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Preschool

Protected: DCDEE Webinar Series

Protected: DCDEE Webinar Series

DCDEE Naturalizing NC Childcare

DCDEE Naturalizing NC Childcare

Weeding, Planting, & Watering – NLI Short

Weeding, Planting, & Watering – NLI Short

Protected: DCDEE Webinar Series

Protected: Childcare Homes DCDEE Webinar Series

NLI Hosts DCDEE Regional Meetings

NLI Hosts DCDEE Regional Meetings

Early Childhood Outdoor Play and Learning Spaces (ECOPALS) – Train the Trainer

Early Childhood Outdoor Play and Learning Spaces (ECOPALS) – Train the Trainer

Natural Learning Initiative Resources

Natural Learning Initiative Resources

Design interventions at Washington Terrace (WT)

Design interventions at Washington Terrace (WT)

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

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

Texas Tech Colleague Wins Poster Competition

Texas Tech Colleague Wins Poster Competition

Where are the Bacon Seeds?

Where are the Bacon Seeds?

Hands-on Childcare Garden Intervention

Hands-on Childcare Garden Intervention

NLI session at the 2022 NC Extension State Conference

NLI session at the 2022 NC Extension State Conference

Healthy Childhoods via Childcare Outdoor Design

Healthy Childhoods via Childcare Outdoor Design

Weldon Day Care Center

Weldon Day Care Center

Weldon Preschool Global Academy

Weldon Preschool Global Academy

Preschool Outdoors: Best Practice Toolkit (2nd Ed.)

Preschool Outdoors: Best Practice Toolkit (2nd Ed.)

NLI Online Short Courses

NLI Online Short Courses

POEMS Short Course

POEMS Short Course

Teddy Bear Child Care Center

Teddy Bear Child Care Center

Creative Kids Preschool

Creative Kids Preschool

Childcare Network, Inc. #146

Childcare Network, Inc. #146

Honeycomb Kids

Honeycomb Kids

The Kids of Hope Child Care Center

The Kids of Hope Child Care Center

It’s A Kid’s World Preschool

It’s A Kid’s World Preschool

Cari Browning from Department of State Health Services (DSHS) talks About OLE! Texas

Cari Browning from Department of State Health Services (DSHS) talks About OLE! Texas

Childcare Network, Inc. #146

Childcare Network #125

Little Engine Academy

Little Engine Academy

Harvest Learning Center

Harvest Learning Center

Building Blocks for Tots, Inc.

Building Blocks for Tots, Inc.

Cynthia’s Garden of Knowledge, Inc.

Cynthia’s Garden of Knowledge, Inc.

02. Top Ten Activity Settings For Outdoor Learning

02. Top Ten Activity Settings For Outdoor Learning

04. Gathering Settings

04. Gathering Settings

09. Pathway Designs

09. Pathway Designs

16. Multi-Purpose Lawns

16. Multi-Purpose Lawns

23. Straw Bale Planters

23. Straw Bale Planters

25. Harvesting Water with Rain Barrels

25. Harvesting Water with Rain Barrels

40. Water Play

40. Water Play

42. Loose Parts Settings

42. Loose Parts Settings

Land of Learning Child Care

Land of Learning Child Care

« 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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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.