Coming 2026
This project is made possible through the generous support of the Capital Region Community Foundation, the City of Lansing, and PNC Foundation. A community ribbon-cutting celebration is planned for June 2026.
Give us your input on the plan now!
The Project
The nature playscape will serve as a hub for nature-based learning and play for all, especially children aged birth to five, their families, and educators. Built with materials such as logs, boulders, sand, and native plants, it encourages open-ended play, allowing children to climb, dig, balance, and explore at their own pace.
These spaces provide sensory-rich experiences that help children develop confidence and coordination. They also support what educators call “risky play”, moments where children test their abilities, make decisions, and learn from the outcomes in a natural setting.
Why Nature-based play?
Nature-based play is crucial for child development. Research shows that underserved community members particularly benefit from learner-led activities that emphasize the developmental benefits of play, including physical fitness, coordination, problem-solving, cooperation, and other play-based benefits. Both children and caregivers benefit from the exploration of controlled risks in a play environment specifically designed to encourage curiosity and exploration at a developmental phase when emergent learning and play are most beneficial. The positive impacts clinically shown to be associated with engaging with an outdoor learning environment include improved academic performance, reduction in Attention Deficit Disorder symptoms, and improved social behavior, among others. The project meets a variety of community needs for physical, mental, and emotional health demonstrated both in research literature and an assessment of local amenities.
Share Your Thoughts
This is a project for our community, and we want to hear from you.
Before construction begins, we invite you to share your feedback, ideas, or questions about the Nature Playscape. Your input will help ensure that this space reflects the values and needs of everyone who visits Fenner.
Fill out the form below to share your comments and help shape this exciting new addition to Sycamore Creek.
Fenner Conservancy extends its gratitude to the Capital Area Community Foundation, the City of Lansing, and PNC for their generous support in making this vision a reality. The new playscape will bring play and nature closer.