The Playscape at Ripley
  • Why a Playscape?
    • Why a Playscape Now?
    • The Four Pillars of the Playscape at Ripley >
      • Gathering the Community
      • Nature-Based Play
      • Ecological Awareness and Stewardship
      • Universal Accessibility
  • Design & Construction
    • A Phased Construction Approach
    • The Site
    • Key Features
    • Playscape Plantings
    • Photo Updates >
      • September 2019
      • May 2019
      • September 2018
      • February 2018
      • December 2017
      • October 2017
      • August 2017
      • December 2016
      • October 2016
      • June 2016
      • May 2016
      • April 2016
      • February 2016
      • June 2015
      • May 2015
      • February 2015
      • September 2014
      • August 2014
      • July 2014
      • April 2014
      • December 2013
      • October 2013
      • June 2013
      • May 2013
      • March 2013
      • October 2012
      • September 2012
      • May 2012
  • Donate
    • Fundraising Status
    • Naming Opportunities
  • News and Events
    • Photo Updates
    • Fall Family Festival
  • Playscape Leadership
    • FOTPAR
    • Advisory Board
  • Contact Us

The Importance of a Playscape

A nature-based playscape provides a valuable alternative to traditional playgrounds. Unlike traditional playgrounds, a natural playscape allows children to interact with and manipulate nature on their own terms, engages all five senses, and creates many opportunities for different types of play with less prescriptive objects. Children using a nature-based playscape often play for longer periods of time, engage in more imaginative play, and interact and problem solve together as they build in the sand area or create games and worlds of their own using natural objects.

Natural outdoor play environments have been shown to improve creativity as well as diversity and imaginative concepts of play, in turn fostering language development and collaborative skills.  By increasing their awareness, reasoning and observational skills with exposure to natural outdoor spaces, young children can enhance their academic skills and improve their cognitive development. Furthermore, play in natural environments has been found to increase physical activity, motor coordination and balance in young children. 
Picture

In youth before I lost any of my senses, I can remember that I was all alive and inhabited my body with inexpressible satisfaction, both its weariness and its refreshment were sweet to me. This earth was the most glorious musical instrument and I was audience to its strains.
Henry David Thoreau, Journal, 16 July 1851

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.