33 Things to do before you're 3!

99 Things To Do Before You're 3 is Nature Play QLD's outdoor play solution for infants and toddlers, aged 0 to 3 years.

The information on this page has since been developed into an App called GROW with Nature Play. It's a practical play app for Grown-ups that features heaps of things-to-do, tips, hints, and all sorts of information about how and why playing in nature can benefit your baby. GROW with Nature Play is $2.99 with proceeds supporting Nature Play QLD's services, programs and resource development to benefit QLD children. It can be found on Apple Store and Google Play. Read more about GROW with Nature Play here.

Endorsed by one of Australia's leading Paediatric Doctors: "Excellent, developmental-appropriate suggestions for parents and their young children to enjoy nature. Interacting with nature at a young age can reduce anxiety and improve brain development" Dr. Desiree Silva, Professor of Paediatrics, WA

The 0 to 3 age group has been broken down into age categories. There are 3 things to do for each year between 0 to 3 years of age:

see larger copies of these lists below

What You Need To Know About The 33 Things To Do Lists

99 Things To Do Before You're 3 is based on areas of the key developmental milestones, specific for each age group. These areas include: social/emotional; language and communication; learning, thinking and problem solving; movement and physical development. You can find out more about the developmental milestones from the Raising Children website www.raisingchildren.net.au All 99 Nature Play activities have been matched to various things that 'just happen' when you take your child outdoors. Most of the activities on these lists can take place in your backyard, neighbourhood, local parks, creek, river, lakes or beaches. There are little to no costs involved.

Nature Loves Everyone!

This list will have amazing flow-on effects for mums, dads, siblings, grandparents or any type of carer. The invigorating and restorative effects of natural areas on the wellbeing of anyone who spends even the smallest amount of time outdoors will happen when you take your child outside to play.

Just Go Outside, Nature Will Do The Rest

Nature is an essential tool for a child's healthy growth. Today's adults grew up outdoors. The gifts nature gave us as children have helped shape who we are today. There was no list. We required no justification to go outside and play, and the gifts nature gave beautifully prepared us for life. Nature Play QLD hope this list will remind us grown-ups why nature and outdoor play is vital for children in order to establish healthy life patterns from the beginning of their lives.

50 Gifts Nature Will Give Your Child!

Key development outcomes for 0 to 3 year old children achieved by simply taking your child outdoors to play

1. Helps with visual tracking and depth perception
2. Fine tunes hearing
3. Creates a sense of awe and wonder
4. Creates a relationship with animals and plants
5. Grows textural awareness
6. Develops emotional cues and reading of facial expression
7. Establishes a healthy sense of adventure
8. Cultivates independence
9. Develops confidence
10. Creates opportunities for defiance
11. Builds strength and agility
12. Develops a healthy sense of fear
13. Builds risk assessment skills
14. Further grows physical fluency
15. Assists with developing curiosity
16. Develops fine and gross motor skills
17. Enables relationship development practice
18. Facilitates opportunities to develop trust
19. Creates space to practice speech and communication
20. Assists with developing empathy
21. Promotes social aptitude development and practice
22. Helps grow memory strength
23. Grows healthy attachment styles
24. Builds resilience
25. Grows flexibility and adaptability
26. Establishes healthy attitudes and behaviour patterns
27. Begins to learn to regulate own safety
28. Grows physical core strength
29. Creates space to express feelings
30. Creates space to learn pain
31. Learns natural laws of cause and effect
32. Learns to follow instructions or rules of games
33. Expands their world
34. Expands their vocabulary
35. Forms interests in sport and other team activities
36. Grows creativity
37. Expands problem-solving capacity
38. Grows care, concern and consideration for others
39. Creates opportunities to improve physical skills
40. Helps children discover the wonders of nature and the world around them
41. Helps children connect to their community
42. Helps children learn the foundations for universal sustainability
43. Helps children to recognise their strengths
44. Develops transitioning skills
45. Helps child’s learning in caring for nature and living things
46. Boosts self-confidence
47. Increases flexibility
48. Helps build the immune system
49. Stimulates the imagination
50. Provides Vitamin D