Kids thrive when they have opportunities to explore, imagine, and connect with the natural world. Studies consistently show that outdoor play boosts creativity, reduces stress, and supports healthy development. A study conducted by the Children and Nature Network found that on average, today’s kids spend up to 44 hours per week in front of a screen, and less than 10 minutes a day playing outdoors. Recognizing the need within Prince George’s County for additional unique ways for residents to connect with nature, our partners at The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) partnered with KABOOM! to explore how to create meaningful ways for kids to connect and interact with the nature around them in Prince George’s County. There are more than 250 playgrounds across Prince George’s County, with about 17 percent past their useful life and in need of immediate repair. Together, through the 25 in 5 Initiative, we have been able to replace the playgrounds together at a faster rate to ensure every child has a safe, high-quality, and fun place to play. Since our work started, M-NCPCC and KABOOM! have built 13 playspaces and M-NCPPC has built an additional 54 transforming the lives of kids across Prince George’s County.
In January 2025, in partnership with the Children and Nature Network and The National League of Cities, KABOOM! gathered 12 partners in our 25 in 5 Initiative to End Playspace Inequity, including M-NCPPC, to participate in an immersive Vision Lab. The convening of partners centered around learning more about how other communities are integrating Nature Exploration Areas (NEAs) in their community. Over the course of four days, the team experienced these awe-inspiring spaces firsthand and collaborated on how to bring this dream to reality in Prince George’s County.
“Playing with loose parts at the conference is different than what I usually do…it’s pretty cool”
Jeff Newhouse, Landscape Architect
When everyone returned home, the inspiration quickly turned into implementation. From meetings with the KABOOM! innovation team, coordination with internal leaders, and gathering the buy-in of their staff, the team worked tirelessly to show everyone that this can be done. They identified a site behind their newly-minted Sustainability Center at Randall Farm as an ideal space for a pilot project – once the Center is fully activated for programming, it will draw in students from Prince George’s County Public Schools and M-NCPPC summer camps for field trips, as well as other groups in the County who utilize this new sustainability facility. In the month prior to building the Nature Exploration Area, the M-NCPPC team gathered to contimplate the blank grassy canvas they planned to transform and imagine the possibilities. The team brought together various types of talent from across the Department to pool their collective expertise to create something new. Together, we discussed plans for the site, looked for trees and branches that had either fallen or been taken down on M-NCPPC properties across the County, and ensured they met the durability requirement based on the design.
Then, during three hot days in July, the dream of an NEA became a reality! Team members from multiple divisions, different talents, and positions put in the sweat equity to bring it to life. Maintenance staff, landscapers, heavy equipment operators, landscape architects, planners, central office staff, and KABOOM! team members all traded their day-to-day tasks to pick up chain saws and sanders to create an incredible space for the community.
Now, what stands in place of that flat grassy area is a space where Prince George’s County kids can have fun and learn in new ways. The materials are all organic, native to Maryland, and sourced from other parks with the help of M-NCPPC’s arborist. Pillars of Sweet gum trees, Tulip poplar benches, and a bird’s nest made of Sasafrass were included in the design to provide endless opportunities to re-invent how kids can play with natural elements as play equipment.
This new NEA is a testament to M-NCPPC’s continual efforts to bring nature to the kids of Prince George’s County, as well as the power of collaboration. Through the 25 in 5 Initiative, our partners are modeling the power of collaboration, leveraging expertise from other cities to create viable solutions to increase access to play for all kids, while also inspiring the next generation of nature experts.
This new NEA is a testament to M-NCPPC’s continual efforts to bring nature to the kids of Prince George’s County, as well as the power of collaboration. Through the 25 in 5 Initiative, our partners are modeling the power of collaboration, leveraging expertise from other cities to create viable solutions to increase access to play for all kids, while also inspiring the next generation of nature experts.
Jerry Langham, Senior Arborist with M-NCPPC was responsible for all of the tree selection for this space. His vast knowledge of tree species led to the selection of over 10 different types of trees for the NEA. Jerry hand selected each tree from the M-NCPPC tree collection pile.
