Russ Nature Preserve Playscape!

I LOVE natural playscapes--they are definitely a happy space for me! Add kids and a little energy and stumps and logs become magical! I found a blog post about this space while looking for natural play spaces in the great area around Dayton, Ohio. We had fun at several places, such as the US Air Force Museum, Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, and the Children's Discovery Garden in Dayton. My husband was in town for Hamvention--a gathering of ham radio operators from all over the place. We tagged along for the hotel, pool, free breakfast, and new places to visit. While the other places were cool, the Natural Playscape at Russ Nature Preserve was my favorite! If you are in the Michiana area, it took us about 3.5 to 4 hours to drive there. It was a nice little get away!

Top Fourteen from 2014

2014 was a great year to get outside or spend time inside learning about our natural world! Our popular posts from 2014 include the following:

1. Inside Outside Michiana Summer Guide--This compilation of places to go and visit during the summer in Michiana is a must see for ideas and inspiration for getting outside in our local area. Check out our Winter Guide as well!

2. Nature Play: 11 Ways to Play Leaves!--Fall is a fun time to explore leaves! In this post, I compiled various ways we enjoy playing with leaves! It's fun to look over the seasons through blog posts!

3. Finding Nature at the Elkhart County Fair--The Fair is a staple in Elkhart County. Nature is everywhere! Read how we found nature at the Elkhart County Fair in this blog post.

4. Defries Garden--In this summer visit to Defries Garden, the boys and I just explored the many things to offer at the site. It's a great place to visit any time of the year!

5. Curious Kids Museum--About an hours drive from our house, this is a fun, hands-on place to visit. We went in the winter, though I'm sure it's fun any time!

6. Early Learning Center Natural Playground Open House--I love this natural playground at Granger Community Church. It's open to the public on weekends and after 5:30 pm. It's one of my happy places!

7. Going a Little Stir Crazy: Ideas for Inside Nature Study--We had a brutal winter in 2014! After many days of -35 degree weather with the wind chill factor, we found many ways to study nature inside.

8.  Natural Playscapes--This round up of natural play spaces in the Michiana (and beyond) area inspires our family to get outside. Find a kid and help them explore the outdoors through these kid friendly natural play areas.

9. Junior Ranger Program at Shenandoah National Park--We took a family vacation to Shenandoah, Virginia, this year. The Junior Ranger programs are a fun way to connect with nature while at a national park. Our state parks have similar programs for children, adults, and families.

10. Certified Interpretive Guide Training--I went to training at McCormick Creek State Park on how to be a CIG, adding more natural skills to my education background. It was fun to be around all the great naturalists from our state parks! I was able to help in a bird banding and let this bird go!

11. Twig Sculpting at Fernwood Botanical Gardens and Nature Preserve--Fernwood is a great place anytime! To work should to shoulder with a renowned twig sculptor was wonderful! The sculpture will still be up for about another year and a half. Visit it any time of the year!

12. A Spring Walk at Wellfield Botanic Gardens--We enjoy Wellfield at anytime of the year. Spring is especially beautiful!

13. Fairies at Nature Preschool--I've been involved at this nature preschool program at Woodlawn Nature Center in Elkhart for about 3 years. This post about fairies was popular in 2014.

14. Curious Kids Discovery Zone--Curious Kids has a Discovery Zone. With water play and rock climbing, the kids had a blast! Looking at returning soon!

Mill Street Park Natural Playscape

We have been eyeing a new park just as you go over the overpass into Goshen on SR 15 for the last couple of months. I heard about it from a naturalist with Elkhart County Parks and her husband. It looks like they are still adding finishing touches; however, nothing was there asking us to not be there. The parking lot was open and it looked open for business.

I'm excited about this park! It's not too far from my grandparents' house, so we can stop by when we go visit. It seems to be using the Nature Explore type concept, with separate areas for different types of activities. At the entrance is a water area, called Bubbling Rocks. My 5-year-old is starting to read and sounded it all out. There are lots of rocks, obviously, and a water pump with wooden troughs for the water to flow. The water is turned off right now, yet this will be a fun place to experiment with water this summer.

 

Woodlawn Nature Center's Outdoor Class and Natural Playscape

I've been helping develop a lower budget outdoor classroom and natural play area at Woodlawn Nature Center in Elkhart. We call it Nature's Connection, with plans to make interactive learning spaces on the outside walls of the building as well and a start to a rain garden in the front of the center. I have been patterning plans off of the guidelines from the Nature Explore outdoor classroom concept after attending a training; however, plan to include additional details as an adventure path throughout the woods as well. With the Nature Explore concept, there are distinct areas for specific purposes with definitive edges between the areas.  The basic areas at Woodlawn Nature Center include:

1. Water Area--For now, the water area is a small pond that has been existing at the nature center outside the wildlife viewing window. There is a plaque in the center with people who helped donate funds and build the pond. It is not a place for open play, yet does allow for observation and interaction with the water. I've been looking at a few other options, including the low cost option of using clean detergent jugs filled with water that allow children to fill up containers for using water in the various play areas. 

