resources on Nature and play

We Believe™ in demonstrating leadership through research-based design and in playgrounds that are safer, universally accessible, and reflect the natural world.

Research reveals a strong link between children’s experiences of nature and their psychological well being. In this time of widespread technology in the form of video games, computers, and television, research is opening our eyes to the importance of nature and outdoor play. Research and experience show a direct link between time spent outside, in natural settings, and the development of senses that are critical to our ability to navigate safely and securely through life. The following resources provide information about legislative measures that encourage children to spend more time playing outside and learning about nature, research on the importance of nature and outdoor play, and organizations that are committed to fostering ongoing relationships between children, adults, and nature. We Believe™ in the importance of play for developing healthy minds and bodies and in the importance of nature and outdoor play for nurturing children’s spirits.

 NatureGrounds®: Putting Nature into Play™

PlayCore and the Natural Learning Initiative, a design and assistance program of the College of Design, North Carolina State University, have partnered to develop NatureGrounds, a comprehensive program that provides best practice guidelines for combining manufactured play equipment and the living landscape to help reconnect children with nature and to stimulate play for children, families, and communities.  Components of the program include a guidebook entitled, Creating & Retrofitting Play Environments®: Best Practice Guidelines™, which serves as an educational resource and training tool that highlights research-based procedures for developing new play spaces and retrofitting existing play spaces with a focus on natural play for parks and school grounds.  Additionally, NatureGrounds.org offers a wealth of online information including a searchable plant selection database and galleries of NatureGrounds Demonstration Sites that exemplify best practice principles and showcase leadership in Nature Play initiatives.

For more information about how to order the guidebook, click here.  To learn more about the NatureGrounds program, visit NatureGrounds.org.  We are currently seeking participants across the country to implement NatureGrounds best practice principles and serve as model demonstration sites.  To learn more about how to participate in this program as a model demonstration site, contact info@playcore.com.  

 PlayCore Resource Series: Nature and Play


Research reveals a strong link between children’s experiences of nature and their psychological well being and overall development. In this age of widespread technology use, computers, television, and video games often replace time spent playing outdoors. It is imperative that parents, educators, and other professionals encourage outdoor play and find ways to reconnect children with nature. The following resources provide information about legislative measures that encourage children to spend more time in the great outdoors learning about nature, research on the importance of nature and outdoor play, and organizations that are committed to fostering ongoing relationships between children, adults, and nature. Click here to download the Nature and Play Resource Sheet.

California Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights
Why is childhood obesity on the rise? Why are children starting to have heart problems? Why are more and more children showing signs of stress and mental illness? The answers to these questions are found in new research that shows today's youngest generation is bound to electronic gadgets and aren’t getting exercise from outdoor activities. To lend their support in countering the trend, the California State Park and Recreation Commission unanimously passed a resolution to join Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in his efforts to promote the "California Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights." For more information visit www.yubanet.com/artman/publish/article_64142.shtml#.

No Child Left Inside Act (2007)
The No Child Left Inside Act of 2007 addresses critical environmental challenges by strengthening and expanding environmental education in America's classrooms. The No Child Left Inside (NCLI) Act would amend the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law by providing federal funding to states to train teachers in environmental education and to operate model environmental education programs which include outdoor learning. It would provide funding to states that create environmental literacy plans to ensure that high school graduates are environmentally literate, funding through an environmental education grant program to build state and national capacity, and would re-establish the Office of Environmental Education within the U.S. Department of Education.

The following organizations and websites have information about the Act as well as links and suggestions for taking action in support of this important legislation:

Chesapeake Bay Foundation/No Child Left Inside Coalition
North American Association for Environmental Education
National Wildlife Federation

Ask Your Legislators to Co-sponsor the No Child Left Inside Act of 2007
Click here to send a message to your legislators asking them to co-sponsor the NCLI Act.

No Child Left Inside Coalition
The No Child Left Inside Coalition was created in 2006 to find new ways to encourage kids to experience nature and learn about the environment. The Coalition supports the No Child Left Inside Act and believes in the importance of high-quality environmental education and outdoor learning for the health of our youth and for the future of our planet. Today the Coalition has grown to over 200 member organizations representing more than 20 million people, including environmental, education, public health and business groups, all of whom appreciate the value of getting kids outside. For more information visit www.nclicoalition.org/. PlayCore supports the No Child Left Inside Act and is a member of the No Child Left Inside Coalition.


National Wildlife Federation
The mission of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future. Through programs like Green Hour and Wildlife Habitat, they are helping to foster profound and personal connections between people and nature. For more information visit www.nwf.org/about/mission.cfm.


Children and Nature Network
The Children & Nature Network (C&NN) was created to encourage and support people and organizations working to reconnect children with nature. C&NN provides access to the latest news and research in the field and a peer-to-peer network of researchers and individuals, educators and organizations dedicated to children's health and well-being. For more information visit www.cnaturenet.org.


