Our Story

I'm a former teacher and a mother, and I started The Independent Kids Project because I couldn't stop noticing something about modern childhood.

In classrooms, playgrounds and my own neighbourhood, I watched children's lives become more scheduled, more supervised and more indoors. I saw fewer kids simply playing, exploring their streets or working out small problems without an adult stepping in.

The more I looked, the more interested I became in what children actually need: free play, outdoor time, autonomy, appropriate risk and the chance to solve things for themselves. The research kept pointing in the same direction — these aren't luxuries. They're how children build confidence, resilience and real independence.

So I stopped just talking about it and started doing something. The Independent Kids Project grew from that desire to create practical change — not just describe the problem, but make it easier for Australian children to play, explore, take sensible risks and experience the real world.