“Nature-Rich Play” — It’s More Than Just a Buzzphrase: The Child Care Provider’s Guide to Excellent Outdoor Spaces

by Noelle Wegner—Contracts and Special Projects Manager, Communities for Kids

The Story Behind The Child Care Provider’s Guide to Excellent Outdoor Spaces

Over a year ago now, in a little coffee shop in eastern Nebraska, Communities for Kids (C4K) sat around a table with our partners at the William and Ruth Scott Family Foundation, the Sherwood Foundation, and the Buffett Early Childhood Fund, and came to a conclusion: child care providers across the state are eager to embrace better outdoor programming, but are hitting a wall when it comes to implementation. Every kind of construction is expensive, of course, but the issue went beyond contractor bills. The child care programs our partners spoke with recognized that “nature-rich play” is essential to child development — the phrase was popping up everywhere — but it’s hard to order nature from a catalogue, and the key to making it happen wasn’t all that clear.

If we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that the answers to some of our biggest questions are usually in the communities, so in the fall of 2025, we decided to partner with civil engineer Joe Zadina to conduct case studies across child care programs in three C4K communities that were in various stages of development for their outdoor spaces. We wanted to understand the hurdles they faced—and how they prioritized decisions. In the end, the results were clear: providers didn’t just need more funding; they needed a roadmap to show them what was possible.

With the case studies complete, we took a peek at the scale of the issue by launching an outdoor space survey in all C4K communities to ask about their knowledge and decision-making process. We also used the survey as an opportunity to gauge interest in how we might be able to put our funds to work. Anyone who regularly surveys the masses knows how hard it can be to get respondents, so we were amazed at the speed and excitement around the topic as we watched the numbers tick up. Nebraska’s providers in C4K communities were ready to mobilize and reimagine their outdoor environments. This enthusiasm sparked a two-pronged initiative: we began working toward the launch of a new small-scale grant program to help fund nature-forward projects, and we started writing The Child Care Provider’s Guide to Excellent Outdoor Spaces.

This guide was a true collaborative effort. In addition to all the knowledge our C4K team possessed, we combined Joe Zadina’s engineering expertise with the insights of UNO instructor Melany Spiehs and Nebraska Extension’s Katie Krause, and pulled together resources from across the state that gave providers an idea of what kind of expert to reach out to for their specific needs. Need to learn about native plants that are already adapted to our climate, and thus require minimal effort? We got it covered. Not sure who to call about outdoor curriculum? That’s in there, too. Unclear where to even start with regulations and quality assessments? You guessed it.

Whether a provider is looking to make incremental improvements or planning a full-scale overhaul of the outdoor space, this guide offers attainable, practical goals, with a deep dive on the "why" and "how" of incorporating natural elements — from the benefits of loose parts play to the multipurpose potential of a simple hill, which can serve as a place to roll down, a stage for performances, or a quiet spot for reflection while looking up at the sky.

We also know that beautiful, natural spaces require distinct care. That’s why this resource goes beyond design; it offers ideas of how to put together manageable maintenance plans, ensuring your new natural elements remain vibrant foundations for learning rather than becoming overgrown and torn out altogether. After all, a pizza garden isn’t going to weed itself, and if you don’t regularly rake and top off mulch, you’re going to be due for an expensive replacement sooner than you think.

“The point of these tips is to get kids outside, and for longer,” says Rachel Sissel, Vice President of Early Futures Partnership and C4K program lead. “We do that by giving providers the tools they need to understand and implement in the smartest way possible. We hope this publication serves as a great foundation for child care programs looking to build excellent outdoor spaces with confidence."

C4K is proud to share this guide as a tool to help child care providers create sustainable, enriching spaces that will support children’s growth from Falls City to Atkinson, Kimball to Valentine. Take a look and tell us what you think!