'White Rock Woods' Play Area

“We must teach our children to dream with their eyes open.”

17 children playing on the "jungle gyms" in the White Rock Wood nature play area of Distant Hill Nature Trail. — The recycled "jungle gyms" in the White Rock Wood nature play area are a favorite of children.

Connecting Kids & Nature in ‘White Rock Woods'

Open to the public daily, dawn to dusk.

Parking available at 66 March Hill Road, Alstead, NH 03602

Unlike traditional playgrounds, nature play areas are outdoor spaces made of natural components such as bark, logs, plants, earth, rocks, and trees. They give children the chance to problem solve through unstructured play and exploration.

A natural play area is also meant to reflect a local sense of place, one of the objectives David Sobel's 'Place-Based Education' class.

In David's words: “Place-based education is the process of using the local community and environment as a starting point to teach concepts in language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, and other subjects across the curriculum. Emphasizing hands-on, real-world learning experiences, this approach to education increases academic achievement, helps students develop stronger ties to their communities, enhances students’ appreciation for the natural world, and creates a heightened commitment to serving as active, contributing citizens.”

David Sobel's Place-based Education class ready to build build the first play area elements in White Rock Woods nature play area on Distant Hill Nature Trail.

Antioch University New England professor David Sobel and his 'Place-based Education' class designed and built the first few elements of the nature play area at Distant Hill in April 2013. It got the name 'White-Rock Woods' from the white quartz rocks, found throughout the Distant Hill property, that were used to encircle the entire half-acre 'White-Rock Woods' forest play area.