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For educators and parents alike, it’s a natural compulsion to ensure the potential for all injuries on the playground is minimized. As adults, we often underestimate a child’s ability to independently govern risk. It’s not always easy for us to be hands-off and let children engage in risky play on the playground. But with that… Continue reading Risky Play Does Not Mean Hazardous Play
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Society is losing its connection to nature. There’s a huge deficit in the amount of sensory engagement kids are getting in particular kids with disabilities. Listen in to Adam Bienenstock as he talks about universal accessibility and the importance of a full sensory nature experience for people of all ages and abilities. Universal accessibility goes beyond simply… Continue reading Connecting People Of All Ages And Abilities To Nature
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CTV News Kitchener stopped by Bienenstock HQ recently to learn about the benefits of natural playgrounds and see some of our more popular play structures.
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We spent the day in Fredericton, New Brunswick teaching a group of childhood educators, landscape designers and horticulturists about the benefits of risky play. This workshop featured a series of log-based games and exercises designed to teach attendees about the importance of allowing children to assess their own risk. Catch some highlights of the workshop… Continue reading The Importance Of Allowing Children To Assess Risk
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How to Tap a Sugar Maple Tree With the start of spring right around the corner, it is officially maple syrup season! Before you fire up those pancakes, Bienenstock Director of Education Jill Bienenstock, demonstrates how to tap a sugar maple tree. Step 1. Using a ½” drill bit, drill a 1.5” to… Continue reading How To Tap A Sugar Maple Tree
For more information regarding our design, training, keynotes, and natural products follow the link below to get in touch.
LET'S CHAT
In this workshop, we will discuss practical ways to make the most out of your sand area. We will reinforce the many developmental benefits and work through the challenges that sand play may offer at your centre. We will review the basics of constructing your sand space to make it sustainable and simple to maintain, plus add key design elements to ensure that you have shade, water, and loose parts. Learn how to streamline your sand tools and figure out how to create a storage system that works for both children and educators. Most importantly, create a space that provides ownership and can be utilized during all four seasons. The session will begin with a short presentation and continue by creating your ultimate sand area out of mini components, sand, and plants. Join us for a hands-on workshop that will reinforce child development and good sound design principles.
In this workshop, we will step outside the standards of reading and writing and explore how and why outdoor unstructured free play supports motor, creative, social, and language skills needed to assist in the foundations of literacy for young children. We will focus on setting up your playground to support the physical prerequisites needed for literacy and provide ways to expand children’s outdoor play. The aim is to provide participants with additional tools to enhance their current strategies used to support the success of reading and writing.
Not all play is created equal. Outdoor play offers physical and sensory inputs that the indoors just can’t compete with. It allows the brain and body to become more organized, more regulated, and more coordinated providing a springboard for learning. In this workshop, we will focus on how to market all-weather play to families by sharing the developmental benefits that only happen when outside. We will advertise how each season provides unique (and free) sensory material that supports their child’s development. Plus, showcase simple winter and rainy-day activities that parents, and children just can’t resist.
Summer nature play instinctively allows water play to be the top priority. Take advantage of the rising temperatures and bring water activities to your playground. Adding water to your sand area is key as well as mud kitchens and sensory tables. Learn how to streamline your loose parts and tools and make it work in any playground. Creating shelters for shade is also needed to keep both adults and children cool and comfortable. Plus, it provides many dramatic play opportunities to support creative, social, and language skills. Other activities include planting and harvesting veggies and making signs and fences to add to the ownership to your centre’s garden.
In this workshop we will explore the opportunities that winter has to offer while showcasing the importance of outdoor unstructured free play. Let us take advantage of what ‘mother nature’ has so generously provided; cold weather, snow and ice and learn how to keep children engaged, happy and warm. We will focus on the tools and loose parts that are needed to support big body play, problem-solving and social skills during the winter months.
Activities include repurposing Christmas trees, creating shelters, converting mud kitchens into snow and ice utopias, turning slippery surfaces into manageable learning experiences, and being creative with our playground’s snowy palette. Work with what you have and be amazed by the children’s engagement and smiling faces!
This is an interactive webinar, get ready for live discussions and have your video on to support hands-on activities. Prior to the event a short and simple material list will be sent out.
Guess what, we live in Canada! That’s four seasons and four distinct types of weather. We play in all of them. Join us for a fun and interactive workshop where we explore how the weather is the ultimate loose part. We may as well have fun with it because I’ve looked at the forecast and it calls for more. Bring the right gear and be prepared for the best and worst that Mother Nature has to offer.
Messy play is always a big hit for young children. It’s often the families who have a difficult time with it. In this session, we will review why it’s so important for child development and how to make it work for everyone.