Trust for Public Land
The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national, nonprofit, land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, community gardens, historic sites, rural lands, and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. Since 1972, TPL has worked with willing landowners, community groups, and national, state, and local agencies to complete more than 3,500 land conservation projects in 47 states, protecting more than 2 million acres. Since 1994, TPL has helped states and communities craft and pass over 330 ballot measures, generating almost $25 billion in new conservation-related funding. For more information visit www.tpl.org/.

GameTime, a division of PlayCore, was highlighted in the most recent edition of the Trust for Public Land publication Land & People magazine for its leadership in bringing children closer to nature. PlayCore and GameTime lead the industry in innovative playground design that integrates manufactured play elements with the living landscape.  To read or download the article (pdf), click here.

National Recreation and Park Association
The Missionof the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) is to advance parks, recreation and environmental conservation efforts that enhance the quality of life for all people. NRPA believes in the value of parks and recreation for enhancing human potential, articulating environmental values, promoting individual and community wellness and utilizing holistic approaches to promote cultural understanding, economic development, family public health and safety by working in coalitions and partnerships with allied organizations. NRPA strives to facilitate and promote the development of grassroots, self-help initiatives in communities across the country. For more information visit www.nrpa.org/.


Natural Play Environments: Prescription for the Future
Landscape Online
“Fewer and fewer children play outside. Attendance at the great parks is down by 27 percent, and people think it is because of video games. Creating educational play environments is becoming a lost art. In parks across the country landscape architects and environmental agencies are working to invite wildlife into playgrounds and play areas…” This article contains a list of suggestions for creating an ecologically rich, animal-friendly outdoor play space. The article is available online at www.landscapeonline.com/research/article/9556.


Explore! A Child’s Nature
Outdoor Nature Play
“But I want to play inside where the electrical outlets are! Sound familiar? With so many TV shows, video games and computer activities to choose from, sometimes it's hard for parents to encourage kids to spend at least part of their day playing outdoors. And why should parents bother? What does it matter if kids play outside?...” According to Explore! A Child's Nature "outdoor play helps kids develop emotionally and intellectually by offering them...freedom to follow their imaginations, endless stimulation and challenges, and first hand experience and knowledge." This website offers a variety of resources and activity ideas for gardening, indoor and outdoor nature play, backyard wildlife, and more. Visit online at www.brookfieldzoo.org/.


Nature Play Before Age 11 Fosters Adult Environmental Appreciation
News-Medical.Net
"If you want your children to grow up to actively care about the environment, give them plenty of time to play in the 'wild' before they're 11 years old, suggests a new Cornell University study...'Our study indicates that participating in wild nature activities before age 11 is a particularly potent pathway toward shaping both environmental attitudes and behaviors in adulthood,' said [environmental psychologist Nancy] Wells, whose previous studies have found that nature around a home can help protect children against life stress and boost children's cognitive functioning." Click here to view the full article.

Natural Learning Initiative
Design Institute: Children in Nature 2008
The Natural Learning Initiative is a Research and Design Assistance Program of the
College of Design at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Natural Learning Initiative’s Annual Design Institute is geared towards education and practice in designing for children in nature. The Design Institute continues to grow every year due to the high demand for professional training from various institutions such as museums, zoos, childcare centers, schools, etc. For more information visit http://naturalearning.org/training/aug08institute/about.html.

Natural Learning Initiative
Resources
The Natural Learning Initiative is a Research and Design Assistance Program of the
College of Design at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. A variety of relevant resources and full text articles, as listed below, are available through the resource section of their website at http://www.naturalearning.org/resources/resources.htm.

Childhood’s Domain
This book is presented in three parts. In the first, two contrasting field experiences are introduced, illustrating, in essence, the positive and negative relationships that exist between children and their surroundings.
By Robin Moore

Natural Learning
By Moore, R. & Wong, H.

Moving!
Too many children today have stopped moving. In industrialized countries and in affluent middle-class communities across the world, children are spending too much of their time indoors with television, computers, and video games, rather than exercising their bodies in outdoor, free-play activity.
In Natural Learning
By Moore, R. & Wong, H.

Childhood Outdoors: Toward a Social Ecology of the Landscape
In the urban environment, the creation of childhood places cannot be left to chance or the vagaries of pressure groups; they must be deliberately fostered by planning, design, and management to satisfy basic human needs.
By Moore, R. & Young, D. 1978

Streets as Playgrounds
Great differences exist between adults and children in their perception and use of the outdoor environment. One of the greatest relates to residential streets.
By Moore, R. 1987

Playgrounds at the Crossroads: Policy and Action Research Needed to Ensure a Viable Future for Public Playgrounds
Public playgrounds in the United States have entered a crisis stage in their evolution.
By Moore, R. 1989

Outdoor Experiences for Young Children
This digest examines the value of outdoor experience for young children, reasons for its decline, ways to enhance school play spaces, and aspects of developmentally appropriate outdoor environments.
By Rivkin, M.

At Home with Nature: Effects of “Greenness” on Children’s Cognitive Functioning
The nearby natural environment plays a far more significant role in the well-being of children residing in poor urban environments than has previously been recognized.
By Well, N. 2000.

Making the Learning Playground Happen
By Cunningham, B.