The Natural Play and Learning Areas Guidelines Project improves children’s health, happiness, and academic achievement by bringing nature to their daily outdoor play and learning environments. The design guidelines will show managers of schools, parks, childcare centers, and public lands how to make nature a part of children’s outdoor play and learning areas. The guidelines will identify the core elements of a natural play and learning area and demonstrate how to address management, liability, and accessibility issues. For more information, review our two-page project overview.

Progress to Date:

Learning in Nature Corps on Public Lands - In June 2011, National Wildlife Federation and Natural Learning Initiative partnered with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to pilot the use of a designed natural play and learning area within a National Wildlife Refuge. This provided children and families with an experiential introduction to the wildlife and wildlife habitats. Youth members of a Learning in Nature Corps were trained to prepare children’s play and learning habitats and to design and lead associated programming narratives. Pending additional funding, the pilot will be expanded to other refuges in 2012.

Natural Play and Learning Areas Design Guidelines - In an effort funded by the US Forest Service, NWF and NLI will develop design guidelines for use by a wide range of institutions (parks, museums, nature centers, child care centers) and will pilot these guidelines at demonstration sites. The draft guidelines will be released for public comment in the summer of 2012 and issued in final form in the fall of 2012. The demonstration sites, in Jackson, Mississippi, Kalamazoo, Michigan, Holland, Michigan, and Johnson City, Texas, will be completed in 2013.