Hi Kat and Happy New Year to you,
Thought you might enjoy parts of this article on children, play and the role of 'open' environments etc. on children's ability to continue to think outside the box, to think creatively and to conceive of worlds and ideas of their own; ideas that transcend the limits so often in place in our current culture; limits that put boundaries on children's own thinking.

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1662826/frog-design-the-four-secrets-of-playtime-that-foster-creative-kids From my friend, Wendy, who runs Learn Outside.