Children's play is more creative and egalitarian in natural areas than in more structured or paved areas

According to a study by Andrea Faber Taylor and her colleagues at the Human-Environment Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois, young (age 0-12) inner-city children in Chicago were twice as likely to engage in creative play in high-vegetation than in low-vegetation outdoor spaces. (Examples of “creative play” include fantasy games, such as pretend sword-fighting; acting out real-life situations, such as playing house; and games involving improvisation, such as sing-song and jump-rope games.)

Source: Faber Taylor, A., Wiley, A., Kuo, F.E. & Sullivan, W.C. (1998). Growing up in the inner city: Green spaces as places to grow. Environment and Behavior 30(1): 3-27.