Nature

Play
Handbook

Nature is inclusive, and everyone on the

planet has a right to access it.

By Dr. Claire Warden

Edited by Marcus Veerman
Illustrations by Matt Green
 Contents

Introduction..................................................................................... 04
50 ideas for nature based play..................................................... 05

Step 1: Why create a nature based play place?.......................... 06

+ Reason 1. It Improves well-being................................................. 07
+ Reason 2. It helps children make friends................................... 07
+ Reason 3. It gets the body and the brain ready to learn.......... 08
+ Reason 4. Nature play develops creativity, exploration,
imagination and passion................................................................. 09
+ Reason 5. It helps to sustain the planet..................................... 10
+ So many things to learn…............................................................ 10

Step 2: How a nature based play space

supports the community................................................................ 11
+ Who is the nature play space for?............................................... 12
+ How can we make families feel welcome?................................. 13
+ How do we design a place that encourages
active community involvement?..................................................... 14

Step 3: Community involvement and design............................ 17

+ 1. Dream big, but start small....................................................... 17
+ 2. Community consultation.......................................................... 18
- Makeover example............................................................. 18
- Ideas to start nature playground conversations............. 19
+ 3. Play behaviours......................................................................... 20
+ 4. Document and draw................................................................. 22
+ 5. Make the model......................................................................... 22
+ 6. Build it........................................................................................ 22
+ 7. Looking after it.......................................................................... 23

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 2

Step 4: Five features to include in your nature play space...... 24
+ 1. Entrances and invitations......................................................... 25
+ 2. Hills and elevated platforms.................................................... 26
+ 3. Pathways and journeys............................................................ 27
+ 4. Mud kitchen, cafe or construction area................................. 28
+ 5. Vertical space and enclosures................................................. 29

Step 5: Inspirational makeovers................................................... 30

+ Makeover 1.................................................................................... 30
+ Makeover 2.................................................................................... 31
+ Makeover 3.................................................................................... 32

Summary........................................................................................... 33
References and reading................................................................... 34

Who is Claire Warden?

Claire wears many hats, on any given day Claire Warden is an educational
consultant specialising in nature pedagogy and experiential learning, a
lecturer in Primary Education at Strathclyde University, an author of many
books and materials relating to early years methodology, the values of
outdoor play, working with young children outside and exploring children’s
connection to nature in forest schools and kindergartens.

Claire founded the Nature Pedagodgy Association, is a member of the World

Nature Collaborative, a working party of the World Forum Foundation and is
on the consultative committee for risk in Learning to the Scottish Government.

www.claire-warden.com

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 3

 Introduction

No matter where you live you can incorporate nature into your play space. This handbook
provides a step by step guide to help you improve or even create a whole new nature play
area for the children in your community that embraces the natural world.

This Nature Play handbook is primarily for teachers and caregivers who do not have the
resources to create an elaborate nature based space or easy access to nature.

Giving children time and space to play in nature and bringing nature into their lives, is
one of the most important things we can give our children. Being present in nature has
undeniable benefits for their long term development and wellbeing.

“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, face in the sun, heart with nature.
To nurture a garden is to feed not just on the body, but the soul.“
– Alfred Austin –

This handbook shows you how to:

+ incorporate nature into children’s play spaces

+ make the most of what you already have

+ create intriguing spaces

+m
 ake simple changes to outdoor areas on a small budget

+ consult with children and incorporate their ideas

+ makeover your spaces

Put simply, this handbook will help you start your Journey into Nature.

The handbook outlines:

1. 50 ideas for nature based play

2. Why create a nature based play place

2. How a nature based play space supports the community

3. Community involvement and design

4. Five features to include in your nature play space

5. Inspirational nature based makeovers.

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 4

 50 ideas for
nature based play
Fly a
kite Feel the Paddle in
Make a Make a
bark of water
sand castle Find ants and rainbow of
trees bugs, see autumn leaf
what they are colours
Sing a song doing
at the top of Leap
your voice Make a between
Throw cubby rocks
stones Balance
Tell a on a log
Plant a tale
Lie down
seed Dance
and find
under
shapes in the
Find rocks the stars
Go clouds
(shiny, smooth,
bumpy etc) birdwatching Roll
down a
Draw with a Build a hill
stick on the shelter Build a
ground tunnel

