An innovative new playground at the Academy Junior School

The Academy Junior School opened the Loose Parts Playground in the first week of February 2019. The playground consists of logs, planks of wood, tree branches, tyres and fabrics, which children will use to play and build. This unconventional re-imagination of a children’s outdoor space is a brainchild of our PYP coordinator, Chloe Hill. “Many children have an innate need to work with big items - lifting, carrying and pushing - but get very little chance to do so,” she writes on her blog.

The play area was built after months of deliberation, and Chloe invited student council members into that process. She discussed future issues that could arise on the playground with council members, who in turn came up with possible solutions to conflicts. “Solving problems, both creative and interpersonal gives an opportunity to develop leadership,” she says, adding, “looking after the items will encourage stewardship and responsibility.”

It is innovative ideas like this that make learning at the Academy a uniquely enriching experience for young students. “I’m sure we will soon see a variety of structures created - dens, bridges, ships and shops,” she says. “The open-ended nature of these play materials means that children will see limitless creative possibility in the items.”   

Written by Ajay Sundaram