A nature-based play area built by a College of Architecture and Planning immersive learning class had its grand opening Oct. 22.
The Nature Playscape at Head Start, five years in the making, is a collaborative effort between the local chapter of the preschool program and Ball State. Head Start is a national early-start program for children from low-income families.
Debbie Arrington, the education disability specialist at Head Start, reached out to the university to start the project after envisioning a nature-based play area for the children.
“It’s been a group effort,” Arrington said. “It’s a beautiful thing.”
Nature-based play includes free-time exploration and recreation in outdoor areas. As stated on the Head Start website, “... research indicates that children who regularly play in nature are growing up healthy, smart, and happy.” It is an initiative the preschool program has started to push more and more.
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The playscape project began in 2010, with construction starting in fall 2013. Since then, 109 students have worked on the playscape for a total of 19,146 hours—the equivalent of working two years straight, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The playscape places an emphasis on sustainability. The structures were made with timber from diseased ash trees around Ball State’s campus, and the different stations educate children and the community on the environment.
“Children adapt sustainability ethics by playing outside. Aspects of nature allow us to de-stress ... and instill creativity,” said Pam Harwood, associate professor of architecture and head of the project.
Children on the playground can move around to stations such as “Sunny Sands” and “Wacky Water,” where rainwater is collected in troughs. There is a butterfly garden, a reading nook and a music area in the playscape.
Muncie Head Start is hoping to get the playscape certified through a program called Nature Explore, a nonprofit organization which encourages learning through nature. To be a certified by the organization, a classroom must have a well-designed outdoor space, staff training and family involvement.
Vice Provost of CAP Guillermo Vasquez de Velasco spoke at the event, praising the efforts of the students involved in the project and the work of the Muncie Head Start program.
“We are defined by what we do. We learn by doing ... and we are doing good,” Vasquez de Velasco said. “This isn’t something a single person can do. We are collaborators.”
During the grand opening, Head Start students had the chance to explore their new play area. Jonathan Toomui, a Muncie resident, has already had a child attend Head Start, and has another currently in the program. He said he’s seen how the project has evolved since its beginning.
“I’ve watched [the playscape] go from a pile of dirt to where it is now,” Toomui said. “[The kids] can explore nature in a safe environment and it gets them learning early. It’s great.”
The architecture students were glad to see their work being used. Alexander Franklin, a junior architecture student, said he enjoyed seeing the effects of his participation in the project.
“It’s great to actually work on field. You don’t really get that usually,” Franklin said. “To actually see it created is a wonderful feeling.”
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