Seattle PlayGarden
What is Inclusion?
Inclusion means creating a positive sense of belonging, community, and empathy for others. For parents and educators, practicing inclusion means sharing the mindset and expectation that children experience and interact with the world in ways that are uniquely their own. There is no single standard; instead, we embrace each child as an individual with their own style of connecting and moving through the world. Every child learns, plays, and communicates in a way that reflects who they are.
Inclusion often starts with small shifts in perspective and willingness to approach each child and situation with a bit of curiosity.
Seattle PlayGarden
Seattle PlayGarden
Design Accessible Exploration
When we think about accessibility in nature, we often think about physical disability and obstacles that may get in the way of a successful outing, but our considerations shouldn’t stop there. When planning for outdoor play and learning, consider how each child can and will experience the world around them. Account for diverse needs by presenting various ways for children to experience each activity.
For example, on an insect hunt, we provide a range of tools and ways for children to participate. We offer a variety of magnifying glasses (ones with thicker handles to support someone with a fine motor difficulty, loops to wear around your neck, a clip for a wheelchair, etc) and visual supports like laminated cards with photos of bugs to find in our garden.
We encourage children to use all their senses when exploring nature. A child with a visual impairment can listen for a buzzing bee, a child needing sensory input may choose to dig in the dirt to look for worms, while a child who prefers quieter spaces can go on a garden walk and observe a ladybug crawling on a leaf.
Providing multiple ways for children to access an experience ensures everyone has the opportunity to participate in their own way.
Center the Child with a Disability
One strategy to create more inclusive activities is to center the child with the disability in the play itself. At the Seattle PlayGarden, our preschoolers often look forward to the puddles our rainy weather brings and come dressed for lots of wet, outdoor play.
For a child who uses a wheelchair, it may seem challenging to imagine how they could join in the puddle play with their peers. Instead of having them watch while others play with toy boats and rubber duckies, bring them into the heart of the activity. Take the child out of their chair, seat them right in the middle of the puddle using a supported seat or on a teacher’s lap, and play! Watch as children gravitate toward the water activity, naturally including their peers who may face the greatest barriers to participation.
This is inclusion in its simplest and purest form.
Seattle PlayGarden
Seattle PlayGarden
“Just This Much” Approach
Participation looks different for everyone. In the “Just This Much Approach,” all participation is considered meaningful. Accept what a child can offer at that time as enough, and help them feel safe and respected for doing what they can.
Inclusion often means keeping expectations flexible and allowing activities to be experienced in different ways. Our preschoolers love helping our caretaker rake leaves from our abundant trees in the fall. Many children take this task seriously and love having the important job of raking leaves in piles. For others, participation means throwing leaves into the air or jumping in the piles—seeking the sensory input of jumping, rolling, and moving their bodies in the sensations leaves provide. As inclusive educators, we don’t see this as a negative behavior; we embrace it as a reminder that connection to an activity can take many forms, all of which are valid and encouraged.
Just like in nature, diversity is both beautiful and essential. Inclusion in outdoor play and learning begins with a mindset shift—being flexible, responsive, and attuned to the child in front of you. When you approach every experience with curiosity about how each individual engages with the natural world, and view their differences as strengths, you create richer, more meaningful opportunities for everyone.
Tips for Caregivers:
- Talk about disability. Children ask lots of questions and look to caretakers for answers. Don’t be afraid to talk about disability. Explain disability, clearly and directly. Share that different people move their bodies, communicate, play, and experience the world in unique ways. Include books and TV shows that include characters with disabilities and are diverse. Representation normalizes our differences.
- Evaluate your own biases. What assumptions or biases do you hold about individuals with disabilities? How do these biases impact your role as a parent, neighbor, or community member? Where can you find out more information to help overcome these biases?
- Be open and curious. When you inevitably see a child with a disability at the playground, approach the situation with curiosity and find commonality. Reflect out loud for your child if they feel nervous about the self-stimulating sounds a child is making or if they are staring at a child using a wheelchair. Speak from a place of curiosity. “I notice you see that little girl using a wheelchair. Her body moves differently from yours, and she needs a wheelchair to move. Look, she likes playing with the musical instrument wall too!”
Seattle PlayGarden
Tips for Educators:
- Process-based vs Project-based: When planning art activities, focus on the process rather than the outcome. For example, when making pinecone spiders, is it ok if one child’s spider has no legs while another is painted pink with five legs? Absolutely! Art naturally lends itself to inclusion by celebrating different interpretations of a project and seeing beauty in the range of outcomes.
- Think about one of your favorite outdoor play and learning activities. Imagine setting it up so everyone can take part. How might you adapt it for a child with a hearing impairment? For one who seeks extra sensory input? For a child using a walker? Consider what adjustments you could make to the design so each child has a meaningful way to participate.
- Part of practicing inclusion is staying reflective and always learning. After an activity, ask yourself, “What worked? What didn’t work? What assumptions did I make? What did I learn about a child today? How can I apply this insight tomorrow?”
- Create an inclusive learning environment through representation. Choose read-aloud books that feature children both with and without disabilities. Incorporate classroom materials that reflect diverse populations and experiences. Talk about the different ways people might move through and experience the world. This kind of exposure and open conversation helps break down barriers and fosters understanding and acceptance.
Seattle PlayGarden’s Learning Hub
Interested in learning more about inclusion? Check out Seattle PlayGarden’s Learning Hub, a free, online resource with informational lessons and links to download our books: Say Yes! To Kids with Disabilities: An Inclusion Toolkit and Inclusive Preschool Through the Seasons.