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Plants

Wanda’s Little Hands

Wanda’s Little Hands

Planning and Planting

Planning and Planting

Edible Plants for Play and Learning

Edible Plants for Play and Learning

Landscape Plant List

Landscape Plant List

Landscape Plants for Play and Learning

Landscape Plants for Play and Learning

Fruit and Vegetable Gardens

Fruit and Vegetable Gardens

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

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

Teardrop Park (North)

Teardrop Park (North)

Children’s Garden, North Carolina Botanical Garden

Children’s Garden, North Carolina Botanical Garden

Nature Grounds: Best Practice Guidelines

Nature Grounds: Best Practice Guidelines

The Montessori School of Winston-Salem, NC

The Montessori School of Winston-Salem, NC

Wellesley College Child Study Center

Wellesley College Child Study Center

Field of Dreams

Field of Dreams

Thompson Child Development Center

Thompson Child Development Center

Care-O-World Enrichment Center

Care-O-World Enrichment Center

Preventing Obesity by Design (POD2)

Preventing Obesity by Design (POD2)

Developing an Earth-bound Culture Through Design of Childhood Habitats

Developing an Earth-bound Culture Through Design of Childhood Habitats

Starting Seeds in the Spring

Starting Seeds in the Spring

Sunflower Houses

Sunflower Houses

Installing a Rain Barrel

Installing a Rain Barrel

Infant and Toddler Pathway Materials

Infant and Toddler Pathway Materials

Embankment Slides

Embankment Slides

Natural Playhouse

Natural Playhouse

Raised Planters: Timber Construction

Raised Planters: Timber Construction

Safely Installing Planters on Asphalt

Safely Installing Planters on Asphalt

Naturalizing Chain link Fences

Naturalizing Chain link Fences

Reducing Mosquitoes

Reducing Mosquitoes

Bees, Wasps, and Other Pollinators

Bees, Wasps, and Other Pollinators

Primary Pathways

Primary Pathways

Raising Funds and Resources for Outdoor Learning Environments

Raising Funds and Resources for Outdoor Learning Environments

Autumn Children’s Books and Outdoor Play

Autumn Children’s Books and Outdoor Play

Selecting, Installing, and Managing Plants

Selecting, Installing, and Managing Plants

Winter Play and Learning Outdoors

Winter Play and Learning Outdoors

Sand Play Areas: Design

Sand Play Areas: Design

Draining Wet, Muddy Areas

Draining Wet, Muddy Areas

Sensory Gardens

Sensory Gardens

Engaging Community Resources

Engaging Community Resources

Grass Mazes

Grass Mazes

Pathway Installation: Alternatives to concrete

Pathway Installation: Alternatives to concrete

Summer Play: Affordable Misting Station

Summer Play: Affordable Misting Station

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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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Raleigh, NC 27695-7701


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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.