Embankment Slides
The Green Desk NLI Embankment Slides How would you recommend installing an embankment slide?Slide Installation: Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for proper installation of the slide. NLI defers to the manufacturer’s recommendations on...
Tree Cookies for Play and Learning
The Green Desk NLI Tree Cookies for Play and Learning What are some ways to improve an outdoor learning environment without breaking the bank?Tree cookies are a simple, affordable, and effective way to improve an outdoor learning environment. They afford a variety of...
Natural Building
The Green Desk NLI Natural Building What are some ways to improve an outdoor learning environment without breaking the bank?Adding a natural building play area to an outdoor learning environment is an easy and inexpensive way to diversify free play.Any assortment of...
Natural Playhouse
The Green Desk NLI Natural Playhouse What are some ways to improve an outdoor learning environment without breaking the bank?Built from locally sourced logs, branches, and sticks, Natural Playhouses are an affordable and creative alternative to the playhouses one...
Raised Planters: Timber Construction
The Green Desk NLI Raised Planters: Timber Construction What are some ways to improve an outdoor learning environment without breaking the bank? Raised planters, and the gardens that grow within them, are one of the many affordable ways to improve an outdoor learning...
Safely Installing Planters on Asphalt
The Green Desk NLI Safely Installing Planters on Asphalt Is it safe to grow edible plants in a raised planter installed directly on asphalt? If soil is in direct contact with the asphalt, toxins may leach into the soil and be absorbed by the roots, so it would not be...
Naturalizing Chain link Fences
The Green Desk NLI Naturalizing Chain link Fences How can chain link fences be naturalized with vines? For safety and supervision reasons, childcare centers have fences along the perimeters of their outdoor learning environments. The vast majority of these fences are...
Reducing Mosquitoes
The Green Desk NLI Reducing Mosquitoes How can we reduce the number of mosquitoes in our outdoor learning environment? Most important – eliminate standing water All mosquitoes require standing water to breed and some species only require 4 days to reach maturity. ...
Reducing bothersome stinging insects
The Green Desk NLI Reducing bothersome stinging insects How can I reduce the number of bothersome stinging insects?Yellow jackets, hornets, and paper wasps are all members of the wasp family. Although wasps are not efficient pollinators, they are useful for pest...
Bees, Wasps, and Other Pollinators
The Green Desk NLI Bees, Wasps, and Other Pollinators Will a naturalized outdoor learning environment attract bees and other stinging insects? The short answer is “yes” if it contains flowering, nectar-producing plants. Any vegetated area provides habitat for animal...
Preventing stings
The Green Desk NLI Preventing stings How can I help prevent stings from bees and other insects?The best way to help prevent stings is to establish proper ways to interact with insects. Bees are most likely to sting when they are near their hive and feel threatened. ...
Primary Pathways
The Green Desk NLI Primary Pathways What is a primary pathway? Primary pathways are a functional necessity in childcare outdoor learning environments and promote physical activity by facilitating walking, running, chase games, and wheeled toy use (riding, pushing,...
Harvesting and Eating Sunflower Seeds
The Green Desk NLI Harvesting and Eating Sunflower Seeds I’ve noticed the birds are eating the seeds from our sunflowers growing in our child care center. Can the children eat them too? The birds are attracted to sunflowers in your garden because they benefit from...
Wildflower Patch
The Green Desk NLI Wildflower Patch What are some ways to improve an outdoor learning environment without breaking the bank? Wildflower patches are a simple, one-season way to brighten your outdoor learning environment with flowers. Always beautiful (although not...
Natural Materials for Play and Learning
The Green Desk NLI Natural Materials for Play and Learning What natural materials can be used outdoors? Natural materials, or natural loose parts, afford an array of open-ended play and learning opportunities, such as building, sorting, counting, and dramatic play....
Primary Pathway Layout
The Green Desk NLI Primary Pathway Layout What steps are involved in laying out a primary pathway? Laying out a pathway can seem complicated and overwhelming. Following the provided steps should simplify the process and produce a more successful result. This post...
Installing Stepping Stones
The Green Desk NLI Installing Stepping Stones How can I install a stepping stone pathway?Stepping stones are an effective and durable material used for creating pathways. They can be installed linearly to create secondary pathways or used in mass to create patios or...
Autumn Leaves for Play and Learning
The Green Desk NLI Autumn Leaves for Play and Learning Do you have any activities for young children about leaves changing color in the fall? The changing color of the autumn leaves is a great opportunity for exploring science, art and literacy with young children. If...
Raising Funds and Resources for Outdoor Learning Environments
The Green Desk NLI Raising Funds and Resources for Outdoor Learning Environments How can I raise funds to naturalize our child care center’s outdoor learning environment? Naturalizing your center’s outdoor learning environment (OLE) by adding trees, shrubs, flowers,...
