Georgina Dymock is passionate about outdoor experiences. She loves nothing better than to get amongst it with her partner Tim and their two kids Allegria and Isaac. She enjoys sharing their adventures and has developed a business around her family’s passion for travel and wild play. Her blog KiddingAroundAustralia has thousands of followers who dote on her tales and it’s recently spawned a side hustle, The Bush Bus, that is going similarly gangbusters.

The premise of the Bush Bus is a simple one, it’s surprising, in fact, that it hasn’t been thought of before. Yet according to Dymock The Bush Bus is the first of its kind: a free mobile nature-inspired playgroup with facilitators that welcomes everyone with children aged from newborns to six years old to come together in a friendly and inclusive environment to play freely in a bush or park setting.

Dymock explains the premise to KBB:

“We travel to five different locations per week where children participate in activities such as nature-inspired arts and crafts, water, mud and puddle play, sensory imaginative play and educational nature walks and talks to uncover the indigenous flora and fauna of their local area.”

The bus was made possible by a grant from the Victorian government and in just six months has become a runaway success, servicing over 500 local families and 700 children since launching in February.

“We have seen firsthand the many benefits created by The Bush Bus, which include social inclusion for community members from diverse backgrounds, increased community connection, maternal and child health, community development, activation of open spaces, environmental awareness and connection to nature, access to services and job creation.”

The Bush Bus began with two paid facilitators and in the ensuing months, Dymock says she has hired six staff over the course of the project to cope with the demand and is proud to be providing job opportunities to her local community in Mitchell Shire in Victoria.

“One of our employees was able to use the knowledge and experience they developed whilst working with us to gain full-time employment and our other employees are parents who are re-entering the workforce after their children have gone to school. We are so proud of the team we have created,” she says.

“We have an ongoing arrangement with a local secondary school to allow students to gain work experience and training in a practical manner with us on a weekly basis. We also welcome children from local kindergartens and family daycare providers to join us as an extra-curricular activity.”

Dymock says at a time when many kids are addicted to their screens and outdoor play is on the verge of extinction, the advantages for children and families participating in the Bush Bus activities are enormous.

“The benefits of being connected to your local community and natural environment have been well documented and acknowledged as a vital components of the physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of children and adults alike and we are passionate about continuing The Bush Bus for many years,” she concludes.

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