Gardening offers many opportunities for natural learning to occur all year long. It’s a hands-on activity that provides fantastic health benefits as well as numerous developmental outcomes that promote cognitive, motor, and sensory skills. Gardening opportunities appeal to a variety of learning styles and ages to connect, challenge, and problem-solve. Learn what to plant and how to maintain and encourage ownership in your gardening pursuits. This will help to eliminate the frustration of trampled garden beds and planters that can easily become sensory bins. This workshop will encourage, educate, and demonstrate that simplicity is the key to any gardening adventure; start small and ‘grow’ from there.
All kids love playing with water. Whether it’s jumping in a puddle or playing at the water table, it’s always a big hit. At this workshop, learn how to set up your own water wall with some tubing, connectors, and ties. The best part is that these water walls take up vertical spaces and are set up on a chain link fence. Children can work together at this activity while they control the amount and direction of the water. Add food colouring and the children can have fun creating new colours. There’s so much potential in such a simple activity.
The products of the hands are the footprints of the soul.
(L. Christensen 2011)
Woodworking with young children is a lost art. Many educators cringe at the word and start to visualize cut fingers and flying hammers. Get past your fears and come join this workshop to find out how to make it happen.
Come discover how woodworking uses math, problem-solving, fine motor, and social skills while fostering creativity, imagination, and independence. Create an environment where children can be competent and capable of using real tools. In this workshop, we will review the importance of woodworking, understand where to start, the tools to use, safety protocols to implement, and showcase in real-time activities that can be done outside with your cohorts.
Christmas trees can still hold their magic even when the holiday is over. In this workshop, participants will learn how to repurpose discarded Christmas trees as teaching tools. Let the creative juices flow from fort building to making giant bird feeders and transient art projects. The best part of using repurposed trees is that these materials and loose parts are free and ready for the picking in early January. This workshop offers great team-building, problem-solving and creative social-collaboration opportunities. Plus, the needles stay green all winter long! A great loose part to have in any outdoor space.
Come join in the fun! This workshop is outdoors; please dress accordingly.
Mud pies are a natural and memorable part of every childhood. In this workshop learn how to set up your mud kitchen in any playground and use it as a tool to support child development. Mud kitchens are easy ways to add sensory input into your programming to support collaboration, motor skills, literacy, math, and science. Discover the tools needed and expand the learning all year round.
In this workshop, we will step outside the standards of reading and writing and explore how outdoor unstructured free play supports motor, creative, social, and language skills needed to assist in the foundations of literacy for young children. We will take you on a journey to understand how a well-planned and sensory rich outdoor environment naturally provides these activities and experiences to support the physical prerequisites needed for literacy. We will provide educators with the tools to understand not only the building blocks of literacy but the importance of using the outdoors as a springboard for learning where educators support and expand children’s play.
This session will focus on the importance and benefits of outdoor unstructured free play. We will explore why it’s essential to child development and how it supports the foundational skills for learning. We will showcase outdoor environments where child-led play is fostered and creativity, problem-solving, self regulation, and motor skills flourish. Streamline your loose parts and tools that can be used outdoors in all types of weather. Simplify your programming and create child-led and inclusive experiences where all learning styles and personalities shine through.
This workshop will focus on the importance of outdoor unstructured free play and why it’s essential to child development to support the foundational skills for learning. We will showcase outdoor environments where child-led play is fostered and creativity, problem-solving, self-regulation, and motor skills flourish. Learn how to streamline your loose parts and tools that can be used outdoors in all types of weather and in any type of playground. Simplify your programming and create child-led and inclusive experiences where all learning styles and personalities shine through.
Learn how to use your mud kitchen as a tool to support your student’s development. Mud kitchens are easy ways to add sensory input into your curriculum to support collaboration, motor skills, literacy, math, and science. It is an inclusive activity that will help with the foundational skills needed for printing and storytelling. Discover the tools needed and expand learning into your class curriculum all year round.
In this workshop, we will explore the opportunities that winter has to offer while highlighting the importance of outdoor unstructured free play. Let us take advantage of what ‘mother nature’ has so generously provided; cold weather, snow and ice, and learn how to keep children engaged, happy, and warm. We will focus on the tools and loose parts that are needed to support big body play, problem-solving and social skills during the winter months.
Activities include creating shelters, converting mud kitchens into snow and ice utopias, turning slippery surfaces into manageable learning experiences, and being creative with our playground’s snowy palette. Work with what you have and be amazed by the children’s engagement and smiling faces!
