Connecting Children with Nature Through Pattern Language Design of Attractive Residential Garden Spaces for Active, Constructive and Symbolic Play

There is a large body of research documenting the current disconnect between children and nature and the resulting potential negative consequences to individual children, society and the environment.  There are a number of exciting efforts to reconnect children to nature in the public realm through specialized design principles for schoolyards, daycares, and public green spaces.  However, this research and subsequent design principles do not translate well to smaller scale settings, such as an individual backyard. Many children lack access to public spaces and are left with their own backyard which in most cases offers minimal opportunity to interact with nature. In order to capitalize on the enormous educational potential of the residential backyard, this project incorporates both child development research on active, constructive and symbolic play as well as the pattern language work of Christopher Alexander to provide parents and professionals with a process to design successful nature-based children’s gardens as a part of a functional and beautiful family landscape.