Becky Gates Children’s Center
at Texas A&M University
The Nature Explore Classroom at the Becky Gates Children’s Center (BGCC) offers a unique outdoor
environment that stands out among other spaces in the area.
Our classroom has a space for mud play, easels and tables for art projects and shaded spots for quiet reading and relaxation. Children can often be found flipping over rocks to discover insects, using rocks and water to create ponds in the sand area, building dams in the riverbed to control water flow and gathering sticks for pretend campfires.The raised garden beds for planting vegetables, herbs and flowers give children opportunities to care for, harvest and taste the vegetables and fruits they grow.
Families appreciate our Nature Explore Classroom for various family events. Picnic on the Playground
involves families bringing meals, connecting and watching their children play. Fall Family Fun Night
features games and activities for children, including a pumpkin patch. Our classroom also hosted
activities for Walk Across Texas (WAT), an annual eight-week initiative promoting physical activity.
Children used the classroom for obstacle courses, relay races, music and movement sessions, breathstretch-grow activities, bubble fun and a color fun run. The outdoor space also provides the perfect setting for a fun family event to end Week of the Young Child each spring.
Our Nature Explore Classroom also serves as a research site to explore the benefits of natural
environments for children. A team from another Texas university conducted observations for a study on how nature-based play spaces influence social-emotional development in young children. Additionally, students from a landscape architecture class visited the space to observe children in action and use their observations to help design a nature-focused outdoor play area for the Charlotte Sharp Children’s Center (CSCC), which, along with BGCC, makes up the Texas A&M University Children’s Centers. The space will provide opportunities for continued research on the benefits of spending time in nature.
The Becky Gates Children’s Center is housed in the College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University.
