Nature Play in the Lives of Children
Connecting with Nature through Play
Nature play is such a naturally occurring part of children’s lives. Open the door to the outside world and children uncover, discover, and investigate the natural world. When taking a group of three-year-old children outside to go on a walk to the park, teachers often find the trip itself takes quite a long time. There are any number of stops along the way when a child says, “Nakiesha! Look over there! Look at that flower! It’s so RED!”; “David, what did you pick up off the sidewalk, let me see that worm.”; “Greg, what is that bird squawking about?”; “Norberta, there’s a bunch of ants!” This article explores the child as a natural scientist, how children explore the natural world, what playing in nature looks like and how Grounds For Play engages children in nature play.
In this white paper you'll learn:
- Learning opportunities that stem from nature play
- How children develop and benefit from nature play
- How to create a durable and effective natural play space
- Sample lesson plan
