What is a Natural Playground
WHAT IS A NATURAL PLAYGROUND? WHY DO WE WANT ONE? (Background - Spring, 2007)A natural playground is a natural fit for MVUC and FHP:
- Unitarian Universalists believe in the interdependent web of all life.
- UU’s honor earth-centered traditions celebrating the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
- An action goal of the MVUC Green Sanctuary Committee is to make our church more environmentally benign and to grow a sense of environmental responsibility in our congregation and the surrounding community.
- At Fort Hunt Preschool the children go outside for a large part of almost every day, and all classes have a strong emphasis on nature and observing the seasonal changes on MVUC’s serene grounds.
From Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Natural-Deficit Disorder:
- Between 2000 and 2003, spending on ADHD for preschoolers increased 369 percent.
- Many physicians and psychologists agree. “Our brains are set up for an agrarian, nature-oriented existence that came into focus five thousand year ago,”—Michael Gurian, a family therapist and best-selling author of The Good Son and The Wonder of Boys. “Neurologically, human beings haven’t caught up with today’s overstimulating environment. The brain is strong and flexible, so 70 to 80 percent of kids adapt fairly well. But the rest don’t. Getting kids in nature can make a difference.”
- Nature’s Ritalin: “By bolstering children’s attention resources, green spaces may enable children to think more clearly and cope more effectively with life stress,” writes Nancy Wells, assistant professor at the New York State College of Human Ecology. In 2000, Wells conducted a study that found that being close to nature, in general, helps boost a child’s attention span.
If you've ever climbed trees, rolled down hills, scrambled up rocks, made mud pies, dammed up water, hidden in grass, played house in bushes, built snow forts, dug in sand, played in dirt, planted seeds, jumped in leaves, tracked animals, or had fun outside in other, similar ways, you've experienced natural play.
Look at what the research says: Natural Playgrounds contribute to the overall physical, cognitive, and emotional development of children. As a result of playing in natural environments, children:
- score higher on tests for concentration and self-discipline,
- experience more diverse play,
- exhibit less aggressive behavior,
- strive toward advanced motor fitness, and
- become healthier.
Natural Playgrounds offer financial benefits, as well. They're less expensive than equipment, they aren't replaced when safety regulations change, they lower playground injuries (which cost the US over $8 billion every year), they offer higher play value at lower cost, and they're part of the greening movement that reduces costly environmental impacts while improving wildlife habitats and beautifying their surroundings.
And --- they're perfect outdoor classrooms!
No wonder there's a worldwide movement to "leave no child inside."