In June 2025, I recorded my first podcast with CI Pediatric Therapies on the topic of Getting Families Outdoors! The episode was released on July 28, 2025. You can listen on your favorite podcast app (check out this Apple version or read the transcript below if you can’t listen to audio) — I’d love to hear what you think and what your favorite nature play spots are around Dane County.
A huge thank you to Kayla Darkow, CI Family Engagement Coordinator, (who partnered with us at a recent 4-C Play Group event) for the opportunity to share my story of why I started Playful Acorns, the physical and mental health benefits and simplicity of getting outside, as well as allowing me to shout-out some other really amazing people, places, and organizations, including:
- ECO Madison
- Outdoors We Learn
- Naturing in Madison
- Lussier Family Heritage Center
- Hike & Heal Wellness
- Monona Public Library Nature Playgroup
- Dane County Forest Friends
- Madison Area Nature Playgroup
- New nature play areas at McCarthy Youth & Conservation Park and Olbrich Park, as well as Lunney Lake Farm Park and CamRock County Park
Transcript
Kayla Darkow 0:00
Welcome back to the CI Therapies Podcast. I'm your host, Kayla Darkow. I've invited Samantha Haas with Playful Acorns to join me for today's episode to discuss getting kids and families outdoors all year long. Sam will share some ideas for outdoor play that are easy to implement with little to no extra equipment or toys, as well as some of the benefits of being outside. Sam will also share a little bit about her story and how she started Playful Acorns, a local organization where kids and caregivers gather and grow. Here at CI we know that children learn best through play. We're excited to jump into today's conversation about brining that mentality outdoors in all of Wisconsin seasons. Let's get started.
CI Therapies 0:48
This is the CI Therapies Podcast, where we believe we are better together. Small victories are celebrated. Advocacy is our duty, and barriers are meant to be removed. Our aim is to provide you with knowledge about differing abilities and ways to facilitate growth at home from wherever your child is at. Thank you for listening and enjoy the show.
Kayla Darkow 1:13
Welcome Sam. We're so excited to have you on today.
Samantha Haas 1:16
Thank you. Kayla. Excited to be here!
Kayla Darkow 1:18
Awesome! Yeah, we're excited to learn more about Playful Acorns and the work you do in our community. Can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself?
Samantha Haas 1:28
Sure. So I am a photojournalist by trade, and that kind of took me to a very different career path that I'm doing right now in marketing and communications. But once I had my daughter in 2021 I started getting this idea for how to get kids outside, because I started noticing the benefits myself as a caregiver and getting outside with her when she was really little. And so the idea for Playful Acorns kind of emerged from that. And really what we do is collaborate with existing nonprofits and businesses and sometimes like city recreation departments and we create programs and opportunities to get kids, mainly from ages zero to five, although we're starting to increase the age limit there, and their caregivers for some really cool nature inspired events. And sometimes they're inside and have a little outdoor component. Sometimes they're completely outside. So we just try to provide a variety of ways for introducing caregivers and parents to the outdoors and easing them into the outdoors, if it might not be something that they'd normally strap on like a backpack and carry their kids up a big hill or something, we want to make it really accessible for people and know that nature is all around us, you just have to step out your front door.
Kayla Darkow 2:45
Yeah, that's very exciting and such a resource that is needed in our community. I know many people, especially post covid, are looking for a place to connect with other caregivers and kids and have those spaces. So I think we're starting to see more and more of those play groups and opportunities, but this is such a unique way to bring those opportunities to families.
Samantha Haas 3:17
So yeah, I think it was mainly the timing that really inspired that. When I was pregnant, I knew of all these different opportunities that friends who had kids like five or 10 years ago were taking advantage of, like music and movement, and they were kind of non existent, or kind of taking a break during covid. And so that was sort of the impetus too, is to start seeing who we could connect with to make those things happen again, and knowing that there was a need for that, we've seen it really, you know, take off now, and now you see a lot more of that. So our model has sort of shifted from providing directly those programs to now creating resource guides for families to really tap into all the different opportunities that are there for them in a way that's easy to digest, by seeing day of the week or time of the day or different kinds of things. If they're interested in yoga with their kid, if they're interested in music or art or mostly nature play, there's so many organizations that are doing really great work in Dane County, and we just want to expose more people to those opportunities.
