A small village pre-school in Devon had big ambitions to transform their outside space. Buckland Beehive Pre-school based at Buckland Monachorum Village Hall was keen for their children to enjoy playing outside as much as possible. As well as providing physical play opportunities, our brief included creating a story telling area, sensory sand/water play equipment and planters for growing fruit and vegetables.
We discussed lots of different plans and after consulting with staff, children and parents, a final design was agreed which ticked all the boxes on their outdoor play ‘wish-list’. As the children were under five years old, an exciting adventure trail provided the perfect level of challenge. The trail equipment was designed to weave in and out of large mature trees and muted colours were chosen to complement the natural setting. As the outdoor space was not a large area, a ‘moveable’ large sand/water play table enabled the space to be used flexibly. An oversized story-telling chair added a touch of drama to the new reading corner. Finally, the bespoke planters were built at the perfect height for budding pre-school gardeners, with flower motifs added for extra playful appeal.
As the West Country climate is often wet and the play area is shaded by the large trees, the nursery chose to use recycled plastic play equipment rather than traditional wood. Unlike wood, which can get green and slimy, recycled plastic resists algae growth and more importantly it does not rot. An occasional wash down and the equipment looks like new, so it is an ideal low-maintenance option.
With a new story telling corner, sensory and physical play opportunities, this previously under-used garden area has been transformed into an exciting woodland play space. As the team at Buckland Beehive is committed to making sustainable choices wherever possible, they are pleased that the play equipment is both environmentally friendly and practical. Everyone is enthusiastic about utilising recycled materials which would otherwise end up as landfill and the children learned how their new equipment had started out life as old plastic milk bottles and yoghurt cartons.
