Natural Playground Proposal

Proposal for:
Natural Playground Project
Mount Vernon Unitarian Church and Fort Hunt Preschool
 
by Gioia Chilton and Wendy Burns, Spring 2007

The church and preschool, working in partnership, plan to replace the current aging structures in our playground with a “natural playground.”  Using funds from MVUC's Susan B. Anthony Fund and the Fort Hunt Preschool, we have hired Nancy Striniste to design a new playground.  Samples of her work are available on her website   Our first meeting with Nancy Striniste took place on May 31, 2007.  And, if you would like input or have comments about the playground, please contact Wendy Burns or Gioia Chilton.

We will be removing some equipment and in its place, creating an earth-friendly, child-friendly outdoor play space.  Nancy Striniste states, "The goal of this project will be to enhance the outdoor areas to provide a variety of play opportunities for the children served, who are ages two to five as well as Sunday school children who are preschool, school-aged and teens.  The playground includes one main play area, possibly an adjacent grassy lawn, a paved area, and separate spaces adjacent to the back and sides of the carriage house. The space should provide unique opportunities for movement and physical activity, for seating and quiet play and for experimentation and creativity.  Specific priorities include dealing with drainage problems in an environmentally sensitive way, creating a riding path and also creating a little hill with a slide set into it.   Other elements to consider include a raised bed garden and digging areas and the removal or creative reuse of an unused large metal swing frame.  The design might include some green building elements, such as playhouses made of cob or straw bale, and a living roof on some element in the space."

It has been found that purchasing equipment (climbers and other gross motor pieces) and hardscape (stone walls, patios, rubber surfacing) is the most expensive part of the project.  The sort of green building-- cob and straw bale -- that we were discussing, is very low cost, but very very high in sweat equity requirements.”  This project will offer unique opportunities for FHP and MVUC parents, adults, youth and teens to get involved.

It is hoped that this project will help build community, raise ecological awareness, and provide a unique place our children to grow, learn, and thrive through play.  Wendy Burns, MVUC/FHP Liaison tried to include many interested parties from MVUC in the first meeting of the playground group-Meagan Henry, Tamara delaCamp, Ruth MacCleery, Joanne Masterson, Gail McNulty, Darbi Bossman, Kathi McNeil, Mary Barnett, Alvin Macomber, Steve Dressing, Pat Jackson, Seileen Murphy, Diane Sherbom, Tom Tarcza.  Please feel free to join us as we move on to the next stage!