In many early childhood settings across Australia, children learn about the four European seasons: summer, autumn, winter and spring. These seasonal markers often shape our calendars, our curriculum planning, and even our wall displays. Yet across this continent, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have long understood seasonal change in far more nuanced ways.
For tens of thousands of years, First Nations peoples have observed the rhythms of Country through sophisticated seasonal calendar systems. These calendars are not fixed by dates on a page. Instead, they are guided by ecological indicators, changes in plants, animals, weather patterns and the behaviour of the land and waters.
Across different Nations there may be five, six, or even more seasons. Each one signals important shifts: when to harvest certain foods, when animals are breeding, when fish migrate, when particular plants flower, and when cultural practices should take place.
For educators, exploring Aboriginal seasonal calendars offers a powerful opportunity. It deepens children’s connection to Country while strengthening environmental awareness and cultural learning simultaneously.
Rather than teaching children about seasons as something abstract, we invite them to observe the living world around them.
Seasons Are Read Through Country
In Aboriginal knowledge systems, seasons are not defined by months or dates. They are understood through what Country is doing.
When particular flowers bloom, a new seasonal phase may be beginning. When a bird returns to nest, when insects become active, or when certain winds arrive, these are signals that the land itself is communicating change.
This ecological literacy is built through careful observation over generations. It reflects a relationship with Country where people listen, watch and respond.
For young children, this approach to seasons is incredibly meaningful. It invites them to slow down, observe closely and develop a sense of belonging to place.
Learning Through Observation: Dernancourt Kindergarten
During a visit to Dernancourt Kindergarten in South Australia, educators shared with me the story of a magnificent oak tree that stands in the centre of their outdoor space.
This tree has become a seasonal teacher for the children.
Across the year, children observe how the tree changes. In autumn, the leaves begin to turn and fall. In winter, the branches become bare. In spring, new buds appear and birds begin nesting. By summer, the canopy provides deep shade across the yard.
Rather than presenting seasons through posters or worksheets, educators support children to document these changes through drawings, photographs and conversations.
Children begin to recognise patterns.
They notice when the birds return. They ask questions about why the leaves change colour. They compare what they see now with what they saw earlier in the year.
Through this process, the tree becomes a living calendar.
Reading the Land: Simply Sunshine Early Learning
At Simply Sunshine Early Learning in Warwick, located on Githabul Country, educators have taken a slightly different approach.
Instead of focusing on a single tree, the children observe a range of native plants growing in their outdoor environment. Educators encourage children to notice when certain plants flower, fruit or seed.
These observations are then connected to seasonal shifts.
Children begin to see how these changes align with other events in their community—such as harvesting cycles, farming activities, or changes in weather patterns.
This creates a bridge between Aboriginal ecological knowledge and the broader rhythms of life within the local region.
Seasonal learning becomes something the children experience firsthand, rather than something delivered as information.
Cultural Rhythms and Community: Concord West Rhodes Preschool
At Concord West Rhodes Preschool in Sydney, seasonal learning is celebrated through a community tradition. Each year, the arrival of Bunya nuts is marked as part of the preschool’s Welcome Picnic for new families.
Across many Aboriginal nations, the ripening of Bunya nuts signalled a time for gathering, ceremony and community connection. Large groups would travel to share food, stories and cultural practices.
At the preschool, the arrival of Bunya nuts has become a symbolic moment that brings families together. New children and parents are welcomed into the preschool community, food is shared, and the significance of the Bunya tree is acknowledged.
In this way, seasonal learning moves beyond science or nature study, it becomes a cultural and relational practice.
Personal Rhythms on Darkinjung Country
For my own family on the Central Coast, seasonal learning often unfolds through the ocean. Each year we gather with our local Aboriginal community at Norah Head Lighthouse for a whale ceremony. This marks the arrival of the migrating whales along our coastline.
For the children, this moment is filled with excitement.
We stand together watching the horizon, scanning the water for the first signs of a whale breaching or spraying mist into the air. Elders share stories and knowledge about the whales and their long journeys.
These annual migrations are not simply a wildlife event, they are a seasonal marker. They tell us something about the rhythms of the ocean and the turning of the year.
For children, experiences like this create a powerful sense of continuity and connection to place.
Bringing Seasonal Learning into the Curriculum
For educators interested in embedding Aboriginal seasonal knowledge, the first step is not to adopt a seasonal calendar from somewhere else. Instead, begin by learning about the seasonal knowledge of the Country where your service is located. Some practical starting points might include:
- Observe the environment with children
- What plants flower at different times of the year?
- Which birds appear or disappear during different seasons?
- When do insects become more active?
- What changes do children notice in the sky, wind or temperature?
Document seasonal changes
Use floor books, observation journals or photographic displays to track changes in the outdoor environment across the year. Over time, children begin to see patterns emerge.
Connect with local knowledge holders
Local Aboriginal organisations, Land Councils and community members may be able to share knowledge about seasonal indicators specific to your region. These relationships should always be approached respectfully and with cultural protocols in mind.
Celebrate seasonal moments
Rather than relying only on calendar-based events, consider celebrating ecological moments, when a particular flower blooms, when a migratory animal arrives, or when the first fruits appear on a tree. These moments create meaningful rituals that reflect the living rhythms of Country.
Slowing Down to Listen to Country
Aboriginal seasonal calendars remind us that learning about seasons is not simply about weather patterns.
It is about relationships.
Relationships between people, plants, animals, waterways, winds and skies. Relationships that have been observed, honoured and passed down for generations. When educators invite children to notice these rhythms, they are doing more than teaching environmental awareness.
They are helping children learn how to listen to Country.
And in doing so, they are nurturing the next generation of caretakers who understand that the land itself is always speaking, if we take the time to watch, listen and learn.
