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How Fay's Natural Playground Benefits Student Development and Learning

How Fay's Natural Playground Benefits Student Development and Learning

Years ago, Richard Louv wrote the seminal text, Last Child in the Woods. It describes the migration of childhood indoors over the past generation and how that has negatively impacted our children's development. Many researchers have followed him, studying nature's effects on children and the decline in open-ended play. So much of the play our children do today is adult-directed. We all love Little League, and children gain many important skills and mindsets from participating in these activities, but open-ended play develops children differently. If you have ever experienced a child playing with a large box for hours on end, then you have seen open-ended play in action. Their imagination takes over, transforming the box into a store, a rocket ship, or a hideaway. This play wires brains to be flexible and creative. 

Every playground has a lifespan, and as we noticed our former playground was nearing the end of its life, we started to research how we might want to replace it. We knew that natural playgrounds invite children to interact with natural materials in a myriad of ways. Natural playgrounds give children opportunities for problem solving, sensory stimulation, and imaginary play. At The Fay School, we have a deep affinity for nature and its benefits for children. This goes back to our founder, Marie Fay Evnochides, who said in the early years of the school that she "hoped every child would be able to drop a leaf in the bayou and watch it float away." A sentiment that seems even more important in today's increasingly harried world than when she said it in the 1990s. Research has shown us that children who spend regular time in nature have better focus, healthier immune systems, and even score better on tests! 

Our research on play led us to Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds, the premier builder of natural playgrounds across North America. We formed a design team of teachers and maintenance personnel to explore our school's needs, hopes, and desires for this new space. With the designer, we looked at what parts of our playground were still in good shape, aligned with our vision, and brainstormed what components we hoped to build. The result has been a playground that meets the needs of children's social, physical, and cognitive development.  

The west side of our playground is the Wacky Pole Forest. This space has poles where children can build structures. There's a mirrored wall and a chalkboard to write on. A cabinet holds supplies to spark children's imaginations: slack lines, tarps, a hammock. Children can build whatever they dream up! Beyond this area is a water and sand area that provides many opportunities for sensory experiences as they pump water from the water pump and build with sand. One consequence of the migration indoors is that children today have less exposure to different sensory experiences. Think about grass under your bare feet or squishing your fingers into a mud pie as a child. These experiences encourage learning through exploration, curiosity, and problem-solving. They also make neurological connections in the brain that build language and motor development. It is simply a pleasant sensory experience, too! 

There are also structures for climbing where children can experiment with risky play and build strength. On conventional playgrounds, stairs and railings help children get to the top of the structure. That at first seems helpful, but it puts children without the strength to take care of their bodies higher up than is safe for them. On our natural playground, you can only reach those heights if you are strong enough to get up there and, thus, strong enough to get down safely. As children gain strength, they can reach new heights and access new parts of the structures. This motivates children to try and keep trying. This strength is obtained after repeated practice. Perseverance is something we all want to instill in our children! 

Swings are a perennial favorite for children for good reason. Swings' back-and-forth or spinning motion helps kids regulate their nervous systems, much like rocking them as babies. They also help children develop spatial awareness. The vestibular sense tells the body where it is in space, leading to better balance. Swings also develop children socially and physically as they take turns and push each other. 

Anyone can quickly see how beautiful our playground is, but it is also an intentional part of our curriculum to grow healthy students, mind, body, and spirit. They are playing in the dirt and encountering noninfectious organisms in the soil that build healthy immune systems. They are strengthening friendships that lead to academic work partnerships. They are building muscle. They are soaking in nature to return to class calm, centered, and ready to learn. We are so glad to offer this space for our students' development and enjoyment.