • Beach art: Provide children with natural materials like sticks, leaves, and shells to create art. 

  • Tide pool exploration: Explore the fascinating creatures living in tide pools and discuss their adaptations to the marine environment. 

  • Beach clean-up: Teach children about environmental stewardship by organising a beach clean-up. 

References: 

Beach kindergarten helps kids learn: 

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/pm/beach-kindergarten-helps-kids-learn-/104587562 

Beach kindergarten helps kids grasp early STEM concepts: 

https://www.deakin.edu.au/about-deakin/news-and-media-releases/articles/beach-kindergarten-helps-kids-grasp-early-stem-concepts 

Beach kind at Clovelly Childcare Centre: 

https://clovellychildcarecentre.org/about/beach-kindy/ 

 

 

About CELA

Community Early Learning Australia is a not for profit organisation with a focus on amplifying the value of early learning for every child across Australia - representing our members and uniting our sector as a force for quality education and care.

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