When given the opportunity, children physically demonstrate preference, and enjoy playing in natural environments and/or with natural elements (Hart 1979; Moore 1986; Chawla 2002; Heerwagen and Orians 2002; Burke 2005). The wealth of research shows that they do so because of the overwhelming play potential of such spaces - the possibilities of now and the promise of more to come (Cobb 1977).
The concept of 'affordances' (Gibson 1979) refers to what the environment offers, what it provides for the child. Affordances are opportunities that arise from the interaction between the physical properties of the environment and the interests, ideas and intent of the individual.
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