WilderQuest – Try This New Online Adventure From NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service
This is a sponsored post.
My children are so lucky to live right on Garigal National Park here in Sydney. I’m forever saying: ‘Off you go into the bush and play.’ They do as well, and no broken bones yet.
They are learning lots about climbing trees and throwing rocks and not that much about understanding about the environment they are privileged to have literally on their back doorstep.
Here’s an online activity for kids that will encourage them to get out into the great outdoors to discover the flora and fauna that’s all around us.
Here’s Sam the Ranger introducing WilderQuest
WilderQuest – The Facts
- Designed for children from five to twelve years old.
- There’s an online desktop version and an iPad app version.
- WilderQuest is a game of discovery and challenge that can inspire children to learn about the natural world and to care for and about it.
- In the game kids look for traces of native animals, collect pictures and information and store their findings in their own customised cubby.
- WilderQuest is educational, all elements of the natural world are accurately portrayed, it’s inspirational too.
- WildQuest has already won many awards, in categories like: Best Children’s, Best Learning and Education, Best of the Best Award, Best Non-Profit, Best Application for a Tablet and the Best Tourism and Travel.
- The aim of the game of course is to encourage families to spend more time outdoors, of course!
Playing WilderQuest
First children have to sign up, using a name and password and giving a parent’s email address. I needed to help my seven year olds with this.
Then you choose and customise your character. This is the dress ups part that can take my little daughter hours. Here’s my kids’ character.
Here’s the iPad app game. Basically the kids can look all around a 360° scene in a rainforest. They look for animals and take photos of them. Here my kids are, searching for beasties in the bush.
When the kids find and photograph animals they unlock information to read and watch. Here’s the info on the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly.
Here’s Rusty Rocket playing with the game. We are still in search of some very elusive tree frogs – if you see some let us know.
The desktop online version of WilderQuest is actually my favourite. There are many, many games that can be played straight away across a variety of habitats.
First you choose where you want to travel to. Then unpack the backpack to see all the games and activities that can be done.
Children could explore these activities for hours and hours.
Here we are in the desert looking for warm-blooded animals, then reading facts about them and storing information in a notebook. Cool!
The great thing is that kids can continue their WilderQuest adventures out in the real world.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife (NPWS) runs many WilderQuest Discovery activities in the national parks throughout NSW.
Next school holidays I’ll run a post just about WilderQuest Discovery activities to give you some ideas.
WilderQuest – Links To Get Started
To start playing WilderQuest, click here.
Hop over to the NPWS website to learn more about WilderQuest, click here.
Like WilderQuest on Facebook, click here.
Learn more about the wonderful national parks throughout NSW on the NPWS website here.
Have your children tried WilderQuest yet?
Did you find the green tree frogs?
Do you get out into the Great Outdoors as a family often enough?
Catch you in the bush!
