New nature play space opens for children in Louisville's Shawnee Park

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A new nature play space opened in Shawnee Park on Tuesday afternoon.

Olmsted Parks Conservancy collaborated with neighborhood children to bring their ideas for a functional play area to life. The space has movable objects like twigs, pebbles and mulch.

Nature play spaces encourage children to stretch their imagination. Children can move the elements around and create new uses for them.

"There's a lot of research these days about the importance of self-directed play for children," said Matt Spalding, with Olmsted Parks Conservancy. "How good that is for brain development, and cooperation, and imagination and all of those things. And while traditional playgrounds are wonderful, it's nice to have a place where kids can stretch their brains a little bit."

The new nature play space is behind the traditional playground and spray pad near the Shawnee Pavilion.

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