On Christmas Eve, a large bough fell from a hemlock tree in Swarthmore’s Umoja Park. Several park neighbors wrote in to describe how children have been using the branches as natural play spaces. We asked Swarthmorean readers to write and tell us about other small natural spaces around town that you or your friends or relatives have played in. A few of you did.

My examples aren’t really “nooks” or nature spots per se. But living in a town with trees and sidewalks meant my kids and I always had a nature activity. I would give Colin and Isabel each a plastic bag to take on a special “nature walk,” which just meant going down the street and picking up anything on the ground that caught their interest: rocks, feathers, pretty leaves, etc.
Another great opportunity was when some of us moms would pick up our children from Swarthmore Friends Nursery School. Since the preschool was right on the Swarthmore College campus, we had instant access to a perfect picnic lunch spot where the kids could play catch or tag or climb some trees.
– Maria Mooney

There’s a large branch teepee structure in the Crum Woods, too.
– Dave Murphy

Swarthmore Friends Nursery School uses nature as an extension of our classroom.
Our location on the Swarthmore College campus gives us abundant opportunities to use nature as an integral part of our curriculum. We love to see the children explore the woods and marvel at magical trees in every season. The small hills are perfect for rolling and running (and even sledding, if we’re lucky enough to have snow).
This year, because of COVID-19, we moved preschool entirely outside. This allowed us to even more fully explore the possibilities of a nature classroom. The trees have become our art gallery, our climbing spaces, and our shelter from the rain. And they offer us opportunities to look for insects and birds as part of our science curriculum.
The cut logs on our playground are gathering spaces where the children can practice risk taking by jumping and balancing. The logs even serve as a perfect circle of seats for story time. Twigs, acorns, and pinecones are transported from space to space, turned into “groceries” or fairy gardens, made into boundaries for cars, or used to create art.
The newly completed texture garden outside the new Singer science building on campus has provided hours of exploration and imaginative play. Children’s imaginations come to life as they turn the logs into pirate ships, race cars, or balance beams.
Kim Bernaus
Director
Swarthmore Friends Nursery School