Ruth Staples Child Development Laboratory

Ruth Staples Child Development Laboratory The mission of the Ruth Staples Child Development Lab is education, outreach, and research.

The Ruth Staples Child Development Laboratory Program provides an educational and developmentally appropriate setting in which children and adults grow and learn together. To this end, the environment is prepared by staff and students and experiences are provided that:
* contribute to developing positive self-regard
*maintain good health and safety
*support holistic development
*encourage understa

nding and acceptance of one's own and other's emotions
*model appreciation of individual differences
*encourage self-expression
*stimulate curiosity and the desire to learn
*foster a value for all living things and the responsibility for living in the world in an ecologically wise manner
*promote the importance of living peacefully with a variety of people

05/29/2026

Here we go the update you all have been waiting for….the box is a… library. Our outdoor library was built today by volun...
05/29/2026

Here we go the update you all have been waiting for….the box is a… library. Our outdoor library was built today by volunteers from NU Foundations! So thankful for their hard work and support.

We will keep you posted on ways we use the space to increase literacy experiences in the outdoor classroom!

We are grateful for the generous support from the Dein Fund donors. The contributions help transform ideas into opportunities and make a lasting difference in the lives of children and families.

05/22/2026

Spotted in the outdoor classroom: our newest “nature-based learning consultant”

🦝 ❌
🐀 ❌
🩶 Definitely an opossum.

Highlights from their visit: Excellent observation skills Demonstrates good bug hunting skills Strong sense of smell

The children were fascinated, the teachers were calm(ish), and the opossum reminded us all that outdoor classrooms truly are a place for great adventures.

BOX UPDATE! 📦 It’s not a box… it’s an art table. It’s not a box…it’s a map. It’s not a box… ??? We are building somethin...
05/21/2026

BOX UPDATE! 📦
It’s not a box… it’s an art table.
It’s not a box…it’s a map.
It’s not a box… ???
We are building something exciting! 📚

If you are out and about this weekend go watch Eric as a Big 10 Outdoor Track Official at the High Jump!!! AND watch RSC...
05/16/2026

If you are out and about this weekend go watch Eric as a Big 10 Outdoor Track Official at the High Jump!!! AND watch RSCDL Alumni Berlyn Schutz out there breaking records!

Nature-designed environments support the teacher as a facilitator of inquiry who intentionally curates space, time, and ...
05/13/2026

Nature-designed environments support the teacher as a facilitator of inquiry who intentionally curates space, time, and materials to deepen aesthetic exploration. Rather than directing outcomes, the teacher amplifies creativity by posing open-ended provocations—such as shifting light, or natural collections—that encourage children to experiment with form, pattern, texture, and symbolic representation in meaningful and evolving ways.

Reflection and inspirations from “Reimagining the Role of the Teacher in Nature-based Learning” by Rachael Larimore and Claire Warden

Provocation: watercolor and natural flowers from the garden at RSCDL

Just arrived!!! Any guesses!?!? 📚 🌳
05/12/2026

Just arrived!!! Any guesses!?!? 📚 🌳

🎓 Cheers to all of our graduating Student Teachers! We are so proud of you and can’t wait to see the impact you will mak...
05/12/2026

🎓 Cheers to all of our graduating Student Teachers! We are so proud of you and can’t wait to see the impact you will make
on children and families!

Thank you for letting us be a part of your journey!

Keep in touch- special notes like these help us remember our WHY!

05/08/2026

CELEBRATING Child Care Provider Day!

❤️ IF YOU are alumni of RSCDL- teacher or child ❤️

For Teacher Appreciation Week, we'd love for current/former students/parents to REPLY to this post and tell us how your child/your teaching is doing/going and what your child is doing (school, sports, family, etc..)! Or feel free to share a funny story or memory from our time together!

We celebrate nature everyday! Thankful for this proclamation and acknowledgment to bring awareness to the importance of...
05/06/2026

We celebrate nature everyday! Thankful for this proclamation and acknowledgment to bring awareness to the importance of getting children outside!

Address

1855 N 35th Street
Lincoln, NE
68503

Telephone

+14024721675

Website

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