Prioritizing Nature-Based Play

Through Outdoor Learning Environments

“If we are going to save environmentalism and the environment, we must also save an endangered indicator species: the child in nature.” – Richard Louv, Co-Founder of the Children & Nature Network

Gardening is a pastime for many adults. Not only is it rewarding to grow your own vegetables and fruits, but simply the act of tending to your plants can be fulfilling, healing, and stress relieving. It comes as no surprise that children can experience some of these same benefits, as well as many others, through gardening and playing in nature. 

As the Children & Nature Network website says, “There’s no app for this.” And they are right: There is simply no replacement for spending time outside. 

Gardening offers sensory stimulation through working with water and dirt. It uses important gross motor skills like moving a trowel or rake through dirt or using a shovel to fill a bucket. It also introduces kids to problem solving: Does this plant need to be watered? How can you tell? How deep of a hole is needed to plant this flower? Will it fit? Perhaps above all, gardening can boost a child’s self-confidence. There is much satisfaction in planting a seed or a bulb and watching it grow. 

When we work with our clients to design engaging and stimulating outdoor learning environments, we draw from a variety of outdoor learning products centered around gardening and nature. The following are some of the products that can be used to create a unique and beautiful outdoor classroom.

Gardening Play products