Nature Play Area
The Montgomery County Parks Commission has been a leader in providing park visitors opportunities to play outside in nature as part of Maryland’s No Child Left Inside initiative. And nowhere is this as evident as in the two Southern Region nature centers – Brookside Nature Center in Wheaton Regional Park and Locust Grove Nature Center in Cabin John Regional Park – where two Nature Play Areas have been created.
Nature Play spaces are designed to allow children to play in the world without limitations to imagination, to explore nature safely, and enjoy being outside for unstructured play. Loose parts – leaves, sticks, sand, rocks, and mud – are the variables that empower creativity. Downed tree trunks, hollowed logs, and stumps provide physical challenges to meet and habitats where young explorers can investigate small worlds.
“Way Cool!” yell three children, in unison, as they spot the Nature Exploration Area for the first time. They rush down the forest path, through the gate, and into this intriguing new woodland spot. Skipping along the tops of huge fallen tree trunks, they hop over a path and jump onto a series of stepping stumps, continuing across the forest bridge and into a giant, six foot diameter bird’s nest. After a brief discussion about who has to be the mommy, daddy or baby bird they move on to the kids’ bird blind where they watch goldfinches and chickadees at bird feeders.
In six months, staff and volunteers at Brookside Nature Center transformed a small patch of forest that was overrun with invasive exotic plants into a woodland gem that attracts children, teens and adults. Volunteers began work in February 2009. So far, four Eagles Scouts, twenty volunteers and interns, and several volunteer groups have contributed over 600 hours of labor. They created interactive structures, hand painted signs, and artwork out of trees, branches, logs and stones. They cleared invasive plants, transplanted native plants, and spread over 100 wheelbarrows of woodchips. The result is an enticing spot for those who want to play in, explore or observe nature.
A small tea party garden is a gathering point for visitors of all ages including children, teens and adults (who sometimes squeeze themselves into the small seats cut out of logs). Parent child benches, just the right size for everyone, and a twig shelter with twig chairs, provide quiet, shady spots to watch nature or listen to birds. Nearby, kids play at the sand buckets or look for worms and roly-polies in the log rolling garden. A 35 foot long, snake shaped path, made of stones arranged like scales, leads from a story circle, past an “exploration stump” where naturalists leave interesting items.
We hope you and your children will come enjoy and explore the new Nature Exploration Areas at Locust Grove and Brookside Nature Center.
Montgomery County Department of Parks