Plait reeds
into a rope Run Plant a Gather a leaf,
Make a daisy
around flower seed pod
chain
Make collection
a rock
Hug a
damn
tree
Weave a Close your
homemade eyes and feel Climb a
basket the sun tree
Go for a
Make a rainbow picnic
of autumn leaf
Make a muddy colours
Get dirty construction site
Pretend Listen to
for toy trucks
to be Plant a nature
spies tree
Skim
stones in Be a park
water ranger
Mix up a Make
Make a magic
meal in a Make a rock
tent potions
mud kitchen tower

Play hide
Make a and seek
stepping Look for Plait your
animal tracks Cook Throw Look for
stone track friend’s
mud pies sticks bugs
hair

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 5

 Step 1:
Why create a nature
based play place?

Nature is in the air we breathe, the puddle on the ground, from the leaf on the bush to the
shadows on the pavement. When we utilise these diverse and changing elements we can
create inspirational play areas that inspire childrens imaginations, creativity and help them
understand the fundamental ways the world works.

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. “
– Albert Einstein –

Since the beginning of humanity itself, Children have grown and developed alongside
nature. it is in their DNA and when observing children in nature this symbiotic relationship
is clearly seen.

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 6

Why else is it important to be in nature?
Reason 1.
It Improves well-being
We know intuitively that walking through a park with the warm sun on our back and hearing
the wind rustle the leaves makes us feel good.

Now research confirms that well balanced, healthy children need a daily dose of nature.
Nature alleviates the impact of life stress on children and helps them deal with adversity.
The colours of nature, the atmosphere and sense of calm reduces heart rates and has been
shown to have an emotional impact. The greater the amount of exposure, the greater the
benefits (Wells and Evans, 2003).

Reason 2.
It helps children make friends
Children need friends.

In a changing world that often means increasing screen time, the ability to make friends,
develop social skills and socialise is decreasing.

Research by Moore (1986) told us that natural environments stimulate social interaction
between children. Sadly today, children are spending more time alone rather than playing
with friends outside (Bixler et al 2002). Creating and playing in nature is one of the best
ways of making friends with people and other animals.

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 7

Reason 3.
It gets the body and the brain ready to learn
Research also shows that children who play outside more often in natural environments do
better at school. This is due to a number of reasons:

+ Natureplay is highly stimulating to the brain

+ The high degree of variability and complexity in nature engages the brain deeply

+ Children’s attention is kept longer than in unchanging play environments

+ Children’s cognitive skills improve

+ Children use observation, reasoning and problem solving skills

+ Children notice patterns (essential for memory)

+C
 hildren develop more advanced motor fitness, (eg, coordination, balance and agility,
and are sick less often

+ Children develop muscles

Effective learning takes place when

the body and the brain are developing
optimally. If muscles (including the brain)
are not used they won’t fully develop. If core
body muscles have little strength or are
underdeveloped, children cannot physically
do some traditional classroom tasks such
as holding a pencil. The good news is that
playing, especially outside in nature, can
make a big difference.

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 8

Reason 4.
Nature play develops creativity, exploration, imagination and passion
Creativity, exploration and imagination are essential to thrive in our modern fast paced
and ever changing world. Traditional schooling simply does not provide the space, time
or structure to develop these skills and dispositions. Playing in nature provides provides a
context for a sense of wonder (Cobb 1977; Louv 1991 and Warden 2018) This can have a
deep-rooted effect on the fascinations children develop.

Adult: What are you looking at?

Child: It’s a spider web

How do you know: It’s fragile and curly

and you can’t touch it. I wonder where the
babies are?

Adult: Why can’t you touch it?

Child: Because it’s where the spider lives

with her family

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 9

Reason 5.
It helps to sustain the planet
If a child doesn’t play in nature how will they ever develop a passion for it and want to
look after it?

A love of the natural world has never been as important as it is now. An affection for, and an
understanding of nature, grows out of childhood play in the natural world.

If we promote regular access to and involvement with community projects such as

gardening, children can experience the joy of playing with nature. This love and fascination
for nature is likely to lead to them wanting to care for it (Chawla 1998; Sobel 2004).

So many things to learn….

