In today’s world, children often grow up without the opportunity to experience the wonders of nature. They lack the type of outdoor time that includes imaginative play, exposure to plants and animals – and physical activity. Children’s lives have also changed due to the lack of greenspace and the added distractions of technology. But the importance of playing outdoors has not been forgotten. Parents, experts and educators are now striving to embrace a return to “nature play”.
TWEAKING SCHOOL SCIENCE
So what is nature play and why is it important? Nature play is playing with nature in nature – unstructured play in green spaces like local parks, zoos, aquariums or even your own backyard. Nature play isn’t planned out or led by adults. It’s open-ended exploration time for children that can also allow families to play and explore together, instead of adults focusing on supervising children.
Research continues to build and support the benefits of nature play – so strongly that unstructured nature play is considered by some to be fundamental to youth. It may be as important to children as good nutrition and quality sleep.
Play is an essential everyday part of a child’s life, but not all types of play are equal. Indoor versus outdoor directly affects the quality of play and child development. Increased levels of physical activity when engaged in nature play can lead to improved health. This, in turn, enhances memory and cognitive function, influencing the ability to learn. Collectively, research shows that children’s physical, social, academic and physiological health is positively impacted from daily experiences of true nature play.
NATURE PLAY WITH AZA
This focus on nature play has found a perfect home in zoos and aquariums. This is why Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited facilities across the USA are actively engaging in nature play by building more natural play spaces. They are also incorporating nature play into education programmes and leading Family Nature Clubs in their local communities.
In 2014, AZA launched Nature Play Begins at Your Zoo & Aquarium to spearhead innovative ways for accredited facilities to establish or enhance family-centered nature play experiences in their local communities. This initiative is supported by the Disney Conservation Fund with financial, logistical and creative support because it “increases the time children and families spend in nature”.
The AZA initiative has created online resources such as eGuides, webinars and a toolkit so families and informal educators can learn more about supporting nature play in a zoo or aquarium, and beyond. It has also built key partnerships between AZA and other non-profit organisations working to connect children and families to nature, including the Children & Nature Network and the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE).
“It made sense to partner with AZA because of their wide reach and great reputation. We have things to share and partnering with like-minded organizations helps to move both organizations forward,” explains Janice Swaisgood, former director of family initiatives at the Children & Nature Network.
Perhaps the biggest impact of the initiative comes through an annual grants programme, offering AZA members the opportunity to apply for US$5,000 and US$10,000 grants to fund family nature play programming that builds partnerships within their communities.
More than US$750,000 has been granted to AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums to support over 100 projects that connect families to nature through nature play programming, family nature clubs and construction of nature play spaces at zoos and aquariums. More than 135 collaborating partners and 600,000 people have been involved in nature play workshops, programmes, events, family clubs and play spaces, large and small.
“We have animals and we also work with the natural environments; it became one of those ‘aha’ moments,” says Heidi Faris, grants coordinator, Nature Play Begins at Your Zoo & Aquarium.
This AZA initiative has undoubtedly had a powerful impact on the lives of those who visit these zoos and aquariums.