Over 25 years of experience sparking childrens' joy and wonder in the natural world
For 25 years, our family owned business has been the leading expert in designing this country's most beautiful, intriguing, cost-effective, safe, and philosophically appropriate Natural Playgrounds for K-12 schools, Montessori schools, Head Start programs, childcare centers, and communities. (That's me in the photo, Ron King, founder and president, with my son Ethan, CEO. I'm the one with the white hair :)
If you've ever climbed trees, made forts, climbed rocks, made mud pies, dammed up water, dug in sand, jumped in leaves, or had fun outside in other, similar ways, you've experienced natural play.
All 6,000 children we've interviewed want these very same, natural play opportunities. Offer them a choice, and every time they'll choose Natural Playgrounds over equipment playgrounds (see "a child's perspective").
This is very interesting, because the research says: Natural Play contributes to the overall physical, cognitive, and emotional development of children, helps them score higher on tests for concentration and self-discipline, helps them experience more diverse play, and helps them exhibit less aggressive behavior, strive toward advanced motor fitness, and become healthier. See research here.
Children actually prefer playing in environments that improve their overall well-being, intelligence, and safety!
Natural Playgrounds offer financial benefits, as well. They're less expensive than equipment, they aren't replaced when safety regulations change, and they lower playground injuries (which cost the US over $13 billion every year).
They also offer higher play value at lower cost, they're part of the greening movement that reduces costly environmental impacts while improving wildlife habitats and beautifying surroundings, and because they use indigenous plants and local materials, they have a very low carbon footprint!
And they're perfect outdoor classrooms!
No wonder there's a worldwide movement to "leave no child inside".
At The Natural Playgrounds Company®, our mission is to ensure that children have wonderful places to go outside where they can both play and learn.
But it all starts with you taking a deep breath and deciding that it's time to make a change.
If you want to create a natural playground and learning environment that
- Meets all safety and licensing standards
- Is developmentally appropriate, cognitively challenging, physically demanding, and fully curriculum integrated
- Optimizes the use of every square inch of your outdoor space while being 100% ADA compliant
- Is designed and built to reduce anxiety, create delightful interchanges, form lasting memories, and improve overall well-being
- Is less costly than traditional, manufactured, equipment playgrounds
- And that is beautiful, indigenous, sustainable, wildlife attractive, green, and environmentally friendly with a very low carbon footprint!
We're the experts and we're here to help.
We'd love to work with you on your Natural Playground.
