Greenwood Primary School
Nature Playground Project

What play should be

WHY?

SO OUR KIDS ARE RESILIENT, ADVENTUROUS, ACTIVE, CONFIDENT, 
SELF-SUFFICIENT AND HAVE HIGH SELF-ESTEEM.

Learning risk

Through play, children are able to learn about risks and use their own initiative

decision making

When children are allowed to explore and learn through playing they learn how to judge risks and manage them for themselves

balance

Children and young people recognise that ‘you can’t make everything safe’ and that a balance is needed between risks and fun

A report from the National Wildlife Federation, Back to School: Back Outside (Coyle, 2010), showed such benefits include: Improved classroom behaviour; Increased student motivation and enthusiasm to learn; Better performance in maths, science, reading and social studies; Reduced Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); Higher scores on standardised tests (including college entrance exams); and Helps under-resourced, low-income students to perform measurably better in school.

The Draft Plan

Two areas are under consideration and will
be developed over several phases

Nature Playground

The Nature Playground will be located at the northern most part of the school, along the brick wall near TA15 and the existing sandpit and playground.

Learn more

Woodlands learning space

The Woodlands Learning Space will be located at the southern end of the school oval, between the goal posts and Penistone Park.

Learn more

Current Phase

Two Mud Kitchens have been purchased and installed in the Nature Playground, next to TA3 against the Pre Primary fence. The kids love them!
It was decided not to consider hooking up water until spring/ summer so the kids don’t get too wet and cold, but to stop the kids using water fountains and making a mess – we are going to buy a large 20 litre jerry can with a tap and plugs for the sinks.
Thank you so much to all the amazing volunteers who helped clear the bushland in readiness for the Woodlands Learning Space on Sunday 20th May. It was incredibly inspiring to see so many people getting into the community spirit!
The kids are now having a great time building teepees in the new area!

NEXT WE NEED:

• a structural engineer to advise on whether we can drill climbing hold bolts into limestone:

• an old boat which we can add as a feature in the playground for kids to play on:

• Skills to create a beautiful wooden Woodlands sign.

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Also watch this space for ways to help bring the rest of the nature playground to life

including the provision of rocks for the creek bed, building materials and heavy moving equipment.


How you can help

We need skills, resources and a little bit of elbow grease from
you, the school community, to make this project happen for our kids
1. Ideas and planning - we want to hear from you what you would like to see from the playground. These plans will evolve with time,  available materials and your suggestions! We will also let you know when we are looking for specialised advice from a skilled parent or community member!

2. For each project phase, we want help from parents, staff and the Greenwood community to source materials, skills and willing workers to make it as fantastic as it can be.

3. The build!  There will be a day when we want a lot of help over a weekend to build something beautiful. 

We need your help! The best playground will be one which comes from our school community.

Already students, parents and teachers have been involved in getting us this far. But we are going to need lots of help from people with the right know-how, ideas, connections, passion and a bit of brute strength. Let us know how you can help.

Please fill in this short form to let us know how you might be able to help.  We’ll then get in touch when the time is right. Don’t worry – this isn’t a commitment – just an expression of interest.
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Greenwood Primary School Nature Playground Project 2018