Welcome to Nature’s Designers
A gentle design-thinking project inspired by the natural world.
About this Project
Nature’s Designers is an 8-week project for learners in Years 3–4, designed to support curiosity, calm thinking, and confidence - without rushing learners toward a finished product.
In this project, learners look closely at the natural world and notice how plants and animals solve everyday problems through shape, structure, pattern, and materials. These observations become the starting point for design ideas that may lead to a simple human design inspired by nature.
There’s no pressure to build, construct, or complete anything on a set timeline. Learning unfolds through noticing, wondering, sketching, talking, and thinking.
Nature’s Designers is curriculum-aligned, neuro-affirming, and intentionally low-demand, making it a supportive option for families seeking a slower, more thoughtful approach to learning.
Parent Support
Each Nature’s Designers project includes:
A Parent Guide explaining the learning approach and weekly focus
A Student Guide written in calm, invitational language
A Registration Pack aligned to curriculum requirements
A Reporting Pack to help you record learning simply and confidently
You won’t need to source special materials, follow a strict schedule, or turn learning into worksheets. The documentation supports registration needs without changing how your learner engages.
Documentation is written using curriculum-aligned language suitable for homeschool registration and reporting.
What Your Learner Will Do
Over the 8 weeks, your learner may:
Observe plants, animals, and natural features in everyday environments
Notice patterns, structures, and ways nature solves problems
Choose an area of interest to explore more deeply
Sketch, diagram, or talk through ideas in ways that suit them
Play with design ideas inspired by nature
Reflect on how their thinking changes over time
There is no expectation to produce a finished product or visible output every week. Quiet weeks, thinking weeks, and weeks focused on choosing are all part of the learning process.
Who This Project Is a Great Fit For
Nature’s Designers is designed for learners who:
are interested in animals, plants, or the natural world
enjoy collecting facts, noticing details, or asking how things work
like designing, inventing, or imagining new ideas
prefer thinking, drawing, or talking before making
need time to sit with an idea before committing to it
feel anxious or overwhelmed by high-pressure learning
have a PDA profile and benefit from genuine choice and autonomy
are recovering from burnout or low confidence.
There’s no requirement to love science, art, or making. Curiosity, noticing, and interest are enough.
This project may feel less satisfying for learners who:
Want to build or construct something every week
Prefer step-by-step instructions with a clear end goal
Are motivated mainly by finishing and displaying products
That doesn’t mean those learners can’t enjoy the project — just that Nature’s Designers prioritises thinking and exploration over production.
Curriculum Versions Available
Nature’s Designers is available in both NSW Curriculum and Australian Curriculum versions.
The learning journey is the same in both. Only the assessment and documentation language differs to support different registration requirements.
NSW families: choose NSW Curriculum
Families in other states or territories: choose Australian Curriculum
