Playground as Laboratory: Designing for Experimentation and Discovery

Thursday, December 3, 2026 - 1:00 p.m. ET

Playgrounds can be places where children test ideas as well as their bodies. Through manipulating objects, exploring cause and effect, solving problems, and experimenting with sound, motion, and sensory experiences, children learn by doing. This course examines how playgrounds can become outdoor laboratories that encourage curiosity, investigation, and discovery. Participants will explore design strategies that incorporate interactive experiences, STEAM concepts, sensory exploration, collaboration, and open-ended problem-solving while allowing children to direct their own learning through play.

At the end of the course, the participants will be able to:

1. Explain how experimentation, cause-and-effect experiences, and open-ended exploration support cognitive development, problem-solving, and STEAM learning.
2. Identify playground features and design approaches that encourage children to manipulate, investigate, collaborate, test ideas, and discover outcomes.
3. Apply discovery-based design strategies to create play environments that encourage curiosity, experimentation, sensory exploration, and child-directed learning.

*If you need accreditation, please register using the name and email address associated with your membership. After you complete this registration form, you will receive a confirmation email with the webinar link.