from ABC to Nature Play
Build outdoor play spaces that help kids explore, regulate & grow
I Help Families & Educators
Create Outdoor Spaces That Feelmagical & meaningful.
Children need more than playground equipment. They need mud, sticks, gardens, textures, movement, quiet corners, climbing, digging, pretending, and places where their whole bodies can settle into play.
At N is for Nature Play, Jena brings together landscape design, child development, sensory awareness, and hands-on creativity to help you build outdoor spaces that support real learning, regulation, confidence, and connection.
Design a Space
Get guidance for creating a custom sensory-rich outdoor play area for your home, school, childcare center, or community space.
Learn to DIY
Explore approachable guides for building outdoor play invitations, sensory gardens, and nature-based spaces at your own pace.
Live Workshops
Learn how to create nature play spaces step by step, with practical guidance you can actually use.
Nature Play Spaces for Homes, Schools,
Childcare Centers, and Outdoor Learning Programs
Whether you’re starting with a backyard, a preschool playground, a school garden, or a larger community space, N is for Nature Play helps transform ordinary outdoor areas into meaningful environments for child-led exploration.
Every space can include opportunities for movement, sensory play, loose parts, imaginative play, garden interaction, quiet regulation, and hands-on discovery.
What children gain from sensory-based nature play
Nature Play isn't just about entertainment. It has documented pysiological benefits to children and we build spaces to enhance those benefits for kids.
Calmer Nervous Systems
Nature gives children space to move, breathe, notice, dig, touch, climb, listen, and settle.
Stronger Bodies
Outdoor play builds balance, coordination, strength, confidence, and body awareness.
Deeper Imagination
A stick can become a wand, a bridge, a tool, a sword, a fishing pole, or the entire plot of a tiny woodland opera.
Connection
Children build relationships with each other, their caregivers, and the living world around them.
Sensory
Children experience sensation in their own unique way through thoughtfully crafted environments and materials.
Meet the designer behind the dirt
Hi I'm Jena -- landscape architect nature play expert, artist-builder, garden fanatic, and mom of twins.
I believe children deserve outdoor spaces that invite curiosity, creativity, regulation, and joy. My work blends professional landscape design with a deep understanding of sensory needs, child development, and the magic that happens when kids are given room to explore.
I help families, schools, and communities create nature play spaces that are beautiful, practical, and rooted in the way children actually play.
Work With Jena
Send a message to N is For Nature Play for information about custom designs, landscaping projects, webinars, and more.