By Holly Shanks
Webster-Kirkwood Times March 8, 2013
The playground is designed and being installed by The Natural Playground Company (NPC) from New Hampshire
Funding for the new playground, which is expected to cost a total of $279,000, came from the Walter Ambrose Family Center Parent Teacher Organization, several grants and a development fund established in 2002 by the Early Childhood Program.
Informational sessions were held about the new play concept and parent groups enthusiastically embraced the idea, according to Webster Groves School District Community Relations Director Cathy Vespereny.
Vespereny also said that Assistant Director of Early Years Education Merlene Gilb elaborated on the decision to switch from a traditional playground to a natural one.
“We wanted to offer the children here more authentic play and an opportunity to connect with nature.” Glib conveyed. “We wanted to offer them chances to use their imaginations and it’s an open ended space for children to play the way they want to play.”
Natural Playground Company President Ron King said a natural playground is an outdoor play and learning area designed to take advantage of the natural landscape. A major things in developing the WAFC design was to break up the school’s sloping hillside to allow different elements to be incorporated.
The WAFC playground will offer several play areas, including a boulder amphitheatre, sand area, embedded slide and a climbing wall. There will also be an outdoor atelier, which is an artist workshop area. Playground elements using water-play components offered by NPC were not included in the final design.
School officials were given a 30-page questionnaire to determine the wants and needs of the school and its students. NPC then created a unique playground based on that imput.
King has interviewed almost 6000 children and several adult groups about their likes and dislikes of outdoor play. Topping the list of favorite outdoor activities are building forts in the snow, playing in creeks, hiding in bushes, making mud pies and catching butterflies. Children continually say playgroud equipment is boring.
“I say to the adults that I don’t get it. If you liked these things when you were a kid and your kids today like those very same things,” King asks. “Why do you want to give them (playground) equipment?”
King claims the play behavior of children on a natural playground is dramatically different. Schools that have installed natural play areas see bulling incidents drop, aggressiveness lowered and children who are constantly moving around and helping each other more often.
There is a maintenance element to everything King said, but certain aspects for natural playground maintenance are designed to encompass and enhance different learning experiences. It is not necessary to completely manicure every inch of the playground.
Some areas are meant to let the grass get tall and flower, see bushes grow and provide prime fort building spaces, and gardens let children see how things evolve and bear fruit or vegetables. The play areas are constantly changing with each season providing new discoveries and options for children. The playground also doubles as an ever-transforming outdoor classroom and learning lab to utilize as a teaching tool.
“It’s a habitat. It’s a sustainable environment,” King said. “That is what the earth is all about and that is what we are trying to teach our kids.”
King’s research shows the life of traditional playground equipment is about 15 to 20 years. A natural playground cost significantly less and keeps value beyond the expiration date of equipment. The sustainable items like boulders never have to be replaced and the local wildlife and the changing seasonal landscapes are provided by nature.
Local materials are used as much as possible in the playground construction and all vegetation will be purchased at local nurseries as well.
“Once we get the grass, plants and trees in there,” King said. “It’s going to be a beautiful place for kids to play and families to come visit.”
The new natural playground will be part of this years Webster Groves High School Parents Club annual garden tour. For more information about the tour visit www.wghsparentsclub.org
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