"You're Extraordinary" Conference at Blue Mountain

Rising Oaks St. Nicholas

Overview:
Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds worked with the team at Rising Oaks Childcare Centres to create sensory-rich outdoor learning environments for a number of their facilities.

Rich with child development opportunities, the space features a sand & water area with activity table, mud kitchen, log trough, acrylic panes and an accessible horizontal log border. Here, children are able to focus on process-based tasks without a prescriptive result; creativity is at the forefront. Our design team made a concerted e ort to include substantial plantings to create shade while providing loose parts and an opportunity for children to interact with nature in their space. Serviceberry plantings allow for fort building and a quiet-contemplative zone, the deciduous plantings provide shade in the spring/summer and loose parts in the fall, while conifers provide year-round cover. The addition of border elements such as our vertical log clusters provide opportunities for motor-planning and proprioceptive, vestibular and kinaesthic stimulus. The space also includes our hanging Amadinda (for creative/musical), our outdoor chalkboards and curriculum cabinets for easy-access material storage.

Outdoor
Discovery Center

Overview:
Little Hawks Discovery Preschool is an award-winning nature-based preschool located on the beautiful Outdoor Discovery Center’s nature preserve. With a strong focus on nature-based play and experiential learning, the school has consistently seen enrolment climb which warranted a substantial expansion of the facilities. As part of this process, Little Hawks pushed to develop a nature play masterplan for their new building and a renovated play space for their existing building.

This one-of-a-kind setting sets the stage for one of the most immersive natural playgrounds in our portfolio. Through thoughtful manipulation of topography and a rich plant pallet, the two natural playgrounds provide rich full-sensory engagement for users of all abilities and ages while serving as an extension of the indoor classrooms.

Project Background, Public Input and Goals:
Through engagement sessions and consultation sessions with the team at ODS were able to refine their mission for the space; create a space for art, music and drama to engage children who aren’t as interested in the typical play facilitated by traditional play ground structures and give their children an opportunity to develop an authentic connection to nature.Beyond recess, the ODCMG had expressed interest in using the playground space for outdoor classrooms as well, which led to design adaptations and component that could host asan outdoor learning “hub”.

Pathstone
Mental Health

Overview:
Located on the east side of the Branscombe Mental Health Centre, the natural playground and garden incorporates a multitude of natural features, including trees, grasses and shrubs, a waterfall anda wide range of hand-carved natural wood furniture.These include seating areas carved into logs and a big rope strung between two massive fallen trees of species specifically chosen to prevent decay. There are also various-sized pockets: Spaces the children undergoing mental health treatment can seek out in which to play, talk or simply be quiet. The garden also includes a sandy play area, and located at its heart is an Indigenous healing circle designed with input from local elders. Adding to the hands-on experience, we’ve laso installed a musical soundscape area with a hanging amadinda, a wind chime fence and whale drum.

Project Background, Public Input and Goals:
A truly unique space for play and nature therapy was developed after a year of consulting, fundraising, and working in a true collaboration with the therapeutic staff at Pathstone Mental HealthCentre. Our team also worked diligently with the local Indigenous community, children, youth, staff ,board, and donors that make this facility the best of its kind in Ontario. The result is beautiful, lush, rich, private, and nurturing space that couldn’t be more appropriate to compliment the staff  at Pathstone’s efforts. This is a space for all people of all ages and abilities. A space that acknowledges the healing power of a rich sensