Why do we value nature as the context for play?
Nature is open-ended and provides the best "loose parts" for play and exploration with all of the senses. Open-ended features in play materials allow for the child to act upon the environment in a variety of ways. The same materials can then support development along a wide continuum, from infancy to preschool and beyond. Variability in materials allows for enhanced creativity and other higher order cognitive skills (problem-solving, flexibility, representational thought, etc.). Open-ended play and materials are naturally inclusive of children with diverse abilities and ways of experiencing the world. Variability in terrain and environmental conditions also makes nature the ultimate playground, challenging bodies appropriately in order to develop physical strength and coordination.
Play in nature supports a strong connection to the natural world. Maintaining this bond is essential for raising future stewards of our planet. In order to protect something, we must first love it, and in order to love it, we must be allowed to deeply know it. Children are born connected to nature, because as humans we are one with nature. However, as we age, we lose that connection when we aren't provided ample opportunity to play and immerse ourselves within the natural world. When we regularly visit the wild spaces we have access to locally, children learn through place-based experiences, knowing a specific natural setting deeply by witnessing it through the seasons and forming an emotional bond to its features. We carry these memories within us for a lifetime.
Nature is a source of resilience and emotional regulation for children and adults. Just being in nature provides a balanced array of sensory stimuli that can be very soothing to our nervous systems. We are designed to exist within the context of the greater natural world. If we feel safe, connected, and at peace within this setting, we will be able to draw on it when we most need its regulatory properties. Many times, it's the ideal setting to support children who struggle in more traditional spaces with lots of noise, bright lights, and other overwhelming sensory input.