Kayla Darkow 4:19
Yeah, we are. You said it. We're so fortunate to have so many great opportunities available here in Dane County. And you mentioned your resource guides, which are wonderful. We'll be sure to link those in the show notes so people can access those easily to find out where you might be or where some other opportunities are. So you talked a little bit about why you started Playful Acorns. I know you're also really passionate about being outdoors and getting kids and families outdoors, especially year round, which sometimes in Wisconsin, can be a challenge. Why are you so passionate about the outdoors?
Samantha Haas 5:01
That's a great question. I think it's multifaceted. I grew on a farm in Dodge County, so about an hour away from here, so I grew up just being outside all the time, like during the summer, during the winter, we were just always outside, exploring the woods, walking across very long driveways to our neighbors, and just playing all day long. And I was wondering, how do I recreate that experience for my daughter when we live in an urban environment, and it's different, of course, but I think there's a lot of great things to say about especially Madison, but the surrounding suburbs too have really amazing parks and free local outdoor spaces to take advantage of. But I think that, like, one of the limiting factors that some people might have is just that hesitancy to go explore a place they're unfamiliar with, especially on your own, or, you know, especially if you have a kid who is still in diapers or is potty training, and there might not be like the facilities nearby that has what you need, and so trying to find ways to share with people that sometimes all it takes is just opening up your door, whether you live in an apartment or a condo or your own home, and just getting out on the sidewalk and just starting to notice -- it can be so simple as seeing ants on the sidewalk and just taking a moment to pause and to wonder how, let's find out what they're doing and how they're carrying something that looks really big, and maybe you're noticing the different colors during the seasons that you can start to talk about that. But it's for me, it's, it's way more simplified than I think people expect when they hear about outdoor stuff. I really, truly think that outdoor experiences can be experienced anywhere. It doesn't have to be at a really beautiful park, or it doesn't even have to have a nature playground, although there are some really neat playgrounds here in Dane County, and I think McCarthy Youth & Conservation Park in Cottage Grove is just about to open up their new nature based playground too.
Kayla Darkow 7:07
So yeah, there's, do have those listed on your resources? I know there's CamRock.
Samantha Haas 7:12
CamRock is also another really good one. Yeah, and I know across the street from Olbrich Gardens, close to the water there, they've just recently put in some nature play. A lot of it is like logs and like fallen trees, like for kids to climb on, because it's unpredictable, right? Like at a regular metal playground, each step might be the same height, and you know that you put your full weight on it, but in some of these spaces, it helps kids develop their bodies to to just be a little bit unsteady, and have them trust themselves and take these really healthy risks.But mental health is the other huge component for me. And actually, why I started this idea too, is we were really cooped up during covid and really isolated. And I think there's still elements of that, even though we're back, you know, back as asociety, doing more things together. I think a lot of people still don't have support systems around them. Maybe don't have those friendships. Maybe they're scattered across the state or a different city, and so hopefully Playful Acorns is that place where people can meet other, like minded folks who want to just explore a little bit more together, and then they might form friendships and go out and do their own things, right? So we've seen a lot of really great communication between people who come to events. I see them sharing their phone numbers, or, hey, did you know about this? So I think that community building and like making sure that we're well resourced with our mental health is a huge component, too.
Kayla Darkow 8:41
Yeah, that's really powerful. And I think, Oh, almost think of like this kind of parallel, right? Like when you're nature, you just connect with nature and be grounded, and then to be able to connect with other people in that space and find like minded people and people that are excited about being in nature is so powerful, because I know making those connections is huge for parents. It's hard out there being a parent. So I was just thinking back, I've taken my own daughter to the CamRock Park in Cambridge, and just seeing kind of her imagination explode when they don't have a typical like playground structure is pretty rewarding, too.
Samantha Haas 9:29
Yeah, some of our favorite programs are over at the Lussier Family Heritage Center. They have a new nature play area that was actually like, constructed and designed by a Girl Scout for one of her projects, and now it's supported and funded through the Lussier Center too, but we do these Lil' Explorer collaboration programs with them, where kids can start out inside, in the nature center, get to know the animals, play with some open ended toys, and then we venture outside, and bathrooms are nearby if we need it, snacks are nearby if we need it, which, for a lot of people can be, like, really helpful to just know you have the comfort of being inside, but you can also go explore in these areas that you might not have access to otherwise. The other thing I wanted to note about the mental health aspect too is it's, yes, it's great for your kids to be out there, but it's also really great for parents to be out there. I know just from stepping outside and like taking a breath of fresh air, sometimes that's all it takes to just regulate a little bit more. And we know a lot about co-regulation with our kids, too. So just stepping outside together, your kid is having a tough day, and maybe, you know, there's been a lot of screen time, or maybe there was a big change that happened, or maybe they're not feeling well. I know when my kiddo was going through a lot of the daycare sicknesses that were revolving around, it was, I think it was fall, when she picked up a nasty bug, and I just took her in the stroller outside. She wasn't walking yet, and it was just so nice to get out of the home, like out of the indoor space, and have a change of scenery, like, literally. And she just, I plopped her down on the front yard, and we were just watching cars go by, right? Like, that's a cool pastime, too, watching people walk or bike by. And then she started picking up like, pinecones off the ground. Like, just looking at them. She was just so entranced by them. And that's kind of where the name came from. Initially it was going to be like Playful Pinecones, but I didn't really like the name of that. So our neighbor has an oak tree, and sometimes squirrels will bring acorns in our yard too, and that seemed to be something she was fascinated with as well. So that's like, another really good way to get your kid outside is to just start collecting stuff and see what they do with it like, from a sensory standpoint, and just from sharing, like, hey, this came from this tree, and here's what that leaf looks like. And, you know, the squirrels hide these, you know, in the winter, so they have something to eat. So it can just be a really cool launching off point for people to share with their kids what's in their neighborhood and what's in parks nearby, too.
Kayla Darkow 12:09
Absolutely and just like the simplicity of it, just sitting in your own yard and just enjoying the fresh air together and just being aware and being mindful of what's in your yard. I think sometimes as parents we feel like we've gotta have these great, exciting adventures planned or big, big activities for the day and something like that can be so rewarding and grounding and regulating for kiddos, too. Yeah, the mental health benefit is huge, is there other benefits to being outside and exploring in this way?
Samantha Haas 12:48
Yeah, I think my friend Wes Cymerman with Outdoors We Learn, she does nature programming for some older kids, she talks a lot about how it's just so great from the physical aspect too, of getting kids outside is that you wear them out. When they're outside, they're like literally running around and using so many different muscles than they are inside. They're trying out so many different things and just using their senses so much more than in an indoor environment. And they're usually pretty tuckered out. They have a big meal because they're hungry, like their tummies are filled before bedtime, and they usually sleep a lot better at night, too, and that's great for everybody when your kiddo is sleeping a lot, but no, there's so many physical benefits as well for outdoors. Yeah.
Kayla Darkow 13:34
Can you, you've already shared so many, but any other ideas for play outside? Were big proponents of play and learning through play here at CI. So just ideas for how families can play outside, even in the winter.
Samantha Haas 13:49
Yeah that's great. And at Playful Acorns, we have the same like mentality, too, that kids learn best through play. I would say like the simplest is better. Don't like go out and spend a bunch of money, because kids are pretty easy to entertain, especially if you add more kids to the mix. So I've got a kiddo who's an only child, but we often meet our neighbors at the park, and then they find their own ways to play. A lot of times, you don't even have to step in, just let the kids do their own thing. A lot of times I see them picking up sticks and like starting to write something in the ground or try to uncover something, or they start stashing like different kinds of twigs and like gravel, if there's gravel to playground, and they can create so much imaginary play with that too. I'm a big fan of just taking along chalk and bubbles and having water play as an option. You don't have to go all out with a super fancy water table or a mud kitchen, although those are like really great things to have, too, or, you know, have access to at certain parks as well. Splash pads are great. But really just providing, like, a couple things and seeing what your kiddo does with it. And maybe nothing happens at first, but over time, they start getting ideas in their heads, especially if they're a little bit older, too. My kiddos three now, so her imaginative play has really come a long way. In the beginning, a lot of it was we would take an old water table, like, I don't know, Fisher Price. It was pretty beat up from someone else, but we didn't want to put water in it because it looked a little dirty. So we filled it with sand instead. So she had a standing sand table, and then, like she would put dirt in it too, or find rocks, and really, just any way for kids to want to try to play outside is great. An idea for winter, I know sometimes we don't have a lot of snow, but I've seen something really cool that we've tried at a Lil' Explorers event, is you can take, like, a squirt bottle, like or even a spray bottle from like hair spray, and you fill it with water and some drops of food coloring, and then you can spray it onto the snow and make different colors. Again, like these aren't things that you have to spend a lot of money on. You probably have the products in your house already. And if all else fails, I just, like, we just go for walks, sometimes you can do a color walk. And whether you say, hey, let's go look for something that's red or that's blue, and maybe it's a flower, maybe it's the sky, you can also even just take a crayon and create, like a color wheel, and then take paper clips or um, or clothes pins. And then you can try to find different things out in nature, like a brown leaf if it's dying, and you can clip that onto the brown part, or maybe it's a blade of grass that's green. Maybe there's a flower petal that's purple. And you can try to fill up your color wheel of like, outdoor things that you find, kind of like making a scavenger hunt. The other things we try to do outside is we have several Little Free Libraries in our neighborhood, and so for my kiddo, we like to go from one to the other, and we'll take a book with us. We'll drop it at the next one. We'll pick up a new book there. And it kind of helps, you know, keep them moving. Because sometimes they're like, oh, my legs are tired, or, you know, whatever, but it's, it's just that little kind of like a carrot, right? Like, well, let's go see, like, what's in this one, you know? So there's so many ideas online that you can find too, but I really just like to keep it simple and see what kiddos are in the mood for that day, and a lot of times it's like, if it rains, let's put on our our rain boots, and let's go jump in puddles, you know? And that can last like a whole hour.
Kayla Darkow 17:36
Yes, I think as adults, we need to even just go jump in some more. Yeah, yeah. Those are great suggestions, for sure. Do you have any, like, favorite websites or anything that you follow for ideas, Sam, or do you just kind of like you said, see where the day goes?
Samantha Haas 17:54
Yeah, well, I've picked up a lot of ideas from like, different social media accounts that I follow, and I can put together a guide that has some of those resources too by the time this episode comes out, so that you can share that as well. But a lot of things I picked up from going to different conferences, like one is actually happening this week, which will be in the past when this comes out. But it's called the ECO Madison Summit. Or, Every Child Outside. It used to be called the Madison Area Green and Healthy Schools Summit for the first two years. This year, our volunteer team is partnering with REAP Food Group, and this summit is all about food justice and outdoor education, too. But there's so many resources within our community, people who are doing this stuff every day, a lot of times during the summer, during camps. And so I've taken a lot of ideas from them, or modified for our age group too, if they're for a little bit older kids. So all of those partners and people are listed on my website too. If you ever want to go check out what they're doing, they have really awesome programs.
Kayla Darkow 19:01
Yeah, that's great to know. Just to this whole kind of new world to explore, if people aren't familiar. So I you talked a little bit about your ECO Madison event. What are some other opportunities that Playful Acorns has coming up, and how can listeners find out about these events?
