Helping Licensed Child-Care Programs Embrace Nature Play

I grew up on two acres of land in rural West Virginia, and my childhood was full of outdoor exploration. To my adult eyes, that land may not seem extraordinary, but as a child, it was my playground. I spent hours catching toads and grasshoppers, building homes for birds and caterpillars, playing in the stream, and resting in the shade of two large weeping willows. I dug for treasures and gathered cherry tomatoes from my mother’s garden. Those memories still fill me with joy and nostalgia, and it wasn’t until much later in life that I fully understood the value of that kind of play. 

It was during my pursuit of my second degree in child development that I began to realize the impact that our world is having on the way that I played as a child. What I once took for granted—outdoor play and the freedom to explore—has now become a rare experience for many children today. Reading Hanna Rosin’s 2014 article “The Overprotected Kid” was a turning point for me. It sparked a deep interest in nature play, adventure playgrounds, and the concept of “loose parts” (oh my!) That’s when I discovered Pop-Up Adventure Play, a UK-based organization that sets up mobile playgrounds using open-ended materials. Inspired, I brought the concept to my small town in Pennsylvania, and for the next five years, I partnered with local nonprofits, churches, child care centers, schools, and community festivals to bring child-led play opportunities to children, outdoors as often as possible.  

What I witnessed was astonishing. Children created elaborate economies with stores made from cardboard boxes, including bartering systems made of pinecones and bark. Preschoolers collaborated with older children to navigate social challenges, like taking turns and dealing with tattling. Mud kitchens brought to life imaginative concoctions made of sand, dirt, grass, and the main ingredient: a deep focus. Time and again, I saw brilliant problem-solving and creativity emerge.  

What Research Says about Play and Nature 

These examples illustrate how deeply intertwined play and nature are in early childhood, a relationship that research consistently stresses as critically important. Children learn best through play, and without it, they face increased risks of depression, anxiety, obesity, underdeveloped muscles, and other serious issues (Gray, Lancy, & Bjorklund, 2023). Similarly, nature plays a vital role in children’s development, from helping to prevent myopia to boosting academic performance and reducing stress. Angela Hanscom, a pediatric occupational therapist and author of Balanced and Barefoot (2016), emphasizes the necessity of outdoor time for children, including infants, recommending hours spent outdoors daily. Research published in Frontiers in Psychology highlights how nature promotes creativity, problem-solving, self-discipline, empathy, and caretaking, while also having a rejuvenating effect on attention and decreasing ADHD symptoms (Kuo, Barnes, & Jordan, 2019). 

Despite this wealth of research, many early childhood professionals feel pressure to prioritize kindergarten readiness and academic achievement over play. This often results in less movement and increased focus on rote memorization, pushing aside child-led, play-based learning and limiting outdoor time. The consequences are noticeable, as children miss out on the development of critical physical and emotional skills through natural play. 

Today, as an early childhood technical assistance coach, I have the privilege of supporting educators across various aspects of their classroom practices. I help with curriculum development, enhancing positive interactions, and setting up effective classroom environments, all with a focus on children’s right to play. Early on in this role, I reflected on my childhood and my experiences facilitating pop-up play sessions. I realized that many early childhood environments—whether in terms of materials, physical space, or daily schedules—were not meeting children’s needs for movement, exploration, deep play, and creativity. 

Addressing Challenges Through ‘Pop-Up Play Days,’ Outdoor Learning Project 

In 2020, I began collaborating with a friend and mentor who is a certified Montessori teacher, nature-based educator, and playworker. Together, with the support of the organization we work for, Community Connections for Children, we set out to address these challenges. We started by offering “loose parts pop-up play days” for child care providers in our six-county region in Pennsylvania. These events took place during the pandemic, when outdoor spaces were finally getting some of the recognition they deserve. To help educators understand the learning that took place during these play sessions, we linked early learning standards with photos and stories, creating a “learning log” that demonstrated the educational value of outdoor play. These logs helped teachers and families see firsthand how much children can learn through child-led, loose parts play in nature. 

Our goal is to give educators the tools, confidence, and techniques to create environments where children thrive through play and nature. We show them how to “stand back while a child plays,” a playwork approach that allows children autonomy and deep play. The environment itself is treated as the “third teacher,” a principle from the Reggio Emilia approach, and we use Montessori techniques to design aesthetically pleasing, child-centered spaces. To help educators overcome obstacles to spending more time outdoors, we introduce innovative tools like the Lotus Blossom Brainstorming Tool and the Kanban Board, helping them plan and prioritize effectively. 

In 2023, we launched an outdoor learning environment pilot project to explore how we could achieve more consistent buy-in from early learning programs and support them in adopting a play- and nature-focused approach. We selected six programs and provided them with customized site design plans, and whole-staff development, which included family involvement. This project has given these programs the extra support and practical tools they need to turn their outdoor spaces into vibrant learning environments. Our long-term goal is to expand this initiative statewide, similar to the outdoor learning environment initiatives in South Carolina and Texas. 

Why Nature Play? Examples of Impact 

Builds Empathy and Problem-Solving 

One memory that stands out for me from these experiences is from a neighborhood pop-up play event that involved children of various ages. A child in a wheelchair wanted to participate in a race but couldn’t keep up with the others who were on foot. Without any adult prompting, a group of children built makeshift wheelchairs out of large wooden spools and raced down the sidewalk alongside their friend. This spontaneous act of inclusion demonstrates how loose parts play fosters empathy and problem-solving, providing space for all children to be involved in play. 

