Remember
good, old-fashioned play?
The kind when you were a child and made mud pies, played in a creek,
climbed trees and reveled in exploring the outdoors? Well, thanks to Charlottesville psychologist Carolyn
Schuyler, that healthy, natural outdoor play is making a
comeback.
Schuyler and
her family founded a nonprofit organization to create Wildrock, a 28-acre
nature and education playground near Charlottesville.
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| A giant bird's nest will spark a child's imagination. Like many playground features, it is ADA accessibile. |
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| Artists and volunteers are putting the finishing touches on features such as this fox den. |
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| Donated materials were used to create the stage area for this amphitheater. |
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| Volunteers are constructing an ADA accessible tree house overlooking the creek, which is also available to play in. Creek water is an important ingredient for making mud pies. |
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| In addition to child-sized places to explore, there are rocks to climb, a trail to hike, and a pollinator meadow is being planned. |
Wildrock
will soon be open for school fieldtrips during the week, group camping opportunities
and many other programs. It will be open
to the public on Saturdays with
advance on-line registration since parking may be limited, and donations are always appreciated.
