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Design

(Guilford Co.) Willow Oaks Child Development Center

(Guilford Co.) Willow Oaks Child Development Center

The Farm

The Farm

Pebble Play

Pebble Play

Leaf Necklaces

Leaf Necklaces

Ice Painting

Ice Painting

Garden Yoga

Garden Yoga

Fence Weaving

Fence Weaving

Extending Seasons

Extending Seasons

Let’s Go Outdoors! Webinar

Let’s Go Outdoors! Webinar

Fairy Soup Kitchen

Fairy Soup Kitchen

Ball Play and Experiences

Ball Play and Experiences

Oakland Declaration

Oakland Declaration

Preschool Gardening Activity Guide

Preschool Gardening Activity Guide

NLI Online Certificate Programs

NLI Online Certificate Programs

COVID Support we’re all in this together!

COVID Support we’re all in this together!

20th Anniversary NLI Design Institute

20th Anniversary NLI Design Institute

Blue Ridge Community College: Nessa’s Young’uns Natural Play Center

Blue Ridge Community College: Nessa’s Young’uns Natural Play Center

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

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

Colorado Regulatory Guide- Playing by the Rules

Colorado Regulatory Guide- Playing by the Rules

2019 Nordic Symposium

2019 Nordic Symposium

Research Brief: Impact of Naturalized Early Childhood Outdoor Learning Environments

Research Brief: Impact of Naturalized Early Childhood Outdoor Learning Environments

Designing Early Childhood Outdoor Environments Certificate

Designing Early Childhood Outdoor Environments Certificate

16th Annual NLI Design Institute

16th Annual NLI Design Institute

POD

POD

kidZone Post Occupancy Evaluation

kidZone Post Occupancy Evaluation

POD Wake Co. Gathering and Tour 2018

POD Wake Co. Gathering and Tour 2018

Growing IN Place Symposium 2018

Growing IN Place Symposium 2018

A Safe Place Child Enrichment Center, Inc.

A Safe Place Child Enrichment Center, Inc.

Heather Park Child Development Center

Heather Park Child Development Center

Holly Springs Academy

Holly Springs Academy

Nilda Cosco, PhD

Nilda Cosco, PhD

Robin C. Moore

Robin C. Moore

Johnson Pond Learning Center

Johnson Pond Learning Center

Primary Beginnings Child Development Center #1

Primary Beginnings Child Development Center #1

Pam’s School of Raleigh

Pam’s School of Raleigh

Wanda’s Little Hands

Wanda’s Little Hands

Planning and Planting

Planning and Planting

Landscape Plant List

Landscape Plant List

Landscape Plants for Play and Learning

Landscape Plants for Play and Learning

15th Annual NLI Design Institute

15th Annual NLI Design Institute

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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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WAYFINDING

NLI Wayfinding
© 2025 NC State University. All rights reserved.
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.

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