Put simply, a nature-based playground is a space that welcomes children to interact with natural materials like soil/sand, water, plants, logs, rocks, natural loose part materials like shells, pine cones, tree ‘cookies’ and more. Something like a log will provide different affordances to a child depending on their stage of development. For some, it may be something to pull themselves up on and study how the bark looks and feels. For others, it might be something to clamber onto and jump off or something to sit on, crawl across or balance on. When we leave the equipment and materials as open as possible we let the children choose how they use it – this helps with creativity, problem solving and thinking.
In this course you will find out why nature play spaces are so beneficial for children and get some helpful ideas on how you can make your outdoor play area more natural, challenging and open–ended for children to explore, utilise and learn from.
Useful video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYfIB6BVQDk
Author”s website: http://www.woodland-escape.co.nz
