Outdoor
Nature Play Area
Staunton Parks & Recreation has been researching the
idea of creating a natural play area within one of our
existing parks. What is a natural play area? One that uses
natural environmental elements to create designated play
structures, which elicit creativity and imagination while
simultaneously promoting physical activity. As defined
by recent guidelines established by the National Wildlife
Federation and the Nature Learning Initiative, nature play
is a “designated, managed area in an existing or modified
outdoor environment where children of all ages and abilities
play and learn by engaging with and manipulating diverse
natural elements, materials, organisms, and habitats,
through sensory, fine motor and gross motor experiences”
(Moore, 2014). We all have fond childhood memories of
playing outside for hours at a time- climbing trees, hiking in
the woods, wading in the creek or just exploring our own
backyard.
Spending time in nature has also been proven to correlate
directly with environmental stewardship. Building a
connection with nature, especially through nature play at a
young age plays an an important piece in understanding
the necessity of environmental preservation and
conservation.
Play in nature promotes socio-dramatic play which is how
executive functioning develops in the brain. Executive
functioning are things like focus, self-control, critical thinking
& problem solving.
In fall 2014, we conducted a community survey
to assess the need for a nature play area in
Staunton. We want to highlight a few of these
results:
Do You See a
Natural Play Area as
a Tourist/Visitor Draw?
Do You See a
Natural Play Area as
a Beneficial Amenity to
Staunton’s Existing Parks?
91.02% YES
8.98% NO
99.22% YES
.78% NO
How Likely Would
You be to Visit and Utilize
a Natural Play Area?
53.71% HIGHLY LIKELY
23.44% VERY LIKELY
18.36% LIKELY
4. IH