The NLI Website Becomes Multilingual
The NLI Website Becomes Multilingual We’re thrilled to expand our global reach and make our resources more accessible than ever with the new GTranslate plugin on our website! As part of our mission to connect children and families with nature through outdoor learning...
From Teepee to Conical
From Teepee to Conical “Conical” is the new name adopted by NLI because of cultural appropriation issues, for conical structures installed in children’s outdoor play and learning areas, previously called teepees (tepees or tipis). The latter are loanwords from...
Shepherd’s Way Infant Parklet
Shepherd’s Way Infant Parklet By: Natural Learning Initiative In this video, we see how two parking spaces at Shepherd’s Way Day School were transformed into a baby parklet, providing a safe and engaging outdoor environment for young children. The timber...
Infants & Toddlers Outdoors: Best Practice Toolkit (partial)
Gathering & Tour: DCDEE North Central Region
NLI Gathering & Tour: DCDEE North Central Region As part of the two-year project, Supporting Naturalized Outdoor Play and Learning Environments in North Carolina Child Care Facilities, the Growing Place Child Care Center, Asheboro, NC, hosted a regional Gathering...
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NC Solar Farm: Agrivoltaics Project
NC Solar Farm: Agrivoltaics Project Download the PDF report here Agrivoltaics Background With the adoption of a recent Climate Action Plan, Orange County, North Carolina, intends to deploy strategies and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase renewable...
The NLI Resource Hub: A New Tool for Educational Resources
The NLI Resource Hub: A New Tool for Educational Resources In an ongoing effort to enhance the accessibility and impact of our educational materials, the Natural Learning Initiative (NLI) has launched the NLI Resource Hub, a user-friendly, filterable search engine...
Kids Together Playground Interactive Virtual Tour
Kids Together Playground Interactive Virtual Tour Kids Together Playground, a universally-designed, family recreation space in Cary, NC, opened in 2000, designed by NLI’s Robin Moore in collaboration with Little and Little and staff landscape architect, Robb...
Making a Terrarium
Making a Terrarium By: Natural Learning Initiative Terrariums are a fun and attractive way to bring nature indoors. Using easily found and inexpensive materials, you can create a small world of wonder for children and adults alike. With figurines, plants, and found...
Creating a Fairy Garden
Creating a Fairy Garden By: Natural Learning Initiative Fairy gardens are homes for elves, fairies, and other beings of children’s imagination. They provide enchanted places that stimulate creative, dramatic play in make believe settings. Creating a fairy village...
NLI Community-Based Design Process
NLI Community-Based Design Process By: Natural Learning Initiative The NLI design team engages teachers, caregivers, and stakeholders in a community-centered design process that is grounded in innovative, accessible, and low-cost strategies to create high-quality play...
POD Design Implementation
POD Design Implementation By: Natural Learning Initiative Robin C. Moore, Dipl.Arch, MCP, Hon.ASLA, Hon.IPA is a Professor of Landscape Architecture and Director of the Natural Learning Initiative, College of Design, NC State University. Watch Next! Free the Kids...
Looping Primary Pathway
Looping Primary Pathway By: Natural Learning Initiative Primary pathways promote physical activity by facilitating running, chase games, and wheeled toy use. They provide circulation throughout the outdoor learning environment and connect play settings for children...
Play and Learning Settings
Play and Learning Settings By: Natural Learning Initiative A diversity of play and learning settings is key to high-quality outdoor learning environments. A variety of settings encourages children to be more physically active, play cooperatively, and engage in outdoor...
Outdoor Classrooms
Outdoor Classrooms By: Natural Learning Initiative Outdoor classrooms facilitate unique learning experiences that connect children to the natural world. Indoor-outdoor curriculum connections allow children to reflect on their outdoor experiences and share their...
Farm to Child Care
Farm to Child Care By: Natural Learning Initiative Farm to Child Care brings North Carolina grown fruits and vegetables into child care facilities for meals and snacks. Centers that grow their own fresh foods strengthen experiential learning opportunities for children...
Garden Planning and Caring
Garden Planning and Caring By: Natural Learning Initiative Gardening allows children to experience every stage of growth from planting to harvest. Raised beds, container gardens, and edible shrubs are critical components for designing high-quality edible landscapes...
Connecting Natural Learning Environments to Farm to Child Care
Connecting Natural Learning Environments to Farm to Child Care By: Natural Learning Initiative Childcare Network #61 (Wanda Davis, Director) is one of 16 Wake County, NC centers implementing the Preventing Obesity by Design (POD) strategy developed by the Natural...
We Change the Culture Here
We Change the Culture Here By: Natural Learning Initiative “A Safe Place” is one of 16 Wake County, NC centers implementing the Preventing Obesity by Design (POD) strategy developed by the Natural Learning Initiative, College of Design, North Carolina State...
Garden Harvesting, Preparing, Snacking
Garden Harvesting, Preparing, Snacking By: Natural Learning Initiative Children who grow their own fruits and vegetables are more likely to try and enjoy new foods. Harvesting, snacking on, and preparing fresh foods help children build healthy eating habits that can...