Learn about Learn to

Earth’s natural resources (soil, water, minerals) Empathise
Limited resources Enjoy nature
Needs of living things Be in relaxed, low stress environments
Protecting natural resources Play naturally
Sustainability Express themselves
Interdependence between people and other Imagine
living things Wonder
Lifecycles Create
Growth and change Explore
Use of spaces Be spontaneous
Where living things live Be risk takers
Design Make friends
Materials Take turns
Traditional uses of materials Develop passions
Bush tucker Coordination, balance and agility
Indigenous lifestyles Social and communication skills
Patterns To relax
Community Observe

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 10

 Step 2:
How a nature based play space
supports the community

“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.”

– William Shakespeare –

We know that being in the natural world is a good thing for human beings and children in
particular. It always has and always will be.

Beyond that there are broader benefits for the community.

In developing your space, here are some simple guiding questions:

+ Who is the nature play space for?

+ How can we make families feel welcome?

+ How do we design a place that encourages the active community involvement?

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 11

 Who is the nature play space for?
The obvious answer is children.
The broader answer is everyone who is connected to the child.

We all live in a variety of environments and each of us engages with the natural world in a
different way depending on: our location on the planet, our culture, our age, our gender and
our general health. In addition, people have different views of the natural world and how to
interact with the world. For e.g. how they feel about risk taking and dirt and exposure to the
weather. Therefore, we need to offer a range of experience from more adventurous to less,
from dirtier to cleaner, from out in the open to under cover.

Something to remember: When creating a natural play space for everyone, consider the
space and how to make it meaningful to the people you are working with.

Ideas include:

Use culturally relevant Use plants that can be Try features that invite
plants that connect people used in a ‘making’ process adults into the space
to the land they call home. e.g. plants used for basket such as obvious open
making or weaving. ended resources, for e.g.
a sandpit with an adult
sized boulder in it to sit on.
It could even say come in
and sit on me!
Include door frames, arches and window frames that
encourage people to look into or go through into a space.

Include shelters that are Incorporate open fronted,

designed to connect to their undercover observational
culture, for example a croft spaces for adults.
in Scotland.

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 12

 How can we make families feel welcome?

Something to remember: Design spaces that are relevant and meaningful to those who
use them.

Community ownership is important.

Consultation that helps the community feel at ease and develop a sense of belonging is
crucial during their involvement in the creation and maintenance of the space (Haas, 1996).

As adults, we can to leave spaces ‘almost done’. We do not need to finish the nature based
play area completely, but to allow the children to engage with them (Warden, 2015).

Ideas include:

Children making signs for Areas where prams can Places that can change and
their nature based area be brought alongside the adapt, e.g. thick planks of
(see photos above). seating. wood that can be moved
with a sign to indicate this.

Stick sculptures with an internal frame so that people can

weave in more sticks or hang flowers etc.
Project days for the
children to make clay tiles,
Enclosed spaces for settling Areas where babies and stepping stones, or plant
and talking such as grass older children can play trees.
crescents, or living roofs. alongside each other.

Mosaic paths / walls that

can be added to.

Eating areas / food preparation spaces Open areas for

alongside the nature based area. families to gather.

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 13

 How do we design a place that encourages active
community involvement?
People are sitting too long indoors. Louv (2005) suggests that sitting still is the ‘new smoking’
in relation to the effect it has on our bodies. Nature based play area invite movement and
exploration. Children’s physical growth guides us when designing spaces to encourage
physicality and adventure. Think about:

+ Heart and lung capacity

+ Balance
+ Sense of space
+ Strength
+ Flexibility and agility

Heart and lung capacity

The heart and lungs are muscles so they need to be exercised outside in nature if children
are to be healthy throughout their lives.

Ideas include:

Soft grass covered slopes Pathways that connect to Marks on the dirt that can
to climb up and roll down. each other. change frequently.

Water play channel that requires children to run up and Pathways for running,
down the hill alongside it to follow the water. skipping and/or walking.

Open spaces for Mown pathways

fast movement. in grass.

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 14

 Balance
Improving balance and coordination is fundamental to movement and developing motor skills.

Ideas include:

A log or branch on the ground. A hammock between two trees. Uneven pathways.

