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Children at Play Network

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  • Benefits of Play in Nature
  • Play in the News
  • Natural Play Environments
  • Risk
  • Loose Parts
  • Natural Materials
  • Free Play

Natural Materials

Natural materials include wood, water, plants, stone, air, rope, canvas, sand, mulch, pebbles, mud, etc. Many, if not most, play environments are built out of materials of technology ...

 

Loose Parts

Loose parts are things that children can play with. Fixed equipment are structures that children play on. Loose parts found in nature include sticks, mulch, pebbles, logs or “tree cookies.” ...

 

Risk

Providing opportunities to encounter and navigate appropriate levels of risk in play environments provides children with important skills. In the context of play, risk refers to opportunities ...

 

Natural Play Environments

Nature play environments support nature play. These environments are outside, and most often use natural materials such as logs, rocks, trees, sand, water and gardens. Children who ...

 

Benefits of Play in Nature

Research on the benefits for children who play in nature is growing. Many evidence-based studies discuss the various ways in which children grow ...

 

Play in the News

View the latest on play in the news ...

 

Free Play

We believe in Free Play because...

  • Children are competent beings.
  • Children begin building connections and passions when they are very young.
  • Children deserve play environments that connect them deeply with nature.
  • Children require frequent opportunities to play freely in order to develop in healthy ways.
  • Children seek out and benefit from environments that al
    low them to explore risk in appropriate ways.
  • Children have an affinity for natural materials over plastics and materials of technology.

We believe that by supporting free play in nature we are nurturing the next generation of environmental stewards.

 

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