Incremental Development
Incremental Development By: Natural Learning Initiative The creation of a high-quality outdoor learning environment doesn’t happen overnight. Projects develop in phases as funding, volunteers, and resources become available. A masterplan guides the phasing of projects...
Elements of Urban Form
Elements of Urban Form By: Natural Learning Initiative There are 5 urban form elements that influence design practice and policy. They are pathways, nodes, landmarks, districts, and edges. Watch Next! OMO dirt is good Wolfpack Wellness Research Web Series:...
Affordance and Behavior Setting
Affordance and Behavior Setting By: Natural Learning Initiative Affordance is a perceptional relationship between functional properties of environments and skills of individual users. Watch Next! Wolfpack Wellness Research Web Series: “Preventing Obesity by...
Playgrounds to Outdoor Learning Environments
Playgrounds to Outdoor Learning Environments By: Natural Learning Initiative Childcare outdoor learning environment to support young children’s physical activity, healthy eating, and outdoor learning. Watch Next! Garden Harvesting, Preparing, Snacking Garden...
This is why play is so important
This is why play is so important By: Playful Childhoods ‘This is why play is so important’ captures why play is vital to children’s development, mental health, wellbeing, and happiness. From street play to playgrounds, living rooms to back gardens, the film captures...
Yale Climate Connections Podcast
NLI Yale Climate Connections Podcast The Yale Center for Environmental Communication recently featured NLI’s Robin Moore in their Climate Connections radio program on the importance of shade in playgrounds. Robin shared insight on the important role that shade plays...
NLI Hosts DCDEE Regional Meetings
NLI NLI Hosts DCDEE Regional Meetings A statewide kickoff webinar introducing the two-year project, Supporting Naturalized Outdoor Play and Learning Environments in North Carolina Child Care Facilities, was followed by regional meetings. From April through May 2024,...
NLI Newsletter – May / June 2024
NLI Hosts DCDEE Regional Meetings
Hosted four regional meetings in NC.
Yale Climate Connections Podcast
North Carolina Welcomes the Emergence of 13-Year Cicadas!
Gardening With Young Children Certificate Course (GWYC)
Early Childhood Outdoor Learning Environments Certificate (ECOLE)
Let’s Go Outdoors! Webinar
Let’s Go Outdoors! Webinar By: Natural Learning Initiative A conversation about childcare outdoor play and learning during the pandemic The Natural Learning Initiative presented the webinar in partnership with Be Active Kids and NCDHHS Division of Child...
Outdoor Learning Environment at A Child’s Haven: Jon Fritz Design Review
Outdoor Learning Environment at A Child’s Haven: Jon Fritz Design Review By: Natural Learning Initiative Jon Fritz, landscape designer, presents the outdoor learning environment design for A Child’s Haven with knowledge gained through the Natural Learning...
The Children & Nature Movement
The Children & Nature Movement By: Gear 6 Productions The Children & Nature Network is championing a world-wide movement to reconnect children, families, and communities to the natural world: for their health and for the health of our planet. Produced by Gear...
OMO dirt is good
OMO dirt is good By: Jerome Gonfond OMO is dedicated to showing you that Dirt is Good – especially when it’s the result of your kids going out into the world to have fun, explore, learn and experience the very best the world around us has to offer. Watch Next! Outdoor...
North Carolina Welcomes the Emergence of 13-Year Cicadas
NLI North Carolina Welcomes the Emergence of 13-Year Cicadas The emergence of 17-year and 13-year cicadas in the Eastern US is currently captivating the attention of nature enthusiasts. Here in North Carolina, the 13-year cicadas are making their grand appearance....
Early Childhood Outdoor Play and Learning Spaces (ECOPALS) – Train the Trainer
Early Childhood Outdoor Play and Learning Spaces (ECOPALS) – Train the Trainer Early Childhood Outdoor Play and Learning Spaces (ECOPALS): Train the Trainer (TtT) equips participants with knowledge, skills, practical examples, and content resources to support...
Natural Learning Initiative Resources
Early childhood outdoor play and learning resources.
NLI Joins 20th Anniversary Celebration of Grow Up Great
NLI NLI Joins 20th Anniversary Celebration of Grow Up Great NLI celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the PNC Foundation’s signature Grow Up Great program with a grant announcement ceremony at Brentwood Head Start, Wilson, North Carolina. The award of $125,000 will be...
NLI-ECHO (Early Childhood Health Outdoors) Training Workshop
NLI NLI-ECHO (Early Childhood Health Outdoors) Training Workshop NLI conducted a 3-day training workshop in early April with the Grow Outdoors SC (South Carolina) ECHO (Early Childhood Health Outdoors) design team – a unit within the National Wildlife Federation...
NLI Newsletter – March / April 2024
NLI conducted a 3-day training workshop
Training with SC ECHO design team.
NLI Website’s New Look
NLI celebrated the 20th Anniversary
Early Childhood Outdoor Learning Environments Certificate Course (ECOLE)