A range of rocks or A rope on the ground to Boulders to climb over.

stepping stones to walk on. walk along.

Sense of space
You need body awareness to be able to move it. Developing depth perception allows
children to understand how far away things are.

Ideas include:

Hills and slopes to climb Narrow spaces such as dry Wide open spaces for
up and down to change riverbeds or channels. children to leap and run in.
perspective of the space.

Enclosed spaces like a den

or an underground fort.

Strength
Children need a range of activities to help them develop muscle tone and bone strength.
Hand muscles develop a child’s fine motor control and so resources need to be of varying
size, shape and weight (mass).

Ideas include:

Include smaller materials Have heavier things to Include a rope to create

like sticks, leaves, shells carry likes logs and stones. a pulley system to move
and pebbles that require loose materials.
fine motor control.

Incorporate trees to climb

and pull up on. Loose branches available
for den/mini-community
building.

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 15

 Something to remember: Creating spaces that consider how children play is key to their
success.

Flexibility and agility

Children need natural elements in a playground that help them stretch and move their
bodies to increase flexibility and agility. In natural spaces children are motivated to be active
and subsequently develop skills that impact agility For eg these include knowing when to
stop, moving at the right time and adjusting aim.

Ideas include:

Places to crawl through Open areas for dance and Small areas to get into like
like low tunnels. movement. tree houses.

Trees that require the body to move a lot to get Creating throwing areas for sticks, like
around the branches. a javelin zone.

Water sprays to run into Spaces behind

and away from. tall plants.

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 16

 Step 3:
Community involvement
and design

“In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted,
bent in weird ways, and they’re still beautiful.”
– Alice Walker –

Whether you are going to create a space from scratch or change an existing space, there are
a number of things to consider before you get the pens and paper out to design and build:

1. Dream big and start small

+T
 he creation of a natural play space
takes time

+ Plants need time to grow

+C
 onsider planting mature plants and
trees - this will pay off in the long term

+ Think about stages of development

+D
 oes it have play value and a beauty
when all the plants are dormant?

+C
 onsider the project over a series of
stages so that children can access it as
soon as possible

+H
 ard objects such as a sand zone, seating
areas, den building, climbing boulders
and waterways have immediate appeal

Something to remember:
Think about use all year round

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 17

2. Community consultation
When it comes to designing a
nature-based play space, involve
as many users, including children
as possible. You can download
the Playground Ideas Playground
Builders Handbook to read in
more detail about how to run
community consultations.

Fig 3:1 Drawing out ideas

Makeover example
When the outdoor area at Auchlone Nature Kindergarten in Scotland was designed and
created, the children were a key part of the process. Their suggestions on things to add
included ‘a hill’, ‘mud’ and ‘a tunnel’. It is a good reminder that this is a child’s play space.

Set aside your agenda and focus on the community and children with an open mind.

Something to remember: Listen carefully to the dreams and aspirations of the community

+ Pay attention to their existing special games and activities

+T
 hink about ways to fuel their imaginations and develop skills necessary to thrive in their
community (Play Builder’s Handbook)

+ Make the most of what’s already available

+ Consider seeking a landscape designer if changes are large scale

+ Help the community visualise the play space

With nature play spaces particularly, people should be able to visualise and touch the
materials. Rather than very defined areas of play such as the swings or the slide, a nature
based play space should connect and flow. Just like the natural world intended it to be.

One way of prompting discussion is to use

Talking Tubs®. These are collections of
images and objects in tubs. They are designed
to get people to share their opinion and
handle the raw materials as they talk. They
may be useful when consulting with people
with complex needs, multiple languages or
diverse cultural backgrounds. This is a rights-
based approach to design and create nature
based landscapes and therefore supports the
Right to be Heard (UNCRC).

Fig 3:2 Talking Tub to stimulate thinking.

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 18

So, in a typical Talking Tub we include;-

Ideas to start nature playground conversations

Object or Image To prompt discussion about...

