Nature play is at the heart of learning at Great Lakes Aquarium. At Kestrels, we emphasize learning through child-inspired and child-directed nature play experiences. Children are encouraged to let their curiosity guide their play as they climb, build forts, jump, examine rocks, and so much more. These types of free play experiences promote the development of observation and questioning skills, safe risk-taking, motor growth, creativity, language skills, empathy, and social-emotional skills while promoting deep connections to nature.