Nature Play at Home: Creating Outdoor Spaces that Connect Children with the Natural World

by Nancy Striniste

“A magnificent resource for transforming backyards into stimulating environments which enhance children’s creativity, learning, and fun.” —Richard Louv, author of  Last Child in the Woods ,  The Nature Principle , and  Vitamin N

Access to technology has created a generation of children who are more plugged in than ever before—often with negative consequences. But there is a solution. Unrestricted outdoor play helps reduce stress, improve health, and enhance creativity, learning, and attention span. In  Nature Play at Home,  Nancy Striniste gives you the tools you need to make outdoor adventures possible in your own backyard. With hundreds of inspiring ideas and illustrated, step-by-step projects, this hardworking book details how to create playspaces that use natural materials—like logs, boulders, sand, water, and plants of all kinds. Projects include hillside slides, seating circles, sand pits, and more.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Nature, Childrens, Adult, Environment, Education

288 pages, Paperback

Published April 2, 2019

Reviews

[Lorilin · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I say that I love this book, I mean I LOVE this book. It is exactly what I was hoping it would be. I’m in charge of the garden at my kids’s elementary school, and we are in the process of renovating certain areas of the space. It has been tough sometimes to know how best to serve the students with our design choices. But this book has given me so many great ideas for the garden’s hardscape and softscape—from constructing entryways, paths, and tables, to organizing work areas and choosing kid-friendly plants that engage all the senses.

The book is divided into nine sections. After the introduction, there is information on:

*** How to arrange the play space in a way that accommodates children and encourages them to playfully interact with nature
*** How to use plants and other objects that engage all five senses
*** How to best choose and arrange plants in a way that invites kids to safely participate
*** How to construct forts that give kids a magical place to enjoy the outdoors
*** How to help kids increase self-confidence by giving them the opportunity to build and express themselves artistically
*** How to create a comfortable space with adequate shade, seating, etc.
*** How to practically go about building and maintaining your garden space

There are also lots of helpful and inspirational photos throughout the book, which make the projects come to life.

So yes, this has become one of my new favorite resources for school gardening. While the projects may be oriented toward bigger spaces used by lots of kids, many of these ideas can easily be incorporated into smaller, single-family spaces as well. There is something for everyone in here.

Thank you to Net Galley and Timber Press for the ARC. I liked the book so much I went out and bought it. :)

See more of my reviews at www.bugbugbooks.com!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nature Play at Home was a great book! I think that technology is being introduced much too early children's lives and there are aren't spending nearly enough time outside in nature as they should. I really enjoyed this book because it gives parents and caregivers tons of different ideas on how to create outdoor spaces that children will actually want to use. Such simple things, such as logs and sand, can provide not only fun, but also learning. I think this is an important topic in today's society because technology is being introduced to children earlier and earlier. And I think that everyone, children and adults alike, can always benefit from spending more time outdoors. And for children, I think it is extremely important for them to connect with the natural world and enjoy being in it.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot of food for thought here! In spite of the "at home" portion of the title, many of the projects and photos focus more on communal spaces or require a lot more space than a typical suburban or urban lot allows. However, there is a lot here to love, and while a lot of the projects pictured are very ambitious, the concepts can be scaled to almost any yard or open space. I really loved the way this got me thinking about how to engage all five senses in my yard and garden.

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover of this delightful book doesn't do it justice. It is just wonderful in every way. It not only talks about why children (and all of us) need nature but then features page after page of inspirational photos, ideas, projects and more to make wonderful natural areas outside.

I will be buying my own copy, as it was full of so many wonderful photos and inspiration, and I plan on trying a lot of the projects and ideas. Highly recommended.

My rating system:
1 = hated it
2 = it was okay
3 = liked it
4 = really liked it
5 = love it, plan to purchase, and/or would buy it again if it was lost

I read a temporary digital ARC of the book for the purpose of review.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

did I convince my mom to build a big Nature adventure playground in the backyard? yes. can my baby walk yet? no.

I really like the practical tips and the discussion of risks vs hazards. only critique is I would emphasize native plantings in any garden I built and avoid invasives.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I loved this book and I would definitely highly recommend it to all parents as well as anyone who works with children, and especially for anyone looking to create a playground, park, etc. I borrowed this from our library after hearing about it on a podcast (Carole Joy Seid) but I now plan to purchase my own copy (somewhat rare for me) because I want to refer back to all her lists of projects and great plants and activities for getting kids to engage in outdoor play. We all know it's good for kids to play outside, but sometimes the question is how to keep them out there, right? This book offers lots of help in that department, and also provided some interesting evidence I hadn't heard before about the mental health AND physical benefits of playing with more natural materials vs. traditional playground equipment! Really helpful photos, lists, instructions. Lots to think about and I'd highly recommend!

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I love this book! I almost wish I had some grand-kids to practise the ideas on. Such a lovely, open approach to sharing the nature, growing, life-outdoors journey. Branch piles and log slices and so many ideas big and small. Takes the hanging out in your backyard idea and gives it a serious education upgrade. Open ended play has never had such a strong, practical, nature advocate willing to pull it all together in one small book. Two play shed frames grouped to create a community greater than the sum of its parts. Where were these ideas when I was growing up?! I always imagined a trike path with little houses on it would be great fun. And a shed that you can drive through, what kid wouldn't love that experience? Logs and hills and mud pies and cob structures...a wealth of muddy, free flowing dreams steeped in child sized treasures and giant logs. Fun!