Sticks - a variety of types and
colours
Small samples of sand, grit, mud
Local leaves
Small pebbles, stones and
images of rocks
A tape measure
Images of some simple ideas like
in the features section below
Photo or drawing of a tree used
for shade
Photos and diagrams of seating
options (logs, boulders, benches)
Photos of local people
(Who do we know?)
Small samples of local building
materials.
Photos of local building
techniques
Photos of reusable materials
Their use as a building material but also as a play
material; the location of the loose parts / play
materials on the site
The foundations for features such as a climbing tree;
soil types; the location and long term availability of
play materials for mud play and mixtures
Native plants and their needs, traditional names and
uses; the location of a range of trees and plants to
give a variety of leaf shapes and sizes for play
Local sources of materials; where to locate a rocky
area with boulders or put pebbles that can be
transported in play
Dimensions - height of a log, distance between the
rocks, depth of sand pit
Possibilities and ideas so that the team can design
and make the space themselves
Location of trees to provide shade and shelter;
options for shade if trees are small or unavailable
The type and location of resting spaces to gather
Write down the skills in the local community to use
in the playground build e.g. weaving, digging, mosaic
making, digger driving, planting, carpentry etc
Cheap, sustainable local building materials E.g. Mud,
bamboo, straw, stone
For example, Wattle and Daub (woven wall with fibre
and clay soil)
Cob (clay, sand and straw)
Straw bale
Stone
Earthbag (soil filled sandbags overlaid with cement)
Upcycled metal - reused as gateways or arches;
reused wood for structures; tiles for mosaics; straw
bale as a planter

When creating a nature play space for more formal education it is important that the adults
working in the space understand the pedagogy behind the design so that the way they use
it matches the landscape itself. If adults understand the potential and possibilities of an
area, it affects their interaction with children.

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3. Play behaviours
At this stage it’s useful to think about what you
want children to do and how you want them to
feel.

When designing the space, use materials that

are open ended and can be used for multiple
purposes. Create spaces that connect and flow
as they do in the natural world.

A natural space can support:

+ Communication and curiosity

Fig 3:2 Talking Tub to stimulate thinking
+ Challenges for your brain and body
+ Physicality
+ Creativity
+ Exploration and investigation
+ Adventure
+ Contemplation and calm
+ Stillness and being

See also table on page 19.

In the modern world, children’s experiences

are often structured and adult led. Time
for children to play freely in nature is being
reduced, as are times for just ‘being’, time to
sit and ponder.

Something to remember: Designs can

encourage children to move or to be still.

Fig.3:4 Sit in the space and consider

what it could be for children

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 20

 How can we design spaces for ‘being’ rather than always doing?

The effect of too much pressure too soon can heighten levels of stress and anxiety and the
natural world can provide a sense of calm and respite for both adults and children.

Ideas include:

Calm seating areas away Mature trees of different Hammocks to swing gently
from the main path to sit types with areas “in” tied from mature trees
and ponder. underneath to lie on. or posts.

Enclosures made of Elevated areas such as

plants, sticks or stones hills or platforms that
to encourage children to encourage children to look
settle and be still. out from up high.

Fig 3:5. Ask children to draw and talk about

their ideas for the space

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 21

4. Document and draw
Conversations and drawings are often lost in the desire to get on and make a space.
Create a routine of taking images or videos of the drawing board/models and recording
conversations to document the journey.
One idea is a document called Floorbooks®
that are large (60 X 40 cm books). These
are made with everyone adding in
information, images, drawings etc. This allows
documentation of the whole project from
the initial ideas generated to the build. These
books make the process of design, vision and
consultation visible to everyone. This can be
important for investors and the community. As
the nature play area grows you can add new
Fig.3:6 document the process over many weeks
photos. to show the journey

5. Make the model

When a design is nearly ready, the process moves into model making. Playground designer
Adam Bienenstock, makes 3D sand models of the playscape with twigs for trees and
stones for paths. This allows people to see the design. If you give stakeholders including
children a small figure (made of plasticine or the like), they can travel through the designs
and consider what they will experience and how they might make it more engaging. The
Playground Ideas’ website has a 3D online drag and drop designer that allows users to plan
and walk through a design.

