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NatureGrounds®

NatureGrounds®
A growing body of research reveals a strong link between children’s experiences of being outdoors in nature and their psychological well-being and overall development. PlayCore has partnered with the Natural Learning Initiative, College of Design, NC State University to develop NatureGrounds Best Practice guidelines to deliberately design nature back into children’s lives to benefit children’s play, physical activity levels, and to create richer play experiences for all users.



The Science
A growing body of research reveals a strong link between children’s outdoor experiences in nature and their psychological well-being and development. Another study demonstrated that, in an evaluation of a nature only playground, a built playground with no nature elements, and a combination of the two, the latter was shown to get higher use than the former.
Health research recognizes that everyday outdoor play in nature is a powerful preventive strategy for healthy childhood development — including protection against childhood obesity. A generation ago playing outdoors in nature was usually taken for granted; but in today’s urban and suburban environments, natural spaces are often too remotely located for visiting on a regular basis. The playground model based solely on manufactured equipment is being reconsidered to meet the needs of a broader range of children and their families. The integration of natural components helps fulfill these needs as well as creating richer play experiences for all users. To promote this trend, naturalization is an effective strategy to stimulate, motivate, and encourage children’s play, and to increase the attraction of playgrounds for children and caregivers. The added comfort and aesthetic enhancement of nature encourage accompanying adults to also become enthusiastic users.


Why Request NatureGrounds?
To promote these findings, PlayCore partnered with the Natural Learning Initiative, College of Design, NC State University to develop NatureGrounds, a comprehensive program that provides best practice guidelines for creating and retrofitting environments that integrate manufactured play equipment and the living landscape. NatureGrounds creates a dramatic shift in the standard playground design process by deliberately designing nature back into children’s lives, engaging communities in the process, raising physical activity levels, and creating richer play experiences for all. The Natural Learning Initiative (NLI) is a research and design assistance program of the College of Design of North Carolina State University whose purpose is to promote the natural environment in the daily experience of all children and families, through environmental design, action research, education, and dissemination of information.
Playgrounds designed with us utilizing this research are eligible for the National Demonstration Site designation and benefits.
Contributing Scholars

Nilda Cosco, PhD
North Carolina State University Research Professor and Director of Programs; Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning and Nature Learning Institute
Nilda Cosco, PhD
North Carolina State University Research Professor and Director of Programs; Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning and Nature Learning InstituteNilda Cosco, PhD, Research Associate Professor and Director of Programs, Natural Learning Initiative NLI, College of Design, NC State University. Dr. Cosco holds a degree in Educational Psychology, Universidad del Salvador, Argentina and a PhD in Landscape Architecture, Edinburgh University, Scotland. In 2000, she cofounded the Natural Learning Initiative at the College of Design, North Carolina with Professor Moore. She developed in 2007 the program Preventing Obesity by Design (POD). Professor Cosco’s research focuses on the impact of outdoor environments on health outcomes such as obesity, sedentary lifestyles, attention functioning, and well-being.
Areas of Discipline
- Impact of Designed Outdoor Environments on Children's Health
- Educational Psychology
- Landscape Architecture
Contributions

Robin Moore, Dipl Arch, MCP, ASLA
North Carolina State University Professor Emeritus; College of Design
Robin Moore, Dipl Arch, MCP, ASLA
North Carolina State University Professor Emeritus; College of DesignRobin Moore, Dipl Arch, MCP, ASLA, holds degrees in architecture (London University) and urban planning (MIT), and for most of his career has worked in the field of landscape architecture as an educator, researcher, and consultant. Moore is an international authority on the design of children's play and learning environments, user needs research, and participatory public open space design. He has won many awards for his contributions to the field of design. and is the author or co-author of several books and numerous articles on the use of the outdoor environment by children and families, and their involvement in the planning and design process. He was the principal investigator for the US Access Board update of the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards for Children's Environments. He is past president of the International Association for the Child's Right to Play (IPA), and for twenty years was editor of the IPA magazine, PlayRights.
Areas of Discipline
- Landscape Architecture & Planning
Contributions
Program Request
Fill out the form below to request your copy of NatureGrounds®