The Nature Playground project responds to an urgent need for children to become more connected with nature.  There are several reasons why  this is an urgent issue. First of all, children are spending most of their time tied to electronic media. They are not receiving a multi-sensory experience while they sit in front of screens. It is important to provide multi-sensory experiences for children, because their brains are developing in relation to their experiences.

Developmental Psychologists have been researching the impact of nature on children. They have discovered that it is helps them to become more focused throughout their lives. It also decreases aggression.  In addition to this research, there have been numerous studies on the importance of play. If you want a child’s mind to be healthy and balanced, it is important to give them unstructured play time. They need to engage in make believe play, art and games. This creativity is a precious resource. If children spend their days watching TV, they are being deprived of the opportunity to thrive.

Dynamic experiences with nature allow children to appreciate nature. Appreciation allows us to engage young minds to protect the environment. It is more compelling to protect something that we know we will miss.

The Project: Nature Playground will give children first-hand experience and multi-sensory exploration with an edible landscape, supporting abundant opportunities for planting, harvesting, cooking and enjoying fresh food. Various terrain and mosaic paths will snake through themed gardens and raised beds where plants will be a focus of study, seasonal celebrations and sensory delight. The gardens in the Nature Playground will feel like a miniature version of an urban farm and will use innovative growing mediums and spaces. A greenhouse, vertical gardens, herb spirals, fruit and veggie hedges and fences will define the landscape. Bringing together all the elements of the Nature Playground and acting as a focal point of learning and experiencing is the outdoor bake oven and kitchen. Here, children will be offered an opportunity to learn wood-fired oven baking and cooking techniques in a brick oven – from baking bread to making pizza, pies and pastries. The Nature Playground will help open the doors of our relationship with nature to school children, families and the community at large. By supporting the Nature Playground, you will help to ensure that children can connect with, play in and learn from nature. Nature Playground will be built at Evergreen Brick Works, an environmental community centre located in the heart of Toronto. Open year-round, families and school children will have the opportunity to share ideas, participate in hands-on learning experiences and be inspired to take action that will make our cities more sustainable and more livable. Who is Evergreen? Evergreen is a national charity. Projects like Nature Playground is the type of work they have been doing since 1991. They have engaged hundreds of thousands of Canadians in creating and sustaining dynamic outdoor spaces – on school grounds and in community plots, on balconies and in backyards, in public parks and forgotten spaces. With your vote, we can make this happen! Help children connect with, play in and learn from nature by voting now and telling your friends. The FrogBox team admires the amazing work that Evergreen has been doing over the years! We had  enjoyed participating in their Earth Day Native Species planting event. We also donated the use of moving boxes for their Vancouver office move in 2009.