A growing body of evidence internationally and throughout Australia demonstrates that, just as children need good nutrition and sleep for their health and wellbeing, they also need contact with nature.

Through either structured or unstructured activities, playing in a natural environment improves a child's mental, physical and social development.

By holding this workshop, Charles Sturt, West Torrens and Onkaparinga OPAL programs are exploring a new paradigm for planning children's play spaces.

Tim Gill is one of the UK's leading thinkers on childhood, former director of the Children's Play Council, writer, researcher and has been an effective advocate for positive change in children's everyday lives for over 15 years. Tim has advised political parties and thinktanks across the political spectrum, and his recent commissioned written work focuses on policy recommendations and planning to reintroduce nature into children's lives.

The aim of this workshop, hosted by Charles Sturt, is to understand current best practice in nature play and its benefits to children, and to identify and address key risk areas in designing and developing nature play spaces to meet Australian standards.

OPAL Manager for Charles Sturt, Mary Duncan, said Tim Gill's workshop would help OPAL progress thinking on how to address perceived risks in developing nature play stations for children.

"Tim Gill is an internationally recognised expert who is in Australia for the Child Friendly Cities Conference in Victoria. We have arranged for Tim to do a short detour to SA, and can't wait to hear his views on how to make nature play a viable option in Charles Sturt and other local council areas," Mrs Duncan said.

The workshop is for local government staff, however media are welcome at the event, which begins at 9am at the Charles Sturt Civic Centre, 72 Woodville Road.

For more media information contact Kristie Johnson on 8408 1185.