The Department of Child and Adolescent Development (CHAD) Toddler Lab is a living, learning environment where our youngest children explore the world through developmentally appropriate, research-informed practice.
Here, play is purposeful. Exploration is encouraged. And nature is a powerful teacher.
Research shows that nature-based play supports cognitive growth, social-emotional development, creativity, and family connection. CHAD faculty specialize in studying how families and children engage in nature together, reinforcing the importance of outdoor environments for healthy development.
Our outdoor garden and play spaces are a unique and beloved part of our lab environment. Children are drawn to the garden; digging, planting, exploring, and learning through hands-on discovery. These experiences build curiosity, resilience, and meaningful connections to the world around them.
We are raising funds to expand our gardening spaces and update play equipment to ensure our lab continues to model play based learning and developmentally aligned practice. Additional garden elements and play enhancements will create more opportunities for children to engage, explore, and grow.
Your support will help us strengthen a space where play, research, and nature come together — preparing children and the next generation of child development professionals to thrive.
Together, we can cultivate environments where learning begins in wonder.
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