Problem-solving is an essential skill for young children, one that future employers will value. According to the World Economic Forum (Whiting, 2020), key skills for the future workforce include analytical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving. If early childhood education is truly focused on preparing children for the future, then we must provide opportunities for them to develop these skills through play and nature. 

Helps with Self-regulation and Focus  

During our pop-up loose parts sessions, or in the debriefs with teaching staff afterward, we ask if they observed any changes in the behavior of children who typically struggle to engage or focus in the classroom. Without fail, a teacher excitedly shares a story about a child who often shows boredom or emotional dysregulation inside, but who became completely absorbed while working in the outdoor kitchen or building an impressive tower from wood cookies, exclaiming, “I’ve never seen this child so engaged!” 

Self-regulation is another crucial skill that children develop through play in nature, including the ability to control impulses and focus attention (Children & Nature Network). Studies have also shown that nature can reduce emotional dysregulation, especially for children living in poverty or experiencing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) (Flouri, Midouhas, & Joshi, 2014; Touloumakos & Barrable, 2020). 

 

Encourages Caretaking  

I recall a 3-year-old boy who spent over 20 minutes carefully observing a tiny mushroom during a forest day demonstration. This kind of sustained attention, where a child is fully immersed in nature, provides rich opportunities for learning. Another time, a butterfly landed on a child’s arm, drawing the attention of the entire group. The children discussed the butterfly’s behavior, where it might be going, and what name they should give it. As David Sobel (1996) suggests, children must first love the earth before they can be asked to care for it. 

Meeting People Where They Are

We’ve come to understand the importance of meeting people and programs where they are, recognizing that changing or expanding one’s mindset takes time. Progress doesn’t happen overnight, so we focus on starting small, demonstrating rather than just explaining, and encouraging staff to be as involved in the process as possible. These approaches help programs gradually embrace a play- and nature-focused mindset. 

Over the past three years, my colleague and I have provided professional development to teachers and program directors on child-led play, outdoor learning environments, and risky play. We have shown how to incorporate loose parts indoors and demonstrated what extended playtime looks like during center time. We have also modeled forest classrooms in local wooded areas, helping educators see the value of natural spaces for learning. While addressing the many barriers that early childhood programs face can be challenging, the rewards are clear: when we see the joy that arises in both children and the adults who care for them, the hard work becomes more than worth it. 

A Win-Win-Win

This is my invitation to you: go outside with your children, let them lead their play, and observe. By stepping back but tuning in, as Hanscom recommends, we will see tremendous learning beyond what we could prepare in any activity or lesson. It is immensely rewarding for the educators, for the children, and ultimately for the earth. It is truly a win-win-win. 

 

Small Steps to Enhance Your Outdoor Learning Environment 

To make your outdoor play space more engaging for children, consider adding features of an outdoor learning environment (OLE). Here are some easy suggestions: 

Outdoor Kitchen with Loose Parts 
This is our top suggestion for creative and engaging play. Kitchens are familiar to children, so adding loose parts (open-ended materials with no fixed purpose) like cardboard tubes, milk jugs, pots, pans, scoops, tongs, pinecones, leaves, flowers, stones, and more encourages learning in all developmental areas. 

Larger Loose Parts 
Add larger items like milk crates, boards, tires, cardboard boxes, and PVC pipes to an open area, and position them strategically to encourage movement and exploration. By incorporating these items, you can transform an open area into an inviting space that fosters physical development, cooperation, and imaginative play. 

Grab-and-Go Curriculum Kits 
Create age-appropriate kits in plastic totes, wagons, or reusable grocery bags that you can easily bring outside. These kits can cater to various curriculum areas, such as art, science exploration, literacy, math, small world play, or music, as well as to different age groups, infants through school age. Envision your outdoor area as a natural extension of your indoor learning environment. Set up the kits as enticing invitations that will pique children's curiosity and encourage them to explore and engage with the materials. 

Gardening 
By actively participating in the process of growing their food, children are more likely to experiment with new flavors and develop a deeper appreciation for healthy eating. Add garden beds or planters to provide your children with a hands-on experience that engages their senses, allowing them to touch and smell the fresh soil, and taste the fruits and vegetables they've nurtured, therefore fostering a connection to the food they consume. 
 

References

Nature’s role in promoting resilience, regulation and Recovery. Children & Nature Network. (2022, February 26). https://www.childrenandnature.org/resources/natures-role-in-promoting-resilience-regulation-and-recovery/ 
 
Flouri, E., Midouhas, E., & Joshi, H. (2014). The role of Urban Neighbourhood Green space in children’s emotional and behavioural resilience. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 40, 179–186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2014.06.007 
 
Gray, P., Lancy, D. F., & Bjorklund, D. F. (2023). Decline in independent activity as a cause of decline in children’s mental well-being: Summary of the evidence. The Journal of Pediatrics, 260, 113352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2023.02.004 
 
Hanscom, A. J. (2016). Balanced and barefoot: How unrestricted outdoor play makes for strong, confident, and capable children. New Harbinger Publications, Inc. 
 
Kuo, M., Barnes, M., & Jordan, C. (2019). Do experiences with nature promote learning? converging evidence of a cause-and-effect relationship. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00305 
 
Sobel, D. (1996). Beyond Ecophobia: Reclaiming the heart of nature education. Great  Barrington, MA. The Orion Society.  
Touloumakos, A. K., & Barrable, A. (2020). Adverse childhood experiences: The protective and therapeutic potential of nature. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.597935 
 
Whiting, K. (2020, October 21). These are the top 10 job skills of tomorrow – and how long it takes to learn them. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/top-10-work-skills-of-tomorrow-how-long-it-takes-to-learn-them/