The Helen Schuler Nature Centre’s newest exhibit The Nature of Play explores the different forms of play.
Co-developed with Lethbridge Plays, The Nature of Play is designed to build awareness around why taking the time to play is important for both children and adults.
The exhibit is laid out in different forms of play and include pretend play which gets into what’s happening with children’s development as well as brain development, physical play, where children can take part in steppingstones and a horizontal climbing wall which requires not only physical muscles but brain muscles as well, and object play which is focused on loose parts play where creativity is the key, this part of the exhibit will be changed monthly. The exhibit also features both indoor and outdoor activities and displays.
“This exhibit is our largest community resource that we’ve put together to date in terms of size,” says Coreen Putman, Helen Schuler Nature Centre manager. “This exhibit is designed to run in the summer, the fall, the winter, and the early spring, part of that is through all of those seasons we will have different announcements for new play resources coming out.”
The exhibit opened on Aug. 3 and has already been used multiple times with some visitors coming back two or three times.
Vicki Hazelton with Lethbridge Plays says playing can be implemented in all aspects of life for both children and adults.
“Five minutes of play a day can make a difference in a child’s development and in an adults mental health and well-being.”
The Helen Schuler Nature Centre is open seven days a week in August from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
