Kate Proud (front) with Griffin Shepherd and Mitchell Pollock are thrilled with the new-look playground at Lang Lang Preschool.By Paul Dunlop
THE outdoors area at Lang Lang Preschool has been transformed into a playtime paradise.
New gardens and equipment and a revamped play area have revitalised the preschool.
Children now have plenty of place for “hands on” fun in a challenging but safe setting.
The revamp is the product of plenty of hard work by the entire school community.
Preschool director Kerry Rogers said the new look playground was necessary because changing safety standards meant much of the old equipment was no longer useable.
The playground layout also made it difficult for the children to develop rich and varied play.
“There were no hiding places, cubby spaces, paths to meander, places to sit away from the crowd, places that felt magic, mysterious, scary, places to kick a ball, places to pretend with small toys,” she said.
“The layout also made it difficult to supervise an indoor-outdoor program.”
Mrs Rogers said young children were active learners and needed experiences in which to learn and develop.
She said the new outdoor environment provided the space and challenge to engage children in activities that interest them and allowed adults to plan and deliver learning experiences that were meaningful and relevant.
Mrs Rogers said the revamp was the result of the children and staff working with parents and the community to plan and landscape the existing structures into a delightfully workable setting.
“The old metal climbing frame dominated the active playground and made it difficult to fit much else in. New playground standards deemed this too high for safety so it was modified, moved and is now a garden arch with creepers and hanging baskets surrounding a meandering path,” she said.
Pathways lead to the children’s workshop and tool shed, a rain forest area and frog pond, wetlands and fairy garden.
Another corner has been surfaced with gravel mulch and planted with grasses to form a desert area that includes a bark hut.
“The children now have a natural environment that excites and challenges them, that encourages exploration of the natural environment and that they take a responsibility for as they were part of the process of developing what for them is a veritable magic garden,” Mrs Rogers said.
The results were on display for all to see at a recent open garden day.