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent resource for nature play, whether it's in your backyard, a local park, or the great outdoors! There are tons of great ideas that fit all sorts of spaces and lots of great lists that include the best flowers to grow for pollinators, herbs to grow for scent, and what to grow to create living structures. There are also tons of how-to's for almost everything a child could do outside, from gardening to building to making art and fairy gardens and more!
My daughter and I browsed through this several times, looking at all the pictures to decide what we might want to add to the outdoor 'classroom' space we've been working on. There are so many great ideas in this book but our current favorite is the insect hotel and we can't wait to put that together! This book takes the extra step to break down the projects shared so you can 'do it yourself'!

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Getting our children out in nature is becoming more and more difficult these days with the distance many live from natural landscapes and the added rules and regulations that come from living in a litigious society. This book is an excellent resource in helping us overcome all that by giving an ample supply of ideas for creating playscapes that bring children right in touch with nature in their own backyards or playgrounds.
Equally wonderful for both families and those who oversee the playspaces used in the daily care of children. We can't wait to implement some of these great ideas in our own yard.

**I received an ARC of this book, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.**

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book, for free, in exchange for an honest review.

I had the impression that this book would be more about outdoor kids activities. I am not sure where I got that from as the blurb and title are pretty clear on the books focus, but at least one review makes it sound like this book contains activities. The author does a good job of creating a wide array of beautiful/useful outdoor spaces. There was even one idea I will probably take on (this is impressive as I am reluctant to add more projects to my overbooked schedule).

[Cat]

Where was this book when my daughter was little? I would have gladly designed a garden like this for her! I was fortunate to have been brought up in a relatively rural area with all of nature in my backyard; woods, fields, ponds, streams... every child should be so lucky. For those who aren't, but have a yard, this book will help you create a wonderful outdoor play area for your child(ren)! Great idea for small or large yards. Would make a great gift for new parents!
I received a Kindle arc from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic resource for anyone who wants to help children enjoy time outdoors! The plant lists alone are worth the price of the book (climbing trees, plants with interesting loose parts, plants for fairy gardens), and the author kindly indicates which plants are not native to North America. There are also explicit directions for some of the elements, like a hillside slide and an herb spiral. I'm so glad to have this book as I plan the garden for our grandchildren!

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is focused on what families can do at home, but also provides a general basis for lots of important ideas about outdoor spaces that can be incorporated in classrooms as well. It is a good introduction for families to understand what kinds of elements are important for outdoor spaces and why. The projects that this book features are really ambitious things that cannot be casually done, but the knowledge aspect is very valuable and there's lots to learn from it, not just projects.

[Tanya Knepp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed looking through this book for inspiration. Most of the examples are from daycares, schools, and playgrounds, not actually homes with normal sized backyards, so I feel the title is a bit of a misnomer. That said, there are some great ideas that one could modify for home use, especially if you have more space. I was able to borrow this from my library, and if you can do so as well it's definitely worth the time to peruse it. Wouldn't necessarily spend money to buy it.

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the ideas behind this book a ton, and there are a lot of practical instructions on things you can do in your own yard...if you have a ton of space, and trees, and access to natural materials, and are comfortable with DIY-ing sort of major projects. I mostly just feel intimidated. But I guess this book is food for thought?

[Barrett Homeschool · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has so many inspiring ideas! There’s a lot that we’re unable to make work very easily in our small suburban yard, but there are so many other creative options for making an outdoor play space engaging and appealing. I read this book years ago and then sort of forgot about it, but I’m really glad to have rediscovered it now!

[Emily Monroe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has a lot of great info and photos on how to design a landscape with a focus on children's need for play in the natural world. I came away from it inspired to add a lot of elements for my kids to our property.

[Cathy Totten · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have a small wooded area in our yard I’ve envisioned a trail for grandkids on someday. This book was exactly what we needed for inspiration. We’ve drawn it out and highlighted a few areas we will be working on. Loved it!

[Eunice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great ideas for kidspiration. Cool ideas like making natural nooks, archways, step-stone paths, boardwalks, planting gardens (for hearing, feeling, tasting), sandpits, water play and so much more. You would need to be very handy though!

[Morgan Shae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got so many ideas for how to incorporate nature play into my tiny yard. One day I hope to have the acreage to do all these fun these for my kids, but you don't need a large yard to incorporate some of these. This was very encouraging and inspiring.

[Steffani Morrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Motivated me to reimagine our backyard! Love that the book contains photos to visualize different ways to achieve amazing outdoor play spaces!

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some really great ideas with wonderful explanations. It is also a great resource for building outdoor spaces.

[Haylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all the suggestions and reasons for turning your outside area, however big or small, into a magical space.

[Cindy Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every parent, grand parent and school leader should read the entire book. Beautifully written with many ideas to help children grow in nature.

[Adriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Backyard play dream book.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ideas for outdoor spaces, though many are beyond the “at home” scale for urban dwellers

[Maeve · Rating 3 out of 5]

A guide to creating sensory- and imagination-rich outdoor spaces for children that encourage exploration and play.

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent source of ideas to make nature a part of every day play

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much inspiration!

[Victoria Devitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will be coming back to this many times for sure!