PITTSBURGH — For thousands of preschool children across the country, learning now extends into gardens, nature trails, sensory play areas and outdoor classrooms thanks to PNC Grow Up Great, an initiative that is helping reshape early childhood education through the power of nature-based learning.
As part of the program’s 20th anniversary celebration, the PNC Foundation invested $5.2 million to create or enhance outdoor learning environments across communities where PNC serves. Working alongside local early childhood education providers, regional PNC teams helped bring 63 outdoor play and learning spaces to life. As of this year, 61 of the projects have been completed, with two more expected to open soon in Miami and Philadelphia.
Learning Beyond Four Walls
Research continues to show that outdoor, play-based education is much more than recess. Studies indicate children who regularly learn outdoors strengthen early science, literacy and math skills while also improving physical health, creativity, social development and emotional well-being.
“A growing body of research suggests that encouraging children to engage with their world through nature during play, and more structured activities that incorporate the environment around them, offers a wealth of benefits for learning and development.”
Recent research funded by PNC and conducted by NIEER found that 49% of children ages 3 to 5 play outside less than once each day. The institute also concluded that nature-based preschool settings can promote stronger learning and healthier development.
Pittsburgh Has Been Leading the Way
The initiative has deep roots in Western Pennsylvania. Since 2012, PNC Grow Up Great has partnered with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy to transform outdoor areas at Pittsburgh Public Schools’ early childhood centers into engaging natural learning environments.
By 2025, the partnership had created 13 outdoor classrooms and natural play spaces throughout the district. Many of those projects transformed underused asphalt lots into vibrant outdoor classrooms featuring native trees and plants, gardens, outdoor teaching areas, play hills, birdhouses, sensory learning stations and spaces for exploration and imaginative play.
The redesigned environments encourage curiosity while helping children develop motor skills, problem-solving abilities and a lifelong appreciation for nature—even in an urban setting.
Designed With Families in Mind
One feature that sets the program apart is its collaborative design process. Rather than installing standard playground equipment, many outdoor spaces are created with input from educators, parents and community members. Design teams observe how children naturally interact with existing spaces before developing environments tailored to each school’s goals and neighborhood needs.
Many locations also provide professional development for teachers, helping them incorporate nature into daily lessons while engaging families in outdoor learning activities that can continue at home.
Breaking Down Barriers to Outdoor Play
While many educators recognize the benefits of outdoor learning, they also encounter practical challenges. Some parents worry children will come home muddy or wet. Others simply don’t have appropriate outdoor clothing.
“Some parents, they don’t want their kids to be dirty when they come and pick them up. Even though this is a part of how they learn and they play.”
“There’s no bad weather. There’s only bad clothing.”
Left: A Tiny Tots participant in a PNC Grow Up Great Muddy Buddy suit. Right: Angelia Hicks Maxie with her grandchildren.
Muddy Buddy Suits Keep Learning Going
To help remove weather as a barrier, PNC Grow Up Great recently distributed more than 3,000 Muddy Buddy waterproof suits to early childhood education partners across its service footprint. Each regional PNC market was able to provide up to 100 suits to local early learning centers. The waterproof outerwear allows children to continue exploring outdoors—even during rainy weather.
“The suits go on top of all the rest of the children’s clothes as an outer shell to keep them dry. The kids love them. One said, ‘I feel like an astronaut!’”
“Our daughter came home the first day of the program describing the suit as if it were a superhero costume. She felt it gave her superpowers to explore nature in a way she wouldn’t normally do.”
In Seattle, educator Angelia Hicks-Maxie said adding rain gear dramatically increased the amount of time children spent outdoors—from roughly 60 percent of daily sessions to more than 80 percent.
“We purchased a classroom set using community fundraising, including rain boots, which allowed the children to play freely outside. The impact was immediate, increasing our outdoor time from 60% of our daily sessions to over 80%.”
Growing the Next Generation
As communities continue to invest in high-quality early childhood education, programs like PNC Grow Up Great demonstrate that some of the most meaningful classrooms may be found under trees, in gardens and across natural play spaces.
For young learners, every puddle can become a science lesson, every flower a discovery and every outdoor adventure another step toward lifelong learning.