Playing Naturally

Dear Archway Community,

We are creating a Green Task Force to investigate natural alternatives to the existing synthetic turf on the lower campus play yard. The current turf (now covered with plastic and plywood) contains lead and needs to be replaced. Although the temporary cover alleviates any possible risk of exposing children to lead, the school has plans to replace it with a “lead-free” alternative over the November break. However, in an effort to provide the children with the greatest opportunities for growth and development as well as a desire to be environmentally responsible, this Green Task Force is exploring the innovations occurring in schoolyard design in the hopes of finding a natural alternative.

The philosophy behind going natural is that it not only connects children with the natural world (a real concern in an urban environment), but it also improves their performance in the classroom as well as their motor development, flexibility, and balance. The greener the spaces children have to play in, the better their attention in the classroom after play.

We have just begun to access the many resources available to facilitate the development of these kinds of natural spaces. For example, the San Francisco Green Schoolyard Alliance provides a Green Resource Directory with information about design, gardening, energy conservation, building materials, educational opportunities, and a directory of schools in the bay area with green schoolyards. After just a brief look we saw some beautiful and amazing spaces created for children by using indigenous vegetation, wood, boulders, sand, soil, rocks, and water. There are play yards with shrub mazes, wood tunnels, sitting rocks, climbing walls, and living willow arbors, tunnels, and domes.

Although these may feel like big ideas for a small space, wouldn’t it be nice to create something exceptional for our children? These areas could be pieces to a larger design or plan, starting small and building out. Considering there are some exciting choices as well as resources out there, it seems a shame not to at least consider them.

For all those interested, we have scheduled a meeting on Tuesday, October 28, 6:00 pm at the Oakland campus. If you plan on attending the meeting or even if you can’t attend but want to participate please contact Jackie Lemoine (jklemoine@alamedanet.net) or Tonya Hersch (tonyahersch1@earthlink.net). Those of you who have any knowledge or experience with landscaping, horticulture, ecological design, or environmental sustainability we urge you to help or possibly nudge us in a viable direction.

Here are a few links you might want to visit.

http://www2.ku.edu/~sustain/Documents/Student_Projects/Playgrounds_Support.pdf
http://www.sfgreenschools.org/resources.html
http://www.planetearthplayscapes.com/home.html
http://www.naturalplaygrounds.com/
http://www.edutopia.org/sustainable-schoolyard-design

Sincerely,

Tonya Hersch
Jackie Lemoine