Autumn Children’s Books and Outdoor Play
The Green Desk NLI Autumn Children’s Books and Outdoor Play I need some inspiration for creative autumn outdoor play. Any suggestions? Autumn is a magical time of year. Leaves change to brilliant yellows, oranges and reds. An abundance of natural loose parts...
More on Physical Activity with Diane Craft
The Green Desk NLI More on Physical Activity with Diane Craft Where can I find the resources for increasing physical activity levels that Dr. Diane Craft highlighted during her presentation at the Design Institute? At the 9th Annual Natural Learning Design Institute,...
Selecting, Installing, and Managing Plants
The Green Desk NLI Selecting, Installing, and Managing Plants How do I select, arrange, purchase, and manage plants for my outdoor learning environment? For a comprehensive guide to selecting, installing, and managing plants in landscapes designed for children and...
Winter Play and Learning Outdoors
The Green Desk NLI Winter Play and Learning Outdoors As winter temperatures drop, time off from usual childcare/school and work routines can increase opportunities to enjoy outdoor play and learning activities, with different clothing requirements. The end-of-year...
Sand Play Areas: Design
The Green Desk NLI Sand Play Areas: Design Sand is spreading across our site. What can we do? Sand play is one of the most valuable natural behavior settings for children from toddlerhood through the early school years. However, to stop sand from spreading across...
Draining Wet, Muddy Areas
The Green Desk NLI Draining Wet, Muddy Areas How do you drain a wet play area? Improper drainage can be a major barrier to using the childcare center outdoor learning environment (OLE). For areas that are frequently wet and muddy, here are some ideas to improve...
Sensory Gardens
The Green Desk NLI Sensory Gardens What is a sensory garden? Sensory gardens provide intimate spaces where young children can be immersed in the scents, textures and colors of plants and related elements. Along with specially selected plants, sensory gardens may also...
Engaging Community Resources
The Green Desk NLI Engaging Community Resources How do we recruit local resources to help renovate our outdoor learning environment?Engaging the community is key to successfully renovating an outdoor learning environment (OLE). Communities can provide resources such...
Growing IN Place Symposium 2017
NLI Growing IN Place Symposium 2017 Urban Nature by Design Achieving environmental literacy though biophilic design, eco-restoration, and management of play and learning opportunities for children and youth in urban green infrastructure. Program Children and youth...
Grass Mazes
The Green Desk NLI Grass Mazes How do you design a grass maze? Grass mazes are composed of informal arrangements of ornamental “clumping” grasses (i.e., that do do spread through rhizomes). Grass mazes support chase games like tag and hide-and-seek, and...
Pathway Installation: Alternatives to concrete
The Green Desk NLI Pathway Installation: Alternatives to concrete What are the steps for installing fine crushed stone or mulch pathways? Pathway installation will depend on site variables. Pathways can either be installed on top of the existing ground surface...
Summer Play: Affordable Misting Station
The Green Desk NLI Summer Play: Affordable Misting Station How can I create an affordable misting station?To beat the summer temperatures and transform nearly any overhead structure into a misting station all you need is about $30, a water spigot, and a little time to...
Farm to Preschool
Farm to Preschool is an expansion of the national farm to school model that started with school gardening and connecting farms and schools.
Theme Gardens
The Green Desk NLI Theme Gardens What are some ideas for creating a theme garden? Theme gardens are typically based on child-related topics. Young children are experiential, hands-on learners and can be motivated to learn through a garden theme, especially if it is...
Affordable Shade Options
The Green Desk NLI Affordable Shade Options What options are there for providing shade on our outdoor learning environment? Adequate protection from the sun is essential for the health and comfort of young children outdoors. In the northern hemisphere, the sun casts...
Creating a Butterfly Garden
The Green Desk NLI Creating a Butterfly Garden How can we create a butterfly garden at our childcare center? Butterflies are the elegant result of a fascinating life cycle beginning with eggs laid by an adult female butterfly on a host plant. These eggs hatch,...
Imprinting Concrete with Natural Objects
The Green Desk NLI Imprinting Concrete with Natural Objects How can I create impressions in concrete using leaves or other natural objects? Here are some simple steps Collect leaves that are heavily textured with strong vein patterns. The more flexible/pliable the...
Children’s Vegetable Gardens: Introduction
How can we create a vegetable garden at our childcare center?
Protecting New Plants
The Green Desk NLI Protecting New Plants How can I protect newly installed plants as they get established? Plant protection railing is a simple way to protect newly installed plants. By guiding feet away from new planting beds, the railing guards plants from being...