6. Build it
If the community has been involved from
the beginning, they should feel ownership
over the project and want to be involved in
leading and conducting the build. It’s crucial
to have a positive team leader to coordinate
and support everyone (including children).
The team leader’s role is to work with and
understand the landscaping and for the
cultural acknowledgement to space. Fig. 3:7 Child and adult working together

7. Looking after it
All play spaces need on-going maintenance.
Nature has a habit of continuing to grow and if
this is not balanced by the number of children
in the space, you can find that the plants take
over. Ideally the community building group can
help with the long term care.
Fig 3:8 Staff and adults connecting through
making structures

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 22

 Step 4:
Five features to include in
your nature play space

“Nature is so powerful, so strong. Capturing its essence is not easy - your work
becomes a dance with light and the weather. It takes you to a place within yourself.”
– Annie Leibovitz –

When making decisions about materials to use for play - consider “play affordance”
(Nicolson, 1977), - the more open ended it is, the better it is to include in the nature play
area. Natural elements fit this requirement very well.

Following are five popular features to add to any nature space or general playground.

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 23

1. Entrances and invitations
There are many ways to enter a space and children enjoy finding or choosing a way into a
nature based area.

Ideas include:
Invitations to enter a space can be from natural elements such as a low branch, or a gap in
the trees to landscape features such as:

+ Arches
+ Bridges
+ Stepping stones
+ Gateways
+ Stiles
+ Peep holes in boards

Fig 4:1 This entrance consists of a small gate, arch Fig 4:2 Stiles placed around an area
and simple bridge that encourages children to enter. encourage physicality
Auchlone Nature Kindergarten, Scotland, UK.

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 24

2. Hills and elevated platforms
Small changes in height such as standing on a log or a mound allow children to look out
over their play area and develop new perspectives.

Ideas include:
+ A mound of earth, sand or pebbles to climb
+ Large boulders to stand on
+ A climbing tree
+ Raised platforms to look out from

Fig.4:3. Mini Mountain Fig.4:4 Climbing tree

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3. Pathways and journeys
Trails and pathways that connect in a continuous path encourage children to move and
keep moving. Pathways are about going on a journey - by foot or bike or other means - so
it’s great if they can lead somewhere and include points where a decision needs to be made.
For example, paths that turn left or right, a slope to go up or down, trees to go around
backwards or forwards. The more interesting the pathway the more curious and exciting
the journey will be!

Ideas include:
+ Tunnels
+ Arches
+ Split pathways
+ Embedding objects or symbols into the walkways

Fig.4:6. Uneven timber on a pathway

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 26

4. Mud kitchen, cafe or construction area
Creating mixtures and potions is part of childhood.

The desire to make mud to build with, or a mud potion appears to be universal. Children
will use what they have at hand, from shallow puddles and a stick, to areas created from
pallets and old pots and pans. The design and creation of the space by children is the most
important aspect as it gives them ownership and enjoyment to create and construct.

Fig. 4:8 Mud Cafe

Ideas include:
+ Pallets for seats and tables
+ Old cable drumtables
+ A variety of loose parts such as leaves, seed pods, water
+ A variety of sizes of dishes, pans and sticks to make mixtures
+ Signs
+ An arch and a boundary to enclose the space

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 27

5. Vertical space and enclosures
In small spaces, or those that are enclosed by walls, use the vertical surfaces to engage
children. Vertical surfaces can be made in many ways such as with fencing, bamboo,
upcycled pallets or commercial planting frames against an existing wall.

Children enjoy having enclosures and protected spaces that help them feel settled. Create
enclosed bays for play which have a focus such as sand, bark, leaves or mud. This provides
children with the desire to travel around the space to find the bays, and then the motivation
to stay and play.

Ideas include:
+ Enclosed spaces to help children settle
+ A wind barrier on exposed sites
+ A surface such as a stone writing wall, mud wall or backdrop to a sand pit
+ A rendered wall, smooth enough for muddy handprints
+ A wall as a surface or a lean on seat
+ Stone retaining wall
+ Wrap hessian or a loose weave fabric between trees
+ A movable wall for recording children’s work
+ Weave stems of grasses and flowers through the hessian
+ A vertical wall of plants
+ Bamboo walls

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 Step 5:
Five features to include in
your nature play space

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in,
where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.”
– John Muir –

Even the most challenging spaces can be transformed into wonderful nature-filled
playgrounds that allow children to thrive. Here are examples of some transformations that
we hope will inspire and motivate you.

