Family Building Blocks, Doris’s Place – Stayton, OR

Pacific Northwest

 

Project Overview

An accessible preschool nature playground design that allow flexibility for both sensory and physical play.

Play Design Features

• Infant, toddler and preschool areas
• Trike track course
• Sensory elements
• Embankment hill play

Project Information

At Family Building Blocks’ Doris’s Place, two thoughtfully designed natural playgrounds serve infants, toddlers, and preschool students. The Preschool playground is a nature-based haven intended to spark physical, sensory, quiet, and imaginative play for children ages two to five, with the flexibility for younger children to enjoy most of the space. ADA access was considered throughout the site with concrete surfacing at classroom entrances and access points with transfer stations. Active children can scale an A-frame, pedal along a bike path loop, or use a separate physical play area reserved for two to five-year-olds. A playhouse, art panels, a kitchen, and work tables encourage creativity. A sand digging area with a water pump with raised channels completes the sensory-rich environment, all supported by ample storage.

Meanwhile, the Infant and Toddler Playground caters specifically to two infant-toddler classes with built-in elements. Comfortable seating, a low turf mound with an embankment slide, and low play structures provide safe engagement. Concrete surfacing at accessible entries, a low wood deck with shade, and integrated sensory elements ensure a calm, accessible space where the youngest learners can explore and grow.