About The Workshop

The workshop ‘Quick and Dirty’ will focus on 12 ways to naturalize your playground without the need to spend thousands of dollars for a brand-new playground.  From choosing materials, to sourcing them for cheap, to how to configure them and speak to your inspector to make them compliant, we will make natural play a viable option for any playground.   ‘Quick and Dirty’ will give you the basic knowledge in making the first steps towards naturalizing your outdoor space.  It will assist in the process of creating a plan needed to ensure success as well as understanding the rules, sustainability, and maintenance issues associated with a natural playground.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understanding  the importance of connecting children to nature. Research will be discussed and the need for new models of playground designs and options.
2. Identifying  playground changes that naturalize your outdoor space can creating more opportunities for child led learning experiences.  
3. Learning  about which natural features to choose and how to install them on a budget.  
4. Building  in realistic maintenance goals. Natural Playgrounds are living entities that need to be maintained. Participants will understand how to incorporate curriculum and maintenance goals to keep the playground alive and well.
5. Transforming  your playground requires a plan to be successful. Creating an outdoor environment that works for both children and staff is a process that takes time, patience, and often takes the assistance of the whole community.