The pupils of Merrylee Primary School are extremely lucky as not only will they be moving into a fabulous new school building, as pictured above, in November 2008 but also the new school has been selected to incorporate a natural play environment within the playground. Merrylee Primary is the only school in Glasgow, and indeed in Scotland, to have been selected to incorporate a natural play environment.
What this means is that the school will have an area within its playground for natural play allowing children to connect with the natural environment; create their own play; increase levels of activity and develop social and interpersonal skills. In practice the natural play area will incorporate the following features instead of the usual level tarmac playground: -
· Grass-covered hills;
· Trees in which to climb and to pick fruit from;
· Boulders to clamber over;
· Chutes to slide down;
· Tunnels to crawl through; and
· Mazes to hide in.
This is a unique and wonderful opportunity for Merrylee Primary. It will be the first school in Scotland to benefit from having a natural play environment. The project will be used as a pilot which will form a template for future playgrounds at schools in the Glasgow area and will inform future natural play developments in school playgrounds throughout Scotland. The children have named their proposed new playground “the Urban Jungle”.
BENEFITS OF NATURAL PLAY ENVIRONMENT
Many studies have shown that play in natural environments is extremely beneficial for children’s emotional and physical development. Some researchers go as far as to claim that limiting children’s outdoor play experience is likely to damage their physical, mental and emotional development and that contact with nature may be as important to children as good nutrition and adequate sleep. Studies on Attention–Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder (ADHD) have shown that green outdoor spaces relieve the symptoms of the disorder.
There can be no doubt therefore that the proposed new playground at Merrylee Primary will be hugely beneficial to the school children.
DESIGN
The new school playground has been designed by landscape architect, Felicity Steers, who is a parent of a pupil at Merrylee Primary and has devoted her time and talents to the project for free. In order to finalize the design Felicity consulted with the pupils at Merrylee Primary and she has taken their ideas and used them as the basis for her innovative design.
FUNDING
The total cost of the project is in the region of £90,000. Funding of £30,000 for the project has been secured from the Forestry Commission and Glasgow City Council is contributing a further £30,000. There is however a shortfall of £30,000 which is needed to properly carry out the project.
HOW YOU CAN HELP?
Contact the school for further information:
Merrylee Primary School Parent Council
68 Ashmore Road, Glasgow, G44 3DD
Tel: 0141-637 8569
FAX: 0141-637 6915