Option 1 : Full Design by Learning Landscapes Design
This approach is based on our team leading you through the design process for your early childhood playscape. The result is a fully redesigned and professionally built playscape!
– You have a budget over $50,000
– You want to offer the full spectrum of play; climbing, water, loose parts, plants, etc.
– The project will be built by a contractor.
– Permits may needed
– Your site needs grading, or large site work to address ADA, drainage or other needs.
Our team will support your project from concept plan to opening day. To start off we will meet at your site and look over site conditions. With your key decision makers we will decide on project goals, a wish list of features and discuss construction approaches.
Please contact us if this sounds like what you need.
Option 2 : Partial Design Support by the LLD Team
This approach is based on purchasing loose parts and volunteer install of a few larger items. It is a good approach if your early childhood playscape has the following;
– A budget between $40,000 and $15,000
– Are local to one of our offices in Portland OR or Milwaukee WI (1.5 hour drive)
– Are focusing on imaginative, collaborative, and sensory play. Not physical play. (climbing and spinning features require more safety and construction detailing)
– Have strong community support and eager volunteers
– Are looking to augment your existing playground with some natural play elements
– Need some guidance, but you don’t need a concept design or plan drawings to work from.
– Your site does not need any grading or large site work to address ADA, drainage or
other needs.
We Can Join Your Team At Key Points For Support
- Start Up Visioning Meeting On Site : where we local major features
- Leading Volunteer Installation Days
- Addressing Questions During Installation
- Playscape Maintenance Training
- Nature Play for Educators Training
Please contact us and we can give you a proposal for design support services.
Option 3: Plug and (Nature) Play
This approach is based on purchasing loose parts and volunteer install of a few larger items. It is a good approach if you;
– Have a budget under $15,000
– Are focusing on imaginative, collaborative, and sensory play. Not physical play. (climbing and spinning features require more safety and construction detailing)
– Have strong community support and eager volunteers
– Are looking to augment your existing playground with some natural play elements
– Need some guidance, but you don’t need a concept design or plan drawings to work from.
– Your site does not need any grading or large site work to address ADA, drainage or
other needs.
Volunteer Installation Project Options
Play features with instructions for Volunteer Installation
Learning Landscapes Design has designed a collection of play features that can be added to your playscape to create nature play opportunities. Each design comes with instructions for volunteer installation. They outline the materials that will be needed to build the feature, including details, points on safety and maintenance as well as suggestions on adding loose parts. Each project is 4-7 pages of information
Loose Parts in the Early Childhood Playscape
A low construction option for increased play value
Every project has different goals and budget. If you don’t have the budget to completely redo your play area or a strong community to help install components you can turn to loose parts play. Loose parts are playground appropriate materials that encourage creativity, dramatic, cooperative, and STEM play. Learning Landscapes Design developed kits for settings where space, time frame, budget or issues like shared facilities limit their ability to do heavy construction. The elements inspire creative play for early childhood and elementary students.
The kits are designed to transform a simple outdoor area into a rich, engaging play environment without all the overhead costs of construction. Adding a variety of loose parts to an outdoor area creates a playground for the imagination; the ultimate testing ground for brain development and inquiry based exploration. Our kits offer exploration on a variety of scales and are irresistible to preschool and early elementary kids. The kits include:
Build Kit – a large scale fort building kit
Create Kit- a small parts block based kit with worlds of possibilities
Flow Kit- a sand and water exploration of gravity and physics
The kit directions list elements, sizes, number, and potential sources for materials. Directions are designed to be easy to follow and use recycled, repurposed, and inexpensive resources when available. They outline options for storage, moving parts, and clean up. Kits come with programming ideas and resources to link play to curriculum goals.
If you are not sure what you need after reading this, No Problem! Just contact us and we can help you decide how best to proceed.
