Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds transformed a number of school properties across the District School Board Ontario North East (”DSB1”) into custom outdoor learning environments. We focused on designing flexible learning spaces that allowed students to connect with the outdoors while expanding classroom capacity and providing training to help teachers transition to an outdoor-based curriculum. The outdoor learning spaces included blackboards for teaching; solid, stable, natural seating; curriculum and equipment storage; buffers between classes; as well as shade and inclement weather protection.

Our OutClass™ custom outdoor classroom systems offered a natural, flexible, and pedagogically-sound approach to quickly build classroom capacity for DSB1 schools outside while taking the pressure o  their teachers and school inside. Attention was paid to maintain compliance while providing amphitheater-style log bench and stump seating, beautiful organic log-bordered paths weaving through fully-planted stands of local flora (which doubled to break sightlines and sound), and natural textures to promote sensory engagement for students. DSB1 was thrilled with the resulting resource, additional capacity, and ability to facilitate outdoor nature-based curriculum.