Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest

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Playcosystem

The Ecology of Nature Play
Playcosystem: Now Open

Free, wild and adventurous play in nature will ignite children’s imaginations at Bernheim's Playcosystem, a new 10-acre natural playground. Playcosystem is designed in harmony with nature to provide children with open-ended, physically challenging, and unstructured play opportunities that support healthy development.

Updates

Read about our latest updates and progress.

Images

View renderings and images of Playcosystem during construction.
This rendering shows what you are likely to see from the center of the first play zone. Imagine you are on a bridge across a creek looking toward the Education Center. This rendering shows another view from the center of the first play zone. As you leave the first play zone and head into a parklike area this is what Playcosystem will eventually look like. Playcosystem is tuned to nature. Each zone has a different ecology and a different focus on play. If you were a bird flying over Playcosystem looking down, this would be your view. Zone one of Playcosystem is designed to inspire nature playgrounds for early learning centers, schools, and nonprofits with outdoor spaces. Construction of the Play Zone. Steel dome that will create an arbor of sycamore trees.

Sponsor

Help support nature play and Playcosystem.
UPDATES
Read about our latest updates and progress.
IMAGES
View renderings and images of Playcosystem during construction.
SPONSORS
Help support nature play and Playcosystem.
VIDEOS
Donate to support nature play and Playcosystem
Help provide opportunities for children to connect with nature through free play to support their healthy development.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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- Thank You to Our Donors -
  • Old Friends of Bernheim (Playcosystem Donor)
  • Joan McCombs (Placosystem Donor)
  • Elaine Musselman (Placosystem Donor)
  • Travel Bullitt
  • Brown Forman
  • UPS
  • Gheens
  • Keen
  • PNC

“Playcosystem is designed in harmony with nature to provide children with open-ended, physically challenging, and unstructured play opportunities that support healthy development. It is also a play laboratory intended to inspire more natural play environments throughout our region and beyond.”

- Claude Stephens, Facilitator of Outreach and Regenerative Design at Bernheim and Director of Children at Play Network

“Free play is important for kids because that is where they learn a lot of their life skills, social skills, and how to work with others. It also teaches them about their own self-confidence and self-importance. And it helps develop their creativity.”

- Betty Jeunemartis, Play Cousins

"Playcosystem will allow research on how children interact with nature and how that can be interpreted as meeting science standards, and getting early childhood and primary grade teachers to feel comfortable in nature and be able to go out and use nature as part of their curriculum."

- Dr. Meg Gravil, UofL Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Educator

"One common tenet of both Bernheim’s and UofL’s mission is outreach and the provision of services to improve the lives of residents in area communities. Collaboration between the two organizations on research and educational endeavors offers increased capacity to advance that mission, particularly with young children, families, and educators. We are excited about partnering with staff at Bernheim to explore and learn along with them."

-Dr. Meg Gravil, UofL Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Educator