Sky Island

Coming in for a landing to report success for mission "First Flight" on Sky Island.

We taught many a baby bird to fly in our suspended trawl net fastened 5 feet high with rope and webbing to surrounding trees. After the baby birds learned to fly in the sky net they were then free to explore the island via branches (logs on the forest floor setup to act as balance beams) and help build a person-sized nest. Children of all ages (2-10) quickly took on the role of becoming birds and allowed the net to challenge them at their own personal level. Some were content sitting in a low area whereas others flew to the highest points and slid down for landings, both bumpy and smooth.

Baby birds trying out different "landing" techniques

It was important to assess the risk of the net, how it was suspended, and minimizing the possibilities for toppling over the edge. Phil Waters of the Eden Project is experienced with rigging up nets for similar play purposes, and was an inspiration as well as a key risk assessor in the construction of the net. After several adults tested the net (and didn't want to leave), we knew the children would have a beneficial, safe, and fun experience.

The net crew: Courtney, Amelea, Phil, and Sarah

The net afforded multiple levels of challenge in allowing the children to adapt and learn about their own mental and physical limits as well as interact with other children in an inclusive and civil manner.

  Kids of all ages learning to fly

The adults matched the children's collective enthusiasm for the net, each parent/chaperone expressed this by exclaiming that they would set one up in their backyard for the kids!

Note: No actual birds were harmed in the making of this play habitat :)

Courtney, Amelea, and Sarah

Bouncy mud

Bouncy mud a video by Nature Play Corps on Flickr.

This is probably the team's favorite spot on the whole site - variously known as the bog, the moving earth, the swamp, the mud kingdom... you get the idea.

It's a dense mat of damp, dark organic material (future peat) that creates the springy, muddy surface.

Creating "Adventure Theater"

Adventure Theater

“Make a fairy garden,” was a prompt that our group of three interns was given by Jess Hoffmire, a guest facilitator to Nature Play Corps from NC Zoo. On the second day of our internship, Courtney, Terry, and I were assigned to work together and we ventured out in the woods to search for the perfect spot for a fairy garden. We found several trees that formed an archway off of the main trail that we previously created and all agreed that this was a great place to create our garden. 

Some of the children performing in the theater

The three members of our group reminisced about our childhood experiences in nature while sitting in the fairy garden. We felt a connection with the location, which eventually became the site of our play pocket. After exploring the space further we found an area where several trees had fallen that was a wonderful place to sit down and admire the woods. We created a trail that looped through the woods and back to the entrance. During our ideation we discussed that incorporating dramatic play into our play pocket would be an open-ended way to connect children with nature. The theme of our play pocket transformed into “Adventure Theater” so we created a stage at the entrance to our site. We made a curtain by draping a net that we decorated with pine cones, leaves, and pine needles over the archway. We arranged logs to be the seats in the audience. 

 Small groups of children rotated throughout the play pockets that the interns created. We explained to the children that they would be creating a play and encouraged them to find inspiration and props for their play along the trail. 

Connecting with nature ourselves through play helped us to develop a nature play experience for children.

 "Adventure Theater" was a space for children to explore and develop a personal connection with Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. The play pocket supported cognitive, social, emotional, and physical domains of development. Through dramatic nature play, children took on multiple perspectives, practiced fine and gross motor skills, language skills, and negotiation.

Wild Imagination in Bug City

Today was the first time we actually got to play with children.  We constructed a play pocket themed “Bug City,” surrounded by pre-existing magical vines, a fort made from nearby forest matter, and some structures that looked a little like bug homes.  In the pocket, we had some bug costume objects, magnifying glasses and bug boxes.  Our intention was to be as hands-off as possible, and we didn’t really know what to expect…

The third group of kids to enter was three kids: two boys and one girl, ages 6, 6, and 3.  Before we could do anything, they had started to deconstruct the path to build a life-size teepee!  Quickly, Bug City was under siege, by one of the kids and Sarah (one of our playworkers), attacking another child and Kaitlyn—the good bugs, the playworkers’ roles having been assigned by the kids.

The youngest child chose to dig in the dirt, searching for worms or anything else living under ground.  He was curious about what he might find, and began to discover some potential living space!  As he dug, he asked Molly to help him, and to also look at what he was finding.

Soon, though, the dramatic play surrounding him threw some of the warring bugs into jail (the fort), and he jumped in to free them with his special protective powers. 

However, once safe again, he returned to his digging and investigating.  The ability of this young child to pass between focused investigation and involvement in the dramatic play was incredible.  And the imaginative power of all three children, as well as the clear role they wanted us playworkers to play in their game felt so right.  

Molly, Sarah, Kaitlyn