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Nature-Based Play at Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool

Architecture, Graphic Design, Landscape Design

Nature-Based Play
Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool Decatur, Georgia
Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool moved into its new home in Decatur this past August. The Thankful Missionary Baptist Church space near Avellino’s offers 11,000 square feet of outdoor playspace plus classroom facilities for the cooperative.

Through interactive design sessions, Smart Landscapes is working with the Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool community to develop their Master Plan for a new, interactive, nature-based playspace. The design features outdoor classrooms, rainwater elements, veggie garden, musical instruments, and plenty of options for inclusive, imaginative play. Space to hold fundraising events and community festivals give versatility to the design.

Throughout design development, Smart Landscapes is collaborating closely with the OCP leadership and membership to match budgeting, phasing, and construction timelines to quickly begin making the playspace a reality.
Learn more about Nature-Based Play
On the Web:
- Natural Learning Initiative: http://www.naturalearning.org/
- Children and Nature Network: http://www.childrenandnature.org/
- Landscape and Human Health Laboratory: http://www.lhhl.uiuc.edu/research.htm
- Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia: http://www.eealliance.org/
- Environmental Education In Georgia: http://www.eeingeorgia.org/
In Print:
- Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder (Richard Louv)
- Geography of Childhood: Why Children Need Wild Places (Gary Paul Nabhan & Stephen Trimble)
- Plants for Play: A Plant Selection Guide for Children’s Outdoor Environments (Robin Moore)
- The Play For All Guidelines: Planning, Design, and Management of Outdoor Play Settings For All Children (Robin Moore, S. Goltsman, & D. Iacofano)
- Earth In Mind: On Education, Environment, and Human Prospect (David Orr)
{ Special thanks to Gretchen Gigley, Director of Education, Clean Air Campaign }

Raingarden Resources
School Ecosystems: www.schoolecosystems.info
Storm H2O & Schools: www.stormh2o.com
Shaw Nature Center (Missouri): www.shawnature.org
Elkhart River Restoration: www.elkhartriverrestorationassociation.org
Virginia Department of Forestry: www.dof.virginia.gov/mgt/rfb/rain-gardens.htm
Verbena Designs (Minnesota): www.verbenadesign.com