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Components

Protected: DCDEE Webinar Series

Protected: DCDEE Webinar Series

Protected: DCDEE Webinar Series

Protected: Childcare Homes DCDEE Webinar Series

Kids Together Playground Interactive Virtual Tour

Kids Together Playground Interactive Virtual Tour

Garden Planning and Caring

Garden Planning and Caring

The NLI Website’s New Look

The NLI Website’s New Look

North Carolina Division of Child Development Early Education

North Carolina Division of Child Development Early Education

Protected: POD Community College Modules at a Glance (LDCM)

Protected: POD Community College Modules at a Glance (LDCM)

Healthy Childhoods via Childcare Outdoor Design

Healthy Childhoods via Childcare Outdoor Design

Aurelian Springs Institute of Global Learning

Aurelian Springs Institute of Global Learning

Pittman Elementary Leadership Academy

Pittman Elementary Leadership Academy

Scotland Neck Elementary Leadership Academy

Scotland Neck Elementary Leadership Academy

Weldon Day Care Center

Weldon Day Care Center

Weldon Preschool Global Academy

Weldon Preschool Global Academy

White Oak Head Start

White Oak Head Start

Biophilic Design of Biotopes

Biophilic Design of Biotopes

NLI Online Short Courses

NLI Online Short Courses

COLEQT Short Course

COLEQT Short Course

POEMS Short Course

POEMS Short Course

Tabernacle Pre-K

Tabernacle Pre-K

The Necessity of Urban Green Space for Children’s Optimal Development

The Necessity of Urban Green Space for Children’s Optimal Development

Greening Montessori School Grounds by Design

Greening Montessori School Grounds by Design

Yates Baptist Child Development Center

Yates Baptist Child Development Center

03. Affordable Settings and Components

03. Affordable Settings and Components

04. Gathering Settings

04. Gathering Settings

06. Stepping Stone Pathways and Small Patios

06. Stepping Stone Pathways and Small Patios

07. Conicals

07. Conicals

12. Arbors, Pergolas, & Trellises

12. Arbors, Pergolas, & Trellises

13. Gross Motor Logs

13. Gross Motor Logs

22. Decks, Stages, & Porches

22. Decks, Stages, & Porches

28. Plants for Outdoor Learning Environments

28. Plants for Outdoor Learning Environments

30. Tire Planters

30. Tire Planters

34. Mud Kitchens

34. Mud Kitchens

35. Natural Construction Settings

35. Natural Construction Settings

40. Water Play

40. Water Play

42. Loose Parts Settings

42. Loose Parts Settings

ABC Land Inc II

ABC Land Inc II

Kings Kids CDC

Kings Kids CDC

Busy Bees

Busy Bees

Gingerbread Littleversity

Gingerbread Littleversity

(Guilford Co.) UNCG – North Drive Childcare Center

(Guilford Co.) UNCG – North Drive Childcare Center

« Older Entries

VIEW DISCLAIMER

The Natural Learning Initiative (NLI), its partners and supporting entities assume no responsibility for the installation of outdoor components and/or designs and their use. In no event will NLI be liable for any loss or damage, including without limitation, indirect or consequential, incurred during the construction or use of outdoor play and learning environments. NLI further suggests adherence to the guidelines set forth in the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Public Playground Safety Handbook and to follow local, state, and national code requirements concerning but not limited to land use, zoning, safety, accessibility, permitting, and approval of plans prior to construction.

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CONTACT

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Raleigh, NC 27695-7701


919-515-8345 voice
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naturalearning@ncsu.edu

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WAYFINDING

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children smelling herbs in garden with teacher

Growing Up with Nature

Creating environments for healthy human development and a healthy biosphere for generations to come.

- NLI Mission

For 25 years, the Natural Learning Initiative (NLI) has applied community-based, equity-driven design thinking to create healthy, natural play and learning environments. The NLI Resource Hub offers a collection of free public resources dedicated to supporting the development of biophilic play and learning environments where children can grow up caring for the planet and each other. These resources encompass landscape design, research, professional development, and information dissemination.

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What are NLI Resource Hub Categories?

Design Sites

Real-world places where NLI has provided professional landscape architecture design assistance.

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Infosheets

Two to four page documents about implementing and maintaining nature-based play settings.

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Interactive Apps

Web-based teaching tools and virtual experiences about exploring and designing nature-based play settings.

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Leaflets

Single-page documents about activities for children and caregivers in nature-based play settings.

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Natural Learning at Home

A month-by-month newsletter series about nature-based activities for children and families at home.

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Programs

Comprehensive projects that combine design assistance, research & evaluation, professional development, and dissemination & communications.

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Publications

Printed and published books and resources about nature-based design, education, childhood, and more.

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Research

Published scientific research about nature-based design, childhood, behavior mapping, and more.

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The Green Desk

A blog series responding to NLI’s most frequently-asked-questions.

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Videos

Videos created by NLI and our partners about nature-based design, education, childhood, and more.

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What are NLI Resource Hub Tags?

Affordable Settings

Elements of outdoor learning environments that can be built and deployed at a low cost, but with a great impact.

Community Engagement

Families, partners, neighborhoods and cities that help outdoor learning environments thrive and grow.

Fundraising

Information for raising resources to build and maintain outdoor learning environments.

Gardening

Resources about growing plants and all the different ways it benefits young children.

Healthy Eating

Fruits and vegetables, trying and tasting, growing and eating. Learn how young children can be excited to eat nutritious food.

Outdoor Installation

Building and constructing outdoor learning environments can be challenging. Find resources to guide your project.

Outdoor Management

Maintaining and sustaining outdoor learning environments is vital to their long-term success. Learn about managing environments.

Outdoor Safety

Risk management in play areas is critical for certification and regulation. Learn how to create safe spaces and address concerns.

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The Natural Learning Initiative (NLI), its partners and supporting entities as­sume no responsibility for the installation of outdoor components and/or designs and their use. In no event will NLI be liable for any loss or damage, including without lim­itation, indirect or consequential, incurred during the construction or use of outdoor play and learning environments. NLI further suggests adherence to the guidelines set forth in the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Public Playground Safety Handbook and to follow local, state, and national code requirements concerning but not limited to land use, zoning, safety, accessibility, permitting, and approval of plans prior to construction.