Niverville Elementary has unveiled the latest upgrade to their school grounds: a nature playground. Located in the northwest corner of the property, the playground has been in development for the last few months.
“The idea of building the nature playground has been part of the planning for the outdoor spaces for about three years,” says Tracy Beaudin, principal of NES. “The reason that a nature playground was chosen as part of our design plan was that it allows for a child’s imagination and creativity to develop in a different way compared to a traditional playground. It allows the children to decide how they want to play and interact with the items that are there… It gives the students more options at recess.”
In addition to giving students another location on the playground to explore and play, Beaudin says, it also mimics a more natural setting.
“We have fresh sod in the area, so we are waiting a few weeks for that to be ready to walk on,” she adds, although students have been allowed to play on the structure for the first time this week.
The project was a large financial commitment, and the school’s Parent Advisory Council took the lead in organizing the necessary fundraisers. The work was contracted out to Valleywest Landscaping.
