Nature Play Garden

The Nature Play Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden represents a distinct philosophy of children's outdoor experience: instead of manufactured play equipment, children encounter natural elements — boulders to climb, logs to balance on, stream beds to explore, meadow plants to push through, and garden soil to dig in freely. The 5. 0 rating from early reviews reflects the genuinely positive response from families who experience this approach.

Located within the Chicago Botanic Garden campus (the garden itself is at 1000 Lake Cook Rd, Glencoe, with the Nature Play Garden in the Highland Park section at the north end), the play area is included with the botanic garden visit. The main cost is the botanic garden parking fee ($25-30 per car), which can be eliminated by taking the Metra Union Pacific North line to Braeside station.

The nature play concept works especially well for the 2-9 age group. Young children who are still in the 'sensory' stage of development engage deeply with natural materials in ways that plastic playground equipment can't replicate. They pick up stones, balance on logs, splash in stream beds, and discover that nature provides infinite play opportunities.

The loose-parts philosophy — where children create their own play rather than following a designed structure — is particularly effective for imaginative and social development.

For visiting families staying in north Chicago or the North Shore suburbs, this is an excellent half-day paired with the broader botanic garden. Bring clothes you don't mind getting dirty — the digging and water elements are enthusiastically used.