"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning, but for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood."
~ Fred Rogers ~
What is a "Natural Playground"?
It is a play environment that blends natural materials, features, and
vegetation with creative landforms to create purposely complex play spaces
with high levels of play value. Natural Playgrounds provide children with all
the same benefits as typical playgrounds: gross motor activity, risk taking,
problem solving, social interaction, etc. Natural Playgrounds also teaches
children about the wonders and intricacies of the natural world.
Natural playgrounds look very different from conventional playgrounds. Most playgrounds we see today are comprised of pre-manufactured play equipment selected from catalogs, typically constructed of steel tubing and plastic elements and emphasizing active, or 'gross motor' play. In contrast, natural playgrounds focus on creating settings to enable the type of play most important to children: social play (pretending) and constructive play (building). Natural playgrounds encourage children to use their imaginations while simultaneously experiencing the smells, textures and wonders of the natural world. Natural playgrounds are very safe because they include few or no tall structures and no equipment with moving parts.
Not only is nature a fun place to play, it is proven time and time again that children who frequent in nature have enhanced mental capacities, greater motor control, larger imaginations and greater creativity. Let nature teach our children.
Stonebrook's natural playscape includes an actual stone brook, trike path and garage, stage, tree stump benches, garden classroom, foot bridge, music and art space, sand bunker, labyrinth, a wood play house and store, a mound with built in slide and tunnel, picnic area, plus lots of grass, plants and trees!
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140 West Thompson Lane