Natural play spaces in Minnesota parks

Whitetail Woods Regional Park, Farmington

The new Fawn Crossing play area features a sandy area with water pumps for younger kids. Just down a path into the woods, bigger kids can build stick forts under a calming evergreen canopy decorated with hanging sculptures.

Dodge Nature Center, West St. Paul

The preschool at Dodge Nature Center has been a longtime promoter of nature-based education. Camps and stick forts can be found and made throughout the center's property.

Houston Nature Center, Houston

Against an inspiring backdrop of southern Minnesota's bluff lands, this 1-acre play space boasts a hand-operated water pump and log sluice, caves and tunnels, hay bales for builders, plus a labyrinth for more meditative types.

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska

Lowry Nature Center, Victoria

The more formal playground at Lowry lets kids pretend to be animals in a series of simulated wildlife habitats, while a free-form natural play area lets them build their own habitat.

Maplewood Nature Center, Maplewood

Two Stillwater high-school students earned their Gold Girl Scout Award for creating a natural play area with a teepee and willow hut, a tree-trunk balance beam and other natural features.

Tamarack Nature Center, White Bear Township

COMING SOON: The Minnesota Zoo, Apple Valley