Completed in Summer 2022, this 3-acre park and nature playscape was developed by the City of Urbandale in partnership with the Barrett Boesen Foundation, a local non-profit dedicated to enriching and improving the lives of children in the local community and providing the next generation the opportunity to learn about and enjoy nature.

The project recently received a Merit Award in the Park, Recreation and Open Space category at the Central States Conference of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Read on for an in-depth look at the design of this park and nature playground!

Nature Playground Design Project Background

JBC’s team was tasked with designing a comprehensive, phased master plan for the park and nature play area. This involved incorporating the existing features of the undeveloped space and using natural materials to create a destination park that would elevate nature play in the Des Moines Metro area.

Phase I of the project includes site circulation, creek access, loose parts play, and brings the large main nature play area to life along with the parking lot, shelter and restroom building. The nature play area includes climbing logs, a rock climbing cave, mud kitchens, a sand play area with rock bubbler, water pump and dry creek bed, fort building platforms, and balance logs and rocks. Future phases include an outdoor classroom, natural splash ground, bird's nest play areas, ropes course, and additional play structures.

What makes good nature playground design?

The park was designed to create pockets of play that continually change and keep kids curious about what’s next, extending their play time. It was also imperative to design a space that is convenient for caregivers, incorporating a restroom and shelter, shade, easy visual and mobility access, and places to rest while kids are playing.

Research (and common sense!) has shown that the longer parents want to stay, the longer children get to play. In the case of Barrett Park, the longer children play, they more they increase their opportunity to connect with the natural environment, stretch their creativity, practice social skills, and reap the many benefits of being outdoors.

Why Nature Play?

Because of what the author Richard Louv calls “nature-deficit disorder,” there is a very real concern that if children grow up to be less connected to the environment, there will be little reason for them to be concerned with sustainability and conservation of our planet. Addressing climate change cannot wait, and it is vital that, through nature play, children have every opportunity to fall in love with the natural world and become the next generation of advocates.

Projects like the Barrett Boesen Park and Natural Playscape have an important role in meeting these objectives, specifically through nature play and connecting all children with nature. This play space creates opportunities for children and their parents to develop increased appreciation for the natural world and what it can do for humankind.

At Barrett Boesen Park, children can appreciate nature through water quality, native plants and trees, insects and animals, seeing the life cycle in action, and learning how natural materials are made, beginning a lifelong journey of dedication to the natural world.

Community Engagement Informs the Park Master Plan

The public was also involved in the initial design phase of the nature playscape. An online survey, designed and administered by JBC, received over 1,300 respondents representing 2,550 children. The public shared preferred access modes, prioritized playground features along with their specific desired characteristics, familiarity with nature play, and demographics. The survey also left a blank space to invite further comments from citizens. Multiple respondents ranked accessibility and inclusivity as highly important. The popularity of the park shows that the design team listened, heard, and executed on what users of the park wanted to see.

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Specialized Design Features for Inclusive Nature Play

While accessibility and inclusivity were identified as important elements in the online public engagement survey, there are no specific inclusive design standards for nature play. To combat this, JBC adapted standard playground inclusivity standards to the natural elements used on site to ensure accessibility and inclusivity of Barrett Boesen Park’s nature play features.

Inclusive, accessible play was incorporated into the project in the following ways:

All concrete pathways meet ADA accessibility standards. Engineered wood fiber is used throughout to maintain access to all play elements.
The playground includes a mix of play opportunities: open space for spontaneous play, climbing equipment, quiet areas, hands-on loose parts tactile play, and elements that encourage social interaction.
Accessibility of play elements and the importance of allowing children of all abilities to play together in the same space was strongly considered during the design process, and intergenerational play opportunities were also incorporated.
- Transfer stones for wheelchair users to access the sand pit play area, climbing cave, and the creek play area alongside their peers.
- Water troughs and the water pump as well as elevated play tables in the loose parts area are situated to provide easy access for a person in a wheelchair as they play alongside children of all abilities.
Barrett Park encourages sensory exploration in nature. The loose parts play area includes different tactile materials to engage with, water and sand play allow children to immerse themselves in the sounds and feel of the materials, and adjacency to a stream with existing trees, vegetation, and animals offers a variety of stimuli.
Quieter spaces at the stone ring and creek areas are separated from the busier, more active climbing and water play areas.
The natural “bowl” shape of the site, along with surrounding vegetation, creates a visual barrier to reduce instances of children wandering away.

All in all, the Barrett Boesen Park and Natural Playscape brought a new destination nature playground to the City of Urbandale where children and families connect with nature through play. JBC is proud to share this award-winning and in-depth look at the design process for this nature playground created for the City of Urbandale, Iowa.

Future Nature Play Projects

While JBC has offices in Kansas City and Des Moines, we consistently work on projects all over the country. Does your community have a nature play project in the works? Let us know how we can help by contacting us today!