When visiting the Little Arrowhead Nature Explore, children can be anything they want to be.

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They may decide to be musicians, rock climbers, castle builders, bike racers or all of the above.

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The space and the materials to play and learn are all inside the L.A.N.E. — a collaborative outdoor educational and play space at Arrowhead Ranch.

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The L.A.N.E. features a balance bike track complete with bikes and helmets to borrow, instruments, sandboxes, grassy hills, a climbing area and more.

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“This space brought together community partners that saw that vision and took a piece of land and turned it into a place where memories are created for young children and families,” said Julie Vess, community impact director for the Stanwood-Camano Area Foundation.

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The L.A.N.E. was born out of a desire to provide more outdoor education opportunities for young Stanwood-Camano children before they enter kindergarten.

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“A group of community partners saw that so many of our children were getting to kindergarten age without the skills that they needed for going into school,” Vess said.

So, the Community Coalition of Stanwood-Camano, along with S-CAF and Arrowhead Ranch, banded together to make the vision come to life.

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The L.A.N.E. features 18 separate places specifically designed for children 5 and under to explore and play.

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It officially opened to the public on Sept. 13 with a celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony.

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Brittany Sherman, the mom of a 4-year-old, visited on Friday and said she was impressed by the effort that went into the space.

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“I always grew up around nature, and it’s just important to have that tactile development,” Sherman said. “And I feel like a lot of kids don’t really get a lot of that these days, because a lot of us live in apartments and we don’t really have a place where we can go outside and play.”

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Sherman said she sees the L.A.N.E. as a safer and more accessible option for parents of younger children in the Stanwood-Camano area.

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“We go to the park in town … but that’s really not geared towards little kids,” Sherman said. “So this is nice and something I’ve never seen in Stanwood.”

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Seaside Services, a local landscaping company, did the construction on the L.A.N.E. and installed the underground irrigation system.

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Owners Chad and Jennifer Davis spoke at the grand opening and said that Randy and Marla Heagle, owners of Arrowhead Ranch, were involved every step of the way.

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“Randy and Marla didn’t hire us and go away,” Jennifer Davis said. “They were here for everything. This is their absolute labor of love, and I’m so excited to see the future of this property and this park.”

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The Heagles host several educational events and opportunities on their ranch — including the annual Stanwood-Camano Soap Box Derby each June.

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“We’re a working ranch and flower farm, but we’re also about learning,” Marla Heagle said. “We’re about growth, and we’re about connecting people and coming together.”

“We’re so proud and honored to be part of this project,” she added.

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The L.A.N.E. is open daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and though it is geared toward children 5 and under, any age is welcome to come and play with a parent or guardian present.

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More information can be found at arrowheadranchcamano.com/l-a-n-e.