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Concrete

Teddy Bear Child Care Center

Teddy Bear Child Care Center

Harvest Learning Center

Harvest Learning Center

02. Top Ten Activity Settings For Outdoor Learning

02. Top Ten Activity Settings For Outdoor Learning

09. Pathway Designs

09. Pathway Designs

15. Sand Play Settings

15. Sand Play Settings

16. Multi-Purpose Lawns

16. Multi-Purpose Lawns

22. Decks, Stages, & Porches

22. Decks, Stages, & Porches

30. Tire Planters

30. Tire Planters

40. Water Play

40. Water Play

45. Stormwater Management

45. Stormwater Management

A Safe Place Early Learning Center

A Safe Place Early Learning Center

King’s Kids Early Education and Learning Center

King’s Kids Early Education and Learning Center

(Guilford Co.) Willow Oaks Child Development Center

(Guilford Co.) Willow Oaks Child Development Center

(Guilford Co.) UNCG – Curry Childcare Center

(Guilford Co.) UNCG – Curry Childcare Center

(Guilford Co.) UNCG – Brent Woodson Carter Center

(Guilford Co.) UNCG – Brent Woodson Carter Center

A Safe Place Child Enrichment Center, Inc.

A Safe Place Child Enrichment Center, Inc.

Childcare Network #59

Childcare Network #59

Childcare Network #61

Childcare Network #61

Heather Park Child Development Center

Heather Park Child Development Center

Method Child Development Center

Method Child Development Center

Raleigh Nursery School

Raleigh Nursery School

My Place by The Bay: Prepared Environments for Early Science Learning

My Place by The Bay: Prepared Environments for Early Science Learning

Thompson Child Development Center

Thompson Child Development Center

Care-O-World Enrichment Center

Care-O-World Enrichment Center

Infant and Toddler Pathway Materials

Infant and Toddler Pathway Materials

Primary Pathways

Primary Pathways

Sensory Gardens

Sensory Gardens

Pathway Installation: Alternatives to concrete

Pathway Installation: Alternatives to concrete

Imprinting Concrete with Natural Objects

Imprinting Concrete with Natural Objects

Tools & Equipment for Outdoor Learning Environment Installation

Tools & Equipment for Outdoor Learning Environment Installation

Concrete Toadstools

Concrete Toadstools

The Growing Place Child Care Center

The Growing Place Child Care Center

Old Fort Elementary Preschool

Old Fort Elementary Preschool

Lulu’s Enrichment Center

Lulu’s Enrichment Center

Friendly Avenue Christian Preschool

Friendly Avenue Christian Preschool

Betsy B. Currin Child Development Center of Nash Community College

Betsy B. Currin Child Development Center of Nash Community College

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

College of Design
NC State University
Campus Box 7701
Raleigh, NC 27695-7701


919-515-8345 voice
919-515-7330 fax
naturalearning@ncsu.edu

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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.