When was the last time you played outdoors? Did you take an impromptu hike, indulge a desire to jump into a cold lake, or follow some enigmatic drive to create a sculpture from driftwood on the beach? Maybe you started a new garden, or sketched a backyard bird from a favorite quiet nook? Whether you were conscious of it, or not, likely, you were engaging in some version of outdoor play. Outdoor play, often referred to as Nature Play here at MBGNA, combines the benefits of access to nature and green spaces with the advantages of open-ended play. This synthesis can relieve stress, add joy, provide stimulation, supercharge learning, and support social relationships.

• Relieve stress. Time in green spaces decreases our stress hormones, as does laughter and play. We are free to laugh which, in turn, boosts our intake of oxygen-rich air, and may trigger our body’s production of endorphins. 

• Add joy. Play is freely chosen and self-directed. It is about what we want to do, not what we are obliged to do. Play is associated with creativity, imagination, and self-efficacy.

• Offer stimulation and creative expression. Play is intrinsically motivated, meaning the means are valued more than the ends. Play is highly self-directed which means there is no wrong way to play. Without judgment, we are free to fail, we are free to experiment.

• Supercharge learning. Play and playfulness are associated with creativity, inventiveness, and the psychological state of flow. Flow state of mind is a relaxed, receptive state of mind, ideal for learning and adaptive problem-solving. 

• Support social – and environmental – relationships. All relationships, whether with people or with land, require attention. Paying attention to, and feeling empathy and appreciation, increases the quality of our relationships, while play adds advantageous/beneficial elements of fun and laughter. 

As MBGNA wraps up a months-long celebration of the fifteenth anniversary of Nature Play at Gaffield Children’s Garden, we invite people of all ages to join in the Nature Play fun at our new Age-Inclusive Nature Play stations in the Matthaei display gardens and trails. Like Matthaei-Nichols, the Ann Arbor Farm & Garden club understands the value of outdoor play for all ages, and has generously funded our experiments in Age-inclusive Nature Play. Together, we invite you to  challenge yourself with the creation of a Six Word Nature Story; pause, pay close attention, and contribute to a Community Created Field Guide; and map your Places of Outdoor Play while contemplating Nature access and play equity. While we have provided some loose parts and other materials, and have framed some specific invitations, we also recognize the importance of self-direction in play; We hope you visit these stations and be moved by your own sense of play, your own sense of curiosity. After all, there is no wrong way to play, and play is for everyone.