Learning To Play

by Brent Johnson

Playgrounds are places where children practice to be adults. They rehearse scenarios, they reinact episodes from their favorite TV shows, they stage mock battles, fight for acceptance, compete for attention and popularity, and form bonds through sports and games.

A child's character can be defined by the triumphs and minor tragedies that occur on the blacktop. Outside of the classroom, the most important formative experiences for a young person take place on jungle gyms, swing sets, basketball courts, and tether ball rings. Aside from the role that parents play, children will be more influenced by what their peers say and do than any other factor. That is why the framework for these interactions is so critical. Children are not only being imprinted with the actions and behaviors of their peers, but they are being formed in the image of their environment.

One of the recent trends in education is the recognition that learning need not be restricted to the confines of the classroom. The concept that teaching must occur in a 30' by 40' box, with rows of little desks and a black board on one wall, is being challenged by the notion that direct interaction with nature encourages a sensitivity to the rythms and cycles of life.

Educational gardens like this one have become one of the more popular features of the Boston Schoolyard Initiative. The gardens not only encourage participation from students, but they teach many young people the horticultural skills that are considered the backbone of a Jeffersonian democracy. Learning to use the land and develop natural resources is the foundation of America's prosperity.

Modern educators ask the question: Do students learn more about biology by discussing reproduction in the classroom, or by observing the metamorphosis of a butterfly? Can students acheive a greater understanding of the solar system by watching videos or by looking up at the sky with a pair of binoculars? This argument has also brought criticism of the computerization of the classroom. In a time when millions of dollars are being spent on computer labs, schools are going without books, microscopes, school buses for field trips, and play equipment. Passive exposure to information is the death knell of public education. That is why many teachers and parents are trying to reintroduce the real world into the sanitized, pre-packaged curriculum of many schools.

A Tree Grows In Boston

The Boston Schoolyard Initiative (BSI) was started more than five years ago as a means of restoring playgrounds that had been abandoned to fate. This partnership of public and private sponsors was intended to include the community in developing and maintaining a system of playgrounds that would serve the educational needs of grade school students. Under the direction of Kirk Meyer, the Boston Schoolyard Funders Collaborative and the City of Boston have completed 22 schoolyard projects out a total of 117 schools scheduled for new park construction.

One of the major objectives of the program is to bolster the self-esteem of students by showing a commitment to their school facilities. Children understand intuitively that when schools are neglected, it means that education is not important. However, when the community takes a position to invest in their playgrounds it sends students a clear message that their lives have value, and that a quality education is the foundation for the betterment of their lives.

Perhaps the most significant lesson the program teaches is that children can have a direct influence on their schools and communities. By empowering young students to take an active role in the design and construction of these new playgrounds, it emboldens them to become involved in the community, and strengthens their participation and belief in grass roots democracy.

Meyer writes, "We are supporting our teachers and sending a message to our youth that schools are special places, even fun places, and that we will do whatever is necessary to give students the broadest and most complete education possible."

Building A Bridge To A Community

Tamara Zimmerman of Wallace Floyd Associates designed the Warren Prescott Schoolyard in Charlestown, which was the first park constructed by the Boston School Task Force in 1995. Since that time she has completed ten such parks and is concurrently working on seven additional schoolyard projects.

"It's a very intense community and public client process," said Zimmerman. The fast track program involves meetings with teachers, residents, and city planners to evolve a consensus plan that will satisfy both the constituents and the budget constraints. As a designer, Zimmerman must contend with requests from the neighbors for bus depots, noise reduction, and green areas. The challenge is to balance these demands with the needs of the students who require outdoor classrooms, school assembly areas, and playing fields.

Some of the innovative design ideas that Zimmerman employs are "play graphics" such as large maps painted on the play surface that teach students about geography, or numbers that show mathematical relationships. Another favorite feature of Zimmerman's landscapes are the student vegetable gardens that permit students to grow a variety of plants throughout the growing season. The combination of practical horticulture and classroom lectures has made this an effective method of learning.

One of the challenges of building on some of these sites is the lack of sufficient documentation for previous construction. As one of the oldest cities in the nation, Boston's urban areas are literally stacked, layer upon layer, with the remains of demolished buildings. When the contractors begin excavating at a particular site, they're never quite sure what they're going to uncover. Digging into an old foundation or a landfill can mean serious setbacks to the project as special equipment is brought in to break up the cement and haul away debris. Despite these physical impediments to the progress of the schoolyard initiative, the program has witnessed a rapid pace of development that is unprecedented for school construction.

Students were encouraged to participate in the design and even certain aspects of the construction of the Boston schoolyards. This gave the students a greater sense of ownership and pride in their playgrounds, which has also made the students willing custodians of their schools.

Pure Design

John Copley and Lynn Wolff of Copley/Wolff Joint Venture were one of the first companies to join the Boston Schoolyard Foundation.

"The idea of renovating a schoolyard for both school and neighborhood use was intriguing," said Copley, who recalls how they were drawn to the cause of rebuilding Boston's schoolyards. "They were in such great need, the impact was immediate," he said.

Combining one's professional interests with public service is a rare opportunity that few people can enjoy. Copley/Wolff saw in the Boston Schoolyard Initiative a chance to make a real contribution to their community that would be a fitting subject for their creative talents. Particularly attractive to Copley, was the design issue of using simple materials to achieve a dramatic result.

A component of the Boston schoolyards also included more traditional play structures that provide climbing activities. The colorful and ADA compliant structures are designed to provide a safe environment that is accessible to a range of students with varying degrees of ability. The safety surfacing also provides the latest technology in shock absorbent matting.

It's one thing to create a landscape with an unlimited budget, but trying to accomplish the same task on the meager allowance afforded by the Foundation is a true test of the architect's abilities. Each playground costs between $150,000 and $350,000 to complete, which is about the going rate for many tot lots. Copely was sensitive to the risks involved and explained that his goal was to "marry the program dollars with expectations, and then add creative design." However, he didn't want the landscape to be a simple resolution of budget problems, but rather an innovative adaptation of inexpensive materials such as concrete, steel, and paint.

This before and after sequence shows the dramatic transformation of what was essentially a vacant lot, into a dynamic play environment. In addition to enhancing the self-respect of the students, these playground makeovers have also had rippling effects throughout the community. The revitalization bug becomes contagious when the community is invited to participate in the planning process. When neighbors and residents are included in the political process they become inspired to make a changes that go beyond their immediate surroundings.

Copley/Wolff have completed ten playgrounds to date, and each playground is contextually linked to the particular needs of the school. However, there are common elements such as educational gardens and large game areas for kick ball as well as monkey bars for overhead play that are consistent throughout the playground scheme. Where appropriate, they have also chosen to use play structures from such companies as Columbia Cascades, Landscape Structures, and Playground Environments. One of the unique signatures of Copley/Wolff playgrounds are balustrade walls that separate different play areas. Another favorite element is the use of "curvy walls" that border the edges of the hard and greenscapes. "Kids love it, and schools love it," said Copley. "At one school we had an arboretum trail." The planted walkway was used to demonstrate growth cycles, habitats, and speciation among different classifications of plants. Painted surfaces have also been used to show distance relationships such as units of measurement or even the relative separation of the planets in the solar system.

There is literally no end to the kinds of educational tools that can be incorporated into the play environment. When students go outside to play their alertness increases and their enjoyment of the outdoors makes learning a pleasure rather than drudgery. Schools that take advantage of these untapped resources will reap the benefits of the natural environment that inspires children's questing sensitivity. LASN