Regina’s Place - Good Shepherd

Overview

At Good Shepherd’s Regina’s Place – a transitional housing program for young parents and their infants – Bienenstock transformed an under-utilized outdoor space into a vibrant, sensory-rich environment designed for connection, development, and engagement.

The original area lacked shade, sensory stimulation, and opportunities for meaningful engagement, offering mostly traditional gross motor play that wasn’t always suitable or developmentally beneficial for the young children it served, especially non-mobile infants under 9 months of age.

To offer a more diverse and developmentally-rich experience, the Bienenstock team of designers and educators collaborated to create a space that would introduce a variety of natural materials—including sod, sand, mulch, decking, and stumps. These offered six distinct surface textures that stimulate sensory exploration. For example, milled and natural wood are two contrasting surfaces, helping infants acclimate to varied tactile inputs at an early age. Transitioning from one surface to another, like from the mulch to the sand, also supports gross motor development.

Each feature in the space is intentionally multifunctional and designed to meet children where they are developmentally. From infants sitting in the grass to navigating changes in elevation and surface, the space encourages exploration, motor planning, and discovery.

The space also supports meaningful parent-child interaction—a benefit that was incredibly important to the team at Regina’s Place.

• Thunder drums and chime fences are positioned for face-to-face engagement, promoting connection through music and movement
• Mirror panels, shaded benches, and flat surfaces for both climbing and resting enhance the experience for parents and their infants
• Chalkboard panels invite artistic expression with chalk or wet brushes and a designated gardening area will offer calming, hands-on engagement in the soil
• Two Wacky Posts invite connection with the opportunity to hook up a saucer swing or hammock for children
• A log fort in a grassy area serves as a shaded gathering point or a backdrop for dramatic play, creating opportunities for open-ended programming, storytelling, and inclusive play for children of all abilities.

The Regina’s Place outdoor nature space is more than a playground. It’s a thoughtfully designed environment that nurtures the senses, supports early development, and invites families to connect, explore, and thrive together.