Christmas trees can still hold their magic even when the holiday is over. In this workshop participants will learn how to repurpose discarded Christmas trees as teaching tools. Let the creative juices flow from fort building to making giant bird feeders and transient art projects. The best part of using repurposed trees is that these materials and loose parts are free and ready for the picking in early January. This workshop offers great team-building, problem-solving and creative social-collaboration opportunities. Plus, the needles stay green all winter long! A great loose part to have in any outdoor space.
Come join in the fun! This workshop is outdoors; please dress accordingly.
Woodworking with young children is a lost art. Many educators cringe at the word and start to visualize cut fingers and flying hammers. Get past your fears and join this workshop to find out how to make it happen.
Come discover how woodworking uses math, problem-solving, fine motor, and social skills while fostering creativity, imagination, and independence. Create an environment where children can be competent and capable when using real tools. In this workshop, we will review the importance of woodworking, understand where to start, the tools to use, safety protocols to implement, and showcase activities that can be done outside with your cohorts.
In this workshop, we will explore the opportunities that the outdoors offers in the fall. Let us take advantage of the natural materials discarded from trees, including leaves, pinecones, acorns, walnuts, and chestnuts. Children can collect, compare and manipulate these materials in so many ways. Enjoy the crisp fall days and rainy weather by adding more movement and big body play into your programming. We will focus on the tools and loose parts needed to support outdoor unstructured free play to make it simple and easy for you to deliver your programming outdoors. Activities include fort/shelter building, transient art, raking leaves, and puddle art.
Spring is in the air. Let’s take advantage of the spring showers and warmer weather and get outside. In this workshop, we will focus on loose parts and tools needed to play in wet and often muddy playgrounds. Activities will include making the most out of your mud kitchen, building shelters, using puddles as giant sensory tables, planning a vegetable garden for the summer, and prepping your garden beds.
To meet the sensory development needs of children in the early years, water play checks all the boxes. In this session, we will seize the opportunities to create water play experiences throughout your playground.
In this session, we will streamline your loose parts and tools that can be used outdoors for the early years. The goal is to add loose parts that promote big body play while supporting problem-solving both physically and socially. We will add to what you have and simplify your outdoor programming to create child-led and inclusive experiences where all learning styles and personalities shine through.
For more information regarding our design, training, keynotes, and natural products follow the link below to get in touch.
Phone
1-800-306-3319
At Bienenstock, we celebrate divergent thinking and risk-taking. We learn from each other and we push each other to experiment. We aren’t content to work on the cutting edge; we want to define the global future of our field. While our backgrounds are unique, we are grounded in our shared belief in the awesome power of nature to enrich child development and develop the next generation of environmental stewards.
We have developed an organization for individuals who are:
We’re growing again and looking to add another talented and motivated member to our team. The BNP culture strikes a unique balance between an organized, highly-supportive team-centric environment that is productivity-driven. Pushing each other comes from a real belief that we are helping the world by connecting children to nature through our work; access to nature isn’t the problem, it’s the solution to a host of issues surrounding play-based child development. If you are a high performer looking for a workplace where we celebrate our wins and learn from our losses, where we care for each other and place a premium on a positive attitude; we look forward to hearing from you.
Inspire us and we will work hard to inspire you.
We are seeking an experienced and talented individual to join our marketing team. Your primary responsibility in this position will be to both gather digital media surrounding our projects, workshops, manufacturing process, education sessions and opening events across North America as well as develop accompanying storylines and narratives that align with the BNP brand, mission and values. This role will require someone with refined social skills (both spoken and written), photography and videography experience (A willingness to learn drone photography and videography along with time lapse setups) and is willing to travel. Travel is an important component of this position as the person in this role will capture project openings across North America. The ability to maintain timelines and deliver on deadlines is a must. This role will report to our Global Head of Marketing but will require a responsible candidate who is able to work independently.
Please send your resume to chris.ozolins@naturalplaygrounds.ca. BNP is an equal opportunity employer. We thank all candidates, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Position: Junior Shipper/Receiver
Location: Head Office Flamborough, ON
Status: Full-Time
Reports To: Production Manager
We consider ourselves very fortunate to be the team who gets to ship the parts and pieces for the
amazing play spaces for our clients. Seeing the kids enjoy the spaces we create is the reason why
we are all here.
Are you experienced in picking and palletizing freight?
Are you passionate about the appreciation and benefits of nature play?
Specific Responsibilities:
We are looking for a Junior Shipper/Receiver who will be responsible for order picking and
material handling. You will use banding equipment to pick and pack amazing, one-of-a-kind
playground components to be shipped all across North America. You will work closely with the
rest of the logistics team to develop truck and pallet plans to efficiently ship our products. You’ll
also work closely with the production team to transport finished goods and raw materials around
the facility.