Samantha Haas 19:20
Sure, so you can visit my website, playfulacorns.com and we have a resources page that will link to all of the different updated guides that I'm working on. Some of them are family activity guides, so specifically events that are for kids 0-5 and their caregivers. Again, sometimes those ages go up a little bit, but we're talking indoor play, outdoor play, and some include events that I'm a part of through Playful Acorns, too. So this summer, we're doing a monthly series at Seven Acre Dairy in Paoli. They have a what they call their Milk Haulers Room between the hotel and the restaurant. It's a wide open space that we've been doing these pop up musical play dates with The Wonder Studio. So my friend Angie does a Kindermusik class. So we're moving our bodies and dancing and trying new instruments and shakers and that sort of thing. And then I bring in my box of goodies, which is like all open-ended toys. And we also have a bunch of books for kids to look at. I do a storytime, and then new for the summer, we're partnering with my friend through Active Youth Wisconsin. Amanda Marek is the executive director there. They're the umbrella organization for Tri 4 Schools, if you're familiar with those movement programs. And so Amanda set up for this last one an obstacle course outside, because Seven Acre Dairy winds along the creek there, and so they have a really beautiful like oak savanna area. So we set up an obstacle course for kids to do some outdoor play too. So stay tuned on the website to see the upcoming dates for that as well. But the other ones I wanted to just shout out that aren't sponsored by Playful Acorns, but that are free for everybody is on Friday mornings all summer long, from 9-11 at the UW Arboretum children's play area, they have a nature play area back there. My friend Amy with Dane County Forest Friends, that's another great group to get involved with on Facebook, she's just hosting some open play. So anyone can just drop in, show up for free. There'll be other kids there to play with, which is often like, what extends your play time outside, and you can meet other caregivers and just relax. It's in a nice shaded area. Bring bug spray, if that's your thing, and sunscreen too and a snack along if you if you need to refuel. And then there's also Madison Area Nature Playgroup. A few friends have also been meeting up one Friday a month in the morning at a different park throughout Dane County. And that's also free. And then I also want to shout out Monona Public Library, the librarian, Angelika, does a Nature Playgroup most Tuesdays at 10am I think they switch the time come fall. So check out their schedule too. Those are really great free opportunities. And then there's several different paid opportunities too, if you're looking for a more structured program, something with a little bit lower ratio of kids to really like form those connections to and have like an ongoing thing. So Hike & Heal Wellness, Mo has a caregiver and child nature play group this summer, which we're excited to Zoey and I, my daughter, are excited to attend again. Naturing in Madison, my friend Christie, does some really great things with usually, ages 2-11, really, in that similar space but also like bringing in art and creativity. So there's so many great opportunities, and that's why we created the guides, so that you can pick and choose what makes sense for your schedule and your lifestyle.
Kayla Darkow 22:01
Yeah. That's awesome. And I know so many like library story times and those kind of things take breaks in the summer, so this is great to have some options that run throughout the summer for families, I'm sure they'll be excited to check them out. And again, we'll be sure to link Sam's resource guides in the show notes, so you can easily access all these events. Well, Sam, thank you so much again for your time. Any kind of last minute thoughts you have for listeners about getting outside? You covered a lot today.
Samantha Haas 23:34
Yeah. Thank you so much. I would just say the takeaway is that, yeah, kids learn through play, and it's so great for caregivers and kids to be outside. Keep it simple. Don't stress out if you don't have the gear you think you're supposed to have. As long as you're comfortable for the weather, it's probably fine. Like, don't feel like you need to go out and spend a lot of money on some certain thing. Just put on what's comfortable that you don't mind getting dirty. Anything can be washed. So if you're comfortable, your kiddo is going to be comfortable, too.
Kayla Darkow 24:03
That's great advice. Well, I hope you have a fun summer outside and hopefully you'll get to meet some of our listeners.
Samantha Haas 24:17
Alright, thanks so much.
Kayla Darkow 24:17
Thank you.
CI Therapies 24:18
Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the CI Therapies Podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please hit the subscribe button so you never miss a future episode. And if you want even more CI content, check out our blog citherapies.com/blog. Follow us on Instagram, @citherapy or Facebook, CI Pediatric Therapy Center. We always appreciate hearing from our community. So if you have a minute, please leave us a review and let us know what you think. Until next time, remember: You matter. We are better together. And we can do this.
