When there’s room to run and fly kites, you know there’s space for a childhood. Those who know Kim Stoney, Founder of The Farmhouse, will know that she’s passionate about play. And animals. And children having room to roam.

Legislation requires early childhood services to provide just 7sqm per child outdoors and sadly, it’s often a small yard and they have to take turns to use it. Kim says what we’re all thinking, “That’s not enough. That’s not a childhood”. The Farmhouse has massive, natural yards for children to enjoy, with over ten times per child what legislation requires. Plus, all the children can be outside at the same time – together.

“That was important to me when I built The Farmhouse. We’re a community so I want children of all ages to be able to engage with one another whenever they want to”, explained Kim. “So our yards are huge – there’s room to roam”.

This ‘room to roam’ philosophy is a key pillar of what The Farmhouse delivers for our local children, and it seems they’re onto something. Research shows play helps children organise their brains and wire up their neurons. Children need room to roam, physically and imaginatively. That’s how they develop flexible and adaptive brains that can rise to challenges and solve problems. Good quality play builds intelligence. If children’s play is confined then they can miss out on that full range of developmental opportunities.

Childcare services so often focus on their indoor spaces and consequently children spend more time inside. This increased time indoors (in often sedentary or low-movement activities) is having a direct impact on children’s physical development and future health. But it also impacts on their brains.

All children need to connect with nature, to take their time pulling petals off flowers and watching flies clean their wings, to dig soil and collect stones, feel grass on their skin and feel the speed of rolling down hills.

And they need to run, and fly kites.