Makeover 1
Potential of a playground - The Oasis
This playground was transformed from a concrete blank space into an oasis! In a hard built
landscape, this urban space has become a gathering place for children and families as it is
well utilised as a living classroom for the school.

The complexity of the space and opportunities for learning comes from the many journeys
children can take through the space as well as the simple variety of natural materials used.

Before After

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Makeover 2
Potential of a field - The Wildspace
Site: Disused field in a community space.

This field was a small (just 15m2) unused space that was turned into a haven - something
that could be replicated in just about any space, urban or rural. This is an example of a
really simple way to create a wild, green space that gives children the opportunity to lie in
the flowers, make dens, search for insects, create art or have a play bay of sand or mud...

The logs varied in sizes from 2 metres to

about 1 metre above the ground level. If
there is strain on the pole you can bury
one third of its length.

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 30

Makeover 3
Potential of a corridor - Schema Play
Site: An unused area at the front of a community building designed for toddlers.

This area was derelict with hazardous waste materials embedded in the grass. The safest
option was to remove the top grass, lay down weed barrier fabric and top with grit. The
image to the left shows the process of development from 2009 to 2018.

This site was designed to build on young children’s schema (repeatable patterns of
behaviour). These schema include:

+ Circularity - going around objects or turning yourself

+ Transporting - moving objects around a space, rolling balls down the tubes
+ Enclosing and enveloping - placing objects inside containers or inside small spaces
+ Crossing a boundary - stepping over a line or going through a gate
+ Filling and emptying with a variety of loose materials and containers
+ Connecting - loose materials such as leaves and sticks to play with on the ground

We hope you enjoy creating your own nature play space… then get out of the way and let
kids get in touch with the beauty of nature. Stand back and watch them learn in and from
nature.

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”
– John Muir –

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 31

 Summary

Children have forever thrived in nature

In our modern world children have less free play and
time to enjoy nature
Playing in nature play spaces has multiple benefits for
children’s wellbeing and learning
Nature play spaces can be built anywhere
Children and other members of the community can and should
be actively involved in the planning and building process
The design should suit community needs, purposes and culture
There is no one right design.

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 32

 References and reading

Bienenstock, A. (2017) International Association of Nature Pedagogy Conference. Workshop.

Bixler et al (2002) Environmental Socialisation: Qualitative Tests of the Childhood play

Hypothesis. Environment and behaviour, 34 (6), 795-818

Christie, R. (2018) Design, Build, Play. Respectful Learning Spaces in

Early Childhood Education. Childspace.NZ.

Cobb, E. (1977) The Ecology of Imagination in Childhood:

Columbia University Press (New York)

Fjortoft, I. (2004). Landscape as Playscape: The effects of natural environments on children’s

play and motor development. Children, Youth and Environments, 14 (2), 21-44.

Haas, M. (1996). Children in the junkyard. Childhood Education, 72(6), Wheaton, MD:
Association for Childhood Education International.

Keeler.R. (2008) Natural Playscapes: Creating Outdoor Play environments for the soul.
Redmond, Washington: Exchange Press.

Louv, R. (2005) Last child in the woods:

Saving our children from the nature-deficit disorder: Algonquin Books

Moore, R.C. (1986) Childhood’s Domain:

Play and Place in child development: Croom Helm London.

Nicolson, S., 1971. The Theory of Loose Parts. How not to cheat children. L.A. Landscape
Architecture 62.p30-34.

UNCRC. United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Article 23.

Waite, S., & Passy, R., & Gilchrist, M., & Hunt, A., & Blackwell, I., (2016). Natural Connections
Demonstration Project, 2012-2016: Final Report (NECR215).

Warden, C. (2003) Handbook of Outdoor Play. Mindstretchers: Scotland.

Warden, C. (2010). Nature Kindergartens and Forest schools. Mindstretchers: Scotland.

Warden, C. (2015). Learning with Nature. Sage: London

Warden, C (1996) Talking and Thinking Floorbooks -

consulting children in the planning process: Mindstretchers: Scotland.

Useful websites:
www.claire-warden.com
www.naturepedagogy.com - a free association to join to promote nature based teaching and learning
www.playgroundideas.org
https://www.natureplay.org.au

© 2020 Playground Ideas is an Australian Non-profit Organization 33