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Reconnecting Wales’ Youngest Children with Nature

At the Down to Earth Project, we believe every child deserves the chance to grow up connected to the natural world — regardless of where they live or the challenges their community faces.

Natur a Ni is an ambitious five-year national initiative designed to transform how children under five across Wales experience nature. Working alongside families, practitioners, researchers and communities, we are creating inspiring outdoor environments where young children can play, learn and thrive.

The project combines sustainable design, early years expertise, research and community co-production to build a new model for nature-based early childhood development in Wales.

Why Natur a Ni Matters

Across Wales, many early years settings lack high-quality outdoor spaces that are intentionally designed for children’s wellbeing, curiosity and connection with nature — particularly in communities facing disadvantage.
At the same time, practitioners consistently tell us they want to spend more time outdoors with children, but face barriers including:

  • Limited confidence and training
  • Lack of suitable outdoor environments
  • Restricted resources and support
  • Few tools to measure the impact of nature connection on young children

Natur a Ni was created to respond to these challenges directly.

Our Vision

We want to see a Wales where every early years setting offers children access to a high-quality, sustainably built, nature-connected outdoor environment. A Wales where:

  • Practitioners feel confident delivering outdoor learning
  • Children help shape the spaces they play in
  • Nature connection becomes part of everyday practice
  • Communities facing the greatest barriers are prioritised first

What We’re Doing

Natur a Ni is currently in its development phase (2025–26). During this stage, we are listening, mapping and co-designing alongside children, caregivers and practitioners across Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire. Current work includes:

  • Community consultation
    Participatory sessions with children, families and early years practitioners
  • Gap analysis
    Mapping where support and investment are most needed
  • Co-design
    Developing ideas collaboratively with communities at the centre
  • Partnership development
    Building a strong national cross-sector partnership model for long-term delivery

Our Partners

Natur a Ni brings together expertise from across education, health, research and community development.
Partners include:

  • Down to Earth Project
  • University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD)
  • Swansea University
  • Swansea Council
  • Swansea Bay University Health Board
  • Meithrin

Together, we are combining practical experience, academic research and community knowledge to create lasting change.

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Five Key Outcomes

Over five years, Natur a Ni aims to:

1. Create

Co-create learning resources and approaches with children and caregivers.

2. Equip

Provide practitioners with training, tools and confidence for nature-based learning.

3. Show

Develop five sustainably built, co-designed outdoor demonstrator spaces

4. Prove

Create a new open-source wellbeing measurement tool for children under five.

5. Root

Embed nature connection and co-design into everyday early years practice across Wales.

Who Will Benefit

The programme is expected to support:

  • Around 150 children under five
  • Around 100 caregivers
  • Around 200 trained practitioners
  • Around 150 early years settings across Wales
  • Five sustainable outdoor learning environments

All resources will be produced bilingually in Welsh and English.

Looking Ahead. Following the development phase, Natur a Ni will move into delivery from 2026 onwards, including:

Construction of the first demonstrator site
Practitioner training programmes
National research outputs
Development of a validated wellbeing measurement tool
Expansion across Wales through Years 2–5

A full Stage 2 application will be submitted to the National Lottery Community Fund Wales in July 2026.

Get Involved

We are currently seeking to connect with practitioners, families, researchers, organisations and supporters who care about children, nature and community.

To find out more or explore partnership opportunities, please contact: chris@downtoearthproject.org.uk

For more information call 01792 232 439
Or email Chris
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