Natural Playscapes

We have many natural playscapes within an hour drive of our area. Here are a few that I enjoy taking my children to. Seeing the diversity and variety of natural play areas reminds me there are many options. Natural areas in our own yards can be enhanced to have nature play spots like this as well. I included links to natural play areas in our region and resources that are available for developing natural playscapes below. Check it out!

Nature Preschool at Chippewa Nature Center

In mid-December, I was able to visit the Nature Preschool at Chippewa Nature Center. I've been involved in nature preschool programs and natural playscapes for the last year, so it was fun for me to see what they are doing in their area!

The preschool building is situated near the visitor center at Chippewa Nature Center, which makes it easy for families to hike the trails or visit the interpretive center after preschool. There is a shared parking lot and families take a short walk to get back to the building. Just those few minutes of walking outside can do a wonder for the soul!

Power to Heal

My father ended up in the hospital this weekend and will be there for the next week or so. While visiting him at Elkhart General Hospital today, I noticed a few natural spaces amidst all the hallways and hospital rooms. I thought of the power of nature to heal as I walked through the complex. My husband and baby were in the hospital a few too many times last year, so I also saw how nature was helpful in the healing process with the many hospital stays.

I was impressed with the view from the window. My dad can look out and see the river. He mentioned seeing children playing down there before. I suspect boats go by as well. The view from the window makes such an impact while recuperating. When my husband was at University of Chicago last year in various rooms, the one with the flowering tree out the window was a favorite. There was something beyond more buildings to see. Another great option is being lucky enough to have a corner room with extra windows and more to see. My husband missed nature and fresh air while he was in the hospital various times. He had more time to watch the sky and sunset while there. Plants would have nice.

We also noticed a fish tank. When my husband was in Elkhart General, I was often visiting with one to three boys in tow. Having a nearby place to take a break in the hospital was so helpful. Taking a break to visit the fish would be so perfect! I appreciated a juggler in the cafeteria who took a few minutes to share his skills with my son as he juggled apples and oranges. Later, as he recovered, he walked the halls in another hospital and had different views as he looked out various windows. Having a playground nearby was also helpful when I visited with kids in tow. We could visit for 20 minutes, go outside and play or take a walk, and then come back for another visit.

Granger Commons Natural Playground

I think I'm in love! Someone mentioned a natural playground in Granger on my Facebook page. Thanks for the tip, Kris! I did a little digging and the site is at Granger Commons, nestled in an area of big box stores and other fun venues. I can think of lots of errands to run in the vicinity, just to stop by and let the children play . . . the natural playground is located to the right of the building. It is open after 5 pm and on weekends.

When we arrived, we weren't sure about the gate or how to enter, but we figured it out. You can too.

And then we found this . . . some might see this as a bunch of logs and stumps. Kids see it as nature's playground!

There is a playhouse and bear/eagle carving. A lake is beyond the fenced in area. While we were there, many geese were out. While we could hear nearby traffic, we could also hear nature.

My husband checked for  mail . . . he likes to be in charge of the mail at our house, too. I like these tree cookie stepping stones.

This is carved in the slight hill, making a small amphitheater.

A dry river bed with log bridges provides many challenges and opportunities for children.

One of the logs was hollow inside--I wondered if we could have been able to crawl through it, but I'm a little too big for it.

It was my son's golden birthday, so he had his new Rescue Bots. He found places to play with them.

The sand area is covered, which is understandable when workers are not there. One drawback is that there are no facilities there (perhaps in the building if it's open), so when 2 boys needed to go to the bathroom, my husband took a little drive to find restrooms. 

Elements were nearby for a campfire gathering. We gathered!

Rescue Bots even stayed on the rock as someone was absorbed in building.

He tried stacking natural elements and prying them. It's still fun to watch things fall at this age!

There is a garden area--it looks like it's ready to go as it warms up!

He had to turn the log for other options. His little brother was okay hanging out by the rock, but I think he found some mulch.

The nearby hill was very inviting! Rolling down hills will always be a favorite!

There were opportunities for jumping and balancing. I asked this guy what he thought of the place. He said, "It's awesomer than awesome!" Does that make it five star? 

The big log was inviting over the dry creek bed.

The birthday boy had to stash his toys in the hollow log before crossing. 

The kids found tracks in the cement. There were wood prints in other areas of it. This was a nice touch of whimsy and I loved that the children found it on their own.

I have been researching natural playscapes for almost 6 months, trying to figure out a good fit. I've been keeping some ideas on Pinterest. I attended a webinar about these play areas a few weeks ago and found I really liked the less expensive option better. I'm helping plan some natural playscape options at Woodlawn Nature Center; however, many of these ideas can be implemented in our own back yards! Let me know if you visit and how you liked it!