Montessori at Home: Nature Play Area Phase 2

Natural playscapes and nature play areas continue to be one of my favorite things for children. There are so many benefits to allowing our children to play in nature, that I just see no downside. Nature increases their physical strength, sensorial awareness, increases concentration and so much more. As a Montessori parent, I want to encourage my children to be outside as much as possible, even in our cooler climate. And, as a result we have been slowly adding a nature play area to our yard. 

In phase 1 of our project, we added large rocks, a gravel river, and a children's garden. Over the last two years, we have expanded on our nature play area to include a larger section of our yard. So, I thought it was time for another tour. 

A quick reminder that the changes we made from phase 1 have happened over two years. Landscaping work takes a lot of time, can be expensive, and can be limited by seasons/climate. So, it's been a lot of dreaming, planning, preparing, and finally moving toward something actually attainable. 

The largest change we made is that we doubled the space dedicated to nature play in our yard. Not only did we find that our children much preferred this type of play. We are personally interested in removing turf grass and replacing it with more environmentally friendly varieties of native grasses and plants for biodiversity. 

So we removed the grass on the back third of our property in large sweeping motion to draw the children in. We included our traditional play set and repositioned it to sit within the nature play area. By placing off to the side, we created a play set zone within the space, while leaving a large section open for other play. The playset includes a pulley system, a cozy area for sitting and reading, plus all the swings and slides that you would find in a traditional play space.

Over the last couple years we have added a variety of logs and stumps to the play area. These have all been collected for free from friends, family, and neighbors that were having tree work done in their yards. We looked for a variety of sizes, shapes and textures. Some stumps are too large to move but are perfect tables and chairs. 

Some logs are small enough to be moved and others more stationary. Some stumps are tiny enough for toddlers to move and become stepping stones, tables or just maximum effort work. The key really has been variety. 

We made and added a simple mud kitchen to our space. The kitchen itself was just a DIY made with scrap wood left over from another outdoor project (our play house.) We just wanted something simple with a work surface and sink. We added the backing which makes an excellent chalkboard. And a simple shower caddy becomes great shelving for accessories. 

Because we are Montessorians at heart, we need a little organization in the space! We added a metal outdoor shelf (originally from IKEA but many years ago) to organize buckets, scoops, toy trucks and all the other toys that stay outside. We also have plastic bins (large and skinny) to organize the more natural loose parts to the space. This includes larger river rocks, sticks, and boards. While nature play is inherently a little more wild, we do want to make sure things have a place and the space can be restored. 

We really wanted something to connect the play set area to the rest of the nature play so that they really felt like one space. Plus, we wanted something with a charm to really attract the kids and expand their play. So a simple DIY path was just the thing. We added a bridge for extra whimsy. And, when I tell you this path is so so so popular. Even our dog is frequently found wandering up and down it.

It's lined with native grasses that will fill in over the coming years. And it leads so so many fun adventures. Eventually I think we will add a few more paths near the mud kitchen and rock river for extra play. 

Our nature play area will continue to evolve to meet our children's needs as they get older. I anticipate adding a little more mulched area in the next year or two with some more native plants. I also want to add a more permanent water feature. Right now we keep water tables around to fill with water but something more engaging is definitely in the works (but probably not until next year.) 

I would also like to add some more paths, and the kids want a bridge over the rock river. Nature play isn't going anywhere in our home, and I look forward to seeing how this space changes as my kids get older!