Morning Star Preschool Playscape and Community Garden Space – Portland, OR

Pacific Northwest

 

Project Overview

A transformative community project that prioritized de-paving, new native gardens and playground facilities.

Play Design Features

• Partnership with Depave 
• Community Gardens for Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church
• Early childhood playground for Pequenitos Child Care
• De-paving a parking lot and adding more greenspace.
• Improved stormwater management

Project Information

In a strong partnership, Learning Landscapes joined forces with Depave to undertake a transformative project: reclaiming a vast asphalt expanse and reimagining it as a vibrant community hub and playscape for a local church and its adjoining daycare. The design strategically divided the site into two secure, fenced zones, creating dedicated spaces for fellowship and for child-directed exploration.

The community space was cultivated as a sanctuary for gathering and growth. Here, raised garden beds produce vegetables cultivated by church members and arbors support climbing vines. An inviting awning with picnic tables offers a place for communal meals, overlooking a sprawling native pollinator garden. The space is supported and framed by a functioning water pump for irrigation, espalier fruit trees, berry bushes, and a greenhouse, creating a community space for sustainable horticulture.

Adjacent, the playscape ignites imagination and physical challenge. A painted trike track winds around a central playhouse and seating. Nearby, a sensory sand digging area features a second water pump and an exploratory channel wall for hands-on hydraulic play. A dedicated mashing stone invites experimentation with natural materials, while a large playset, integrated with stepping stumps and balancing logs, fosters gross motor development. A willow dome and tunnel provide magical hideaways, complemented by ample storage for loose parts. Together, these spaces transform a former wasteland into a dynamic, intergenerational ecosystem for play, learning, and community connection.