Develop an engaging nature playscape that fully realizes your program’s educational goals

Allowing young children to explore, discover, and learn through outdoor play is fundamental for early childhood development. The playground is no longer a place the is just for ‘running off steam’ so students can focus on indoor ‘work’. The benefits of child led outdoor play in early childhood nature playgrounds are immense including increased;

• Executive functioning
• Healthy risk taking
• Creativity
• Engagement
• Social emotional health
• Fine and gross motor skills
• Problem solving
• Perseverance
• Child led learning

As an early childhood education provider, you and your team work hard to create a safe and effective learning environment for your children, to carry out your mission, and to create a caring community atmosphere.  Applying these goals in your outdoor play environment so the outdoors reflects the care and attention to the indoors can seem daunting and over whelming.   

The right combination of opportunities in the playscape can engage every child in their interests and help them develop their abilities. Well-designed early childhood nature playgrounds keep children deeply engage in self-directed learning. This greatly minimizes issues, arguments and boredom. A dynamic outdoor nature play area also provides opportunities for exploration that may be too big, noisy, or messy for inside.

If you are looking to enhance your existing playscape or do a complete overhaul, we can help.  We know it can be difficult to develop a design and coordinate construction while also managing the day to day needs of your  program. Learning Landscapes Design is a professional design firm that can help turn your playscape vision into an exciting, engaging, and educational reality. Your playground will finally support your mission and offer daily opportunities for your children! 

Learning Landscapes Design can help you clarify the vision and goals for your early childhood nature playgrounds. We can develop a concept plan and cost estimate, provide complete construction plans and details, apply for any relevant permits and oversee construction so that your final playscape meets your mission and vision.  

 Check out our past preschool and early childhood projects.

 

Common Challenges in Early Childhood Centers and Preschools

Early childhood centers and preschools inhabit a wide range of facilities including; homes, schools, churches, and community centers.  These existing buildings are great for the indoor programs but can sometimes make the playscape look like an afterthought, with limited space and unusual site conditions.  Many early childhood education providers face the following challenges:

• Declining or insufficient outdoor play areas
• Disorganized or cluttered layout
• Lack of age appropriate play equipment
• Limited development and maintenance budget
• Concerns about meeting current safety guidelines

Turn your playground challenges into opportunities with a playscape concept plan

Cluttered and declining or insufficient outdoor play areas:  Many issues are directly related to insufficient facilities, which are a result of a lack of appropriate accommodation, maintenance and development budget.  Often there are so many places to spend money that nothing ends up getting done or done very well.  A concept plan, designed with your mission in mind, becomes an excellent tool to help you prioritize.  Outlining where your organizations time and money are spent.

Disorganized outdoor play area layout:  Defining different playscape areas by function and age appropriateness provides an organized layout that is easy for educators to understand and regulate.  This approach improves playscape navigation  and helps educators create an environment full of ‘yes’ spaces, where children are free to explore, discover, climb, and learn. 

Lack of age appropriate equipment:  Whether a child is learning to stand up or is hanging from monkey bars, designated age-based play spaces are designed with equipment and components that are developmentally appropriate for each children.

Limited development and maintenance budget: A playscape concept plan is an investment with returns.  Not only does a well-planned playscape entice families to enroll, but you can also leverage your playscape plan for fund raising with both individual donors and grant programs!  A  well developed design shows how investments in development will serve your mission and it acts as a map of where and how money will be spent.  A great concept plan gives you, your staff, and your donors something to proudly invest in!

Concerns about meeting current safety guidelines: A playscape that is damaged, old or does not meet current national safety guidelines can be unsafe for children. These conditions often results in portions of a playground or entire play structures to be “off limits” and requires increased staff supervision and additional regulations to be in place.  Creating a space that replaces outdated equipment allows children to explore and challenge themselves freely and allows educators and parents to breathe easier.

With an early childhood nature playground concept design you can share your vision for dynamic play experience that will inspire your educators, parents, and donors. Learning Landscapes helps you through this process with plan drawings, illustrative images, cost estimates, and construction documents.  Grant programs and individual donors are wowed when they see a clear, detailed site concept plan that fully realizes your organization’s mission and educational goals!

Are you ready to get a concept plan for your outdoor play area? Let’s talk!