• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
NLI
  • Home
    • About NLI
    • Think & Do
    • Our Team
    • NLI Clients
  • Design Assistance
  • Professional Development
  • Research & Evaluation
    • POEMS
    • USDA COLEAFS
  • Resources
    • NLI Resource Hub
    • COVID Resources
    • Gardening with Children Resources
    • The Green Desk
    • Infosheets & Leaflets
    • Media
    • Montessori
    • Natural Learning at Home®
    • Plant Database
    • Publications
    • Virtual Field Trip
  • Programs
    • POD
    • Shape NC
    • Healthy Habits, Healthy Kids
    • Healthy Starts for Infants & Toddlers
    • USDA COLEAFS
    • Grow Outdoors SC
    • OLE! Texas
    • ECHO
  • News
Select Page

Safe

Weldon Preschool Global Academy

Weldon Preschool Global Academy

White Oak Head Start

White Oak Head Start

Abram’s Child Care Center

Abram’s Child Care Center

LET’S GET OUTSIDE! Summary of Child Care Regulations

LET’S GET OUTSIDE! Summary of Child Care Regulations

Tabernacle Pre-K

Tabernacle Pre-K

Beacon Child Development Center

Beacon Child Development Center

Teddy Bear Child Care Center

Teddy Bear Child Care Center

Ramseur Elementary School

Ramseur Elementary School

Creative Kids Preschool

Creative Kids Preschool

Level Cross Enrichment Center

Level Cross Enrichment Center

Honeycomb Kids

Honeycomb Kids

Active and Healthy Environments for Adolescents (AHEAD)

Active and Healthy Environments for Adolescents (AHEAD)

Yates Baptist Child Development Center

Yates Baptist Child Development Center

01. Benefits of Engaging Children with Nature

01. Benefits of Engaging Children with Nature

03. Affordable Settings and Components

03. Affordable Settings and Components

04. Gathering Settings

04. Gathering Settings

05. Gathering Settings Created with Logs

05. Gathering Settings Created with Logs

06. Stepping Stone Pathways and Small Patios

06. Stepping Stone Pathways and Small Patios

10. Growing Edibles in Containers

10. Growing Edibles in Containers

13. Gross Motor Logs

13. Gross Motor Logs

15. Sand Play Settings

15. Sand Play Settings

17. Acoustic Play Settings

17. Acoustic Play Settings

22. Decks, Stages, & Porches

22. Decks, Stages, & Porches

25. Harvesting Water with Rain Barrels

25. Harvesting Water with Rain Barrels

31. Fire Ant Prevention and Treatment

31. Fire Ant Prevention and Treatment

33. Earth Play Settings

33. Earth Play Settings

34. Mud Kitchens

34. Mud Kitchens

35. Natural Construction Settings

35. Natural Construction Settings

36. Dry Stream Beds

36. Dry Stream Beds

40. Water Play

40. Water Play

42. Loose Parts Settings

42. Loose Parts Settings

A Safe Place Early Learning Center

A Safe Place Early Learning Center

Imagination Learning Center, Inc.

Imagination Learning Center, Inc.

Johnston Community College Child Development Center

Johnston Community College Child Development Center

Kidsworld Learning Center

Kidsworld Learning Center

Kidstown Child Care and Learning Center

Kidstown Child Care and Learning Center

Creative Learning

Creative Learning

Kinder Kastle INC

Kinder Kastle INC

Tammy Lynn Center

Tammy Lynn Center

King’s Kids Early Education and Learning Center

King’s Kids Early Education and Learning Center

« Older Entries
Next 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.

NLI Logo

facebook Instagram YouTube

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

SUPPORT US

Please Donate

WAYFINDING

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

Learn more

Close

What are NLI Resource Hub Categories?

Design Sites

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

Learn more

Infosheets

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

Learn more

Interactive Apps

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

Learn more

Leaflets

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

Learn more

Natural Learning at Home

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

Learn more

Programs

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

Learn more

Publications

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

Learn more

Research

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

Learn more

The Green Desk

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

Learn more

Videos

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

Learn more

Close

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.

Close

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.