If you have the following qualifications then this job is for you:
● Experience in warehousing
● Experience in material handling
● Experience in manufacturing
● Experience in SAP/ERP/MRP systems
● Ability to lift at least 50lbs
Preference will be given to anyone with one of the following attributes, or more:
● Enjoy working with your hands
● Ability to self-start and follow directions
● Contribute to core company values
Daily Tasks
● Follow health and safety policies
● Daily data entry into company software
● Use of banding equipment to pick and palletize unique products
● Use of heavy equipment to transport finished goods and raw materials
● Working in a team environment and meeting shipping deadlines
Incentives For You:
● Full-time, permanent position
● Competitive wages
● Training and development opportunities
● Extended Health Benefits
● Comprehensive Annual Bonus program
● Overtime pay after 44hrs/wk
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: $18.00-$23.00 per hour
Please send your resume to careers@naturalplaygrounds.ca. BNP is an equal opportunity employer. We
thank all candidates, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Position: Finisher
Location: Head Office Flamborough, ON
Status: Full-Time
Reports To: Production Manager
We consider ourselves very fortunate to be the team who gets to produce the parts and pieces for the
amazing play spaces for our clients. Seeing the kids enjoy the spaces we create is the reason why we are
all here.
Are you experienced in creative woodworking?
Are you passionate about the appreciation and benefits of nature play?
Specific Responsibilities:
We are looking for a Finisher who will be responsible for taking our products to the next level of quality.
You will use various tools to eliminate imperfections and bring out the impressive beauty of our natural,
wooden products. You can also expect to have a hand in minor assembly and manufacturing processes.
If you have the following qualifications then this job is for you:
● Experience in carpentry
● Experience in arboriculture
● Experience in manufacturing
● Experience in creative woodworking
● Ability to lift at least 50lbs
Preference will be given to anyone with one of the following attributes, or more:
● Enjoy working with your hands
● Ability to self-start and follow directions
● Contribute to core company values
Daily Tasks
● Follow health and safety policies
● Daily data entry into company software
● Use of powered abrasive tools to remove imperfections and polish wooden products
● Use of power tools to assist in the assembly and manufacturing process
● Working in a team environment and meeting production deadlines
Incentives For You:
● Full-time, permanent position
● Competitive wages
● Training and development opportunities
● Extended Health Benefits
● Comprehensive Annual Bonus program
● Overtime pay after 44hrs/wk
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: $18.00-$23.00 per hour
Please send your resume to careers@naturalplaygrounds.ca. BNP is an equal opportunity employer. We
thank all candidates, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Position: Landscape Construction Labourer
Location: Head Office Flamborough, ON
Status: Full-Time
Reports To: Production Manager
We consider ourselves very fortunate to be the team who gets to install amazing play spaces for
our clients. Seeing the kids enjoy the spaces we create is the reason why we are all here.
Are you experienced in Landscape Construction or Woodworking?
Are you passionate about the appreciation and benefits of nature play?
Specific Responsibilities:
We are looking for experienced Landscape Construction Labourers who will be responsible
for the build and installation of natural playground components for various clients in public and
private settings.
If you have the following qualifications then this job is for you:
● experience in the landscaping industry
● Experience in general construction
● Expert job site organization
● Experience in problem solving
● Ability to lift at least 50lbs
● Ability to travel occasionally up to 3 weeks.
● Valid G license
Preference will be given to anyone with one of the following attributes, or more:
● You have examples of superb organization ability and meticulous attention to detail
● You excel in project problem solving and planning
● You have experience working with a chainsaw
● You have excavator and skidsteer experience
● You can confidently read blueprints and site plans
● You have obtained a valid AR license
Daily Tasks
● Follow and enforce health and safety policies
● Report into Operations management
● Prioritizing tasks, managing timelines,
● Scheduling and delegating tasks as well as motivating and disciplining crew
● Ordering materials from vendors and scheduling material drop-offs
● Using machinery and power tools to build playground components
● Working in a team environment and meeting installation deadlines
Incentives For You:
● Winter employment in our production facility – without snow removal
● Full-time, permanent position
● Competitive salary
● Training and development opportunities
● Extended Health Benefits
● Comprehensive Annual Bonus program
● Overtime pay after 44hrs/wk
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: $20.00-$30.00 per hour
Additional pay:
● Overtime pay
Schedule:
● 10 hour shift
● Day shift
● Monday to Friday
● No weekends
● Overtime
Please send your resume to careers@naturalplaygrounds.ca. BNP is an equal opportunity employer. We
thank all candidates, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.