When given the opportunity, children love the simplest of pleasure like playing in nature.
Although it can be practical and fun to enrol young children in ballet classes and swimming lessons, other ways to fill up time like watching TV and playing games on a phone or tablet are not necessary the most educational or safe play environments.
Over the last few years, there has been a global movement to achieve more outdoor nature play, incorporated into pre-schools and primary schools.
Creating nature play in these environments gives children the opportunity to access to nature spaces that might not be easily available to them at home.
When nature play is incorporated into a playground environment, children get to experience nature in a safe yet creative, imaginative way that is less structured.
What exactly is nature play?
“Nature play is when children are provided with the opportunity to engage in unstructured play activities in outdoor settings where natural elements feature, such as logs, rocks, and water, as opposed to conventional manufactured play equipment.” Associate Professor Janet Dyment from the School of Education at the University of Tasmania.
Nature Play by Direct Projects
Our highly skilled and talented timber artists hand craft beautiful timber features and sculptures to enhance any nature play space.
- Timber bridges support sensory development
- Climbing structures build using safe organically shaped tree branches
- Dry rock creek beds provide children with a natural play space that stimulates the imagination
- Functional dry creek beds with hand crafted foot bridges for times when the creek is holding water
- Hand water pumps create learning opportunities for the youngest of minds
- Custom built benches for yarning circles encourage collaborative communication amongst pre-schoolers and their educators
Contact us about creation custom built nature play playgrounds for any council or school environment.