5 Elements Every Nature Play Space Needs (And Why)

by Jac Robinson

In nearly 20 years of designing nature play spaces, we’ve learned what makes a playground thrive – and what leaves it sitting sad and unused. We’ve found that there are a number of critical design elements that lead to a successful play space, which can enable children to learn and grow in a positive way. Cutting research completed by the University of South Australia found that children spent about 60% more time in natural play zones compared to manufactured play areas (Dankiw et al., 2024). Children love exploring and engaging with nature, and we see this across community parks, school grounds and early learning centres. Whether it’s climbing trees, making mud pies, or exploring creek beds, children tend to be more imaginative, creative and social in these areas.

So how do we replicate this in the form of play elements? And what separates a successful nature playground from an underutilised one? There are five critical elements we consider:

 

1. Sensory Variety 

Activities which stimulate the senses are crucial for building brain connections, boosting cognitive abilities, developing motor skills and fostering emotional regulation. Since children are born with a strong and innate sense of curiosity, we can piggyback off their curiosity by designing play spaces that offer rich sensory variety – this way learning and development occurs naturally through play! Australian hardwood provides different textures, temperatures, and even scents that manufactured equipment can't replicate. When children explore these sensory-rich environments, they aren’t just playing, they're building the cognitive and motor skills that come via genuine discovery.

2. Challenge Levels 

Risky play sounds like something we should be keeping our children away from, but understanding how to manage risks is an important part of life, and therefore something we need to give children exposure to. It’s less about recklessness and more about experiencing uncertainty, and learning to understand the consequences of the choices they make. When children successfully navigate challenging obstacles, their confidence grows and they feel a real sense of achievement. And if they fail in this controlled and safe environment, they build resilience and begin to understand the importance of problem solving and assessing potential dangers prior to jumping straight in! A well designed play space has challenges for all levels and abilities, and most importantly it incorporates controlled risks – those which seem thrilling to kids, but not too scary that they won’t try it.  

3. Social Spaces 

Playgrounds are often one of the first spaces in which very young children interact with their peers, and they function as a true social environment, often with minimal adult involvement. As a result, playgrounds play a huge role in shaping children’s social and emotional development.

Through social play, children learn teamwork, communication and sharing – experiences that are shaped by the communal spaces we introduce them to. Social play also brings moments of conflict and natural disagreement – which can provide valuable opportunities for kids to learn about compromise, respect and fairness.

Some children prefer to work through challenges with their peers, while others prefer to play and discover things by themselves, so it's essential that the environments we create include play elements that support a wide range of social preferences and interaction styles, including communal gathering areas and quieter retreat spaces.  

4. Natural Integration 

Nature play, by definition, is unstructured, non-prescriptive play that is sensory rich, and is primarily about allowing children to engage with the environment on their own terms.

When play spaces are integrated with nature rather than separated from it, children gain a deeper sense of connection, stewardship and belonging. And natural environments invite children to observe, adapt and problem-solve, which reinforces the idea that play doesn’t need to be fixed or prescribed - it evolves with the landscape itself.

Preservation of the existing landscape features, including trees, rocks and natural gradients, ensures that the playground and human-built elements feel part of the landscape, rather than imposed upon it. We design our playgrounds with the unique traits of the site at front of mind, factoring in how the natural shade of a tree will allow for play over longer periods of the day, or how slight hills and bumps add further challenge to an obstacle course.

5. Accessibility 

Every child is different, and all kids have unique sensory processing needs, mobility differences and life experiences - and every child deserves the opportunity to play and experience all the rich developmental experiences nature play offers.

Inclusive play spaces are thoughtful and intentional, so that no child feels excluded or limited in how they participate. By considering accessibility from the outset, play becomes a shared experience rather than a segregated one.

When we design a play space, we factor in multiple entry points to structures and spaces, to cater for different ability and mobility levels. We ensure play experiences are optimised at every height and position, so that all children can participate meaningfully. And through design, our play spaces are sensory friendly, catering to neurodivergence.   

Playgrounds are an incredibly useful resource, not only for our children’s physical development. When designed with intention, they become powerful environments for supporting and enriching children’s emotional, psychological and interpersonal development as well.

The most successful play spaces don’t tell kids how they should play, they provide the right conditions for joyful and exploratory play to shine through. At Timber Creations, we design to spark imagination, build resilience and develop confidence – while simultaneously fostering a deep connection to the natural world.

We’re creating play spaces where children can learn who they are, how to relate to others, and how to engage with the world around them – and it’s these spaces that the kids want to come back to time and time again.

References

Dankiw, K. A., Kumar, S., Baldock, K. L., & Tsiros, M. D. (2023). Do Children Play Differently in Nature Play Compared to Manufactured Play Spaces? A Quantitative Descriptive Study. International Journal of Early Childhood, 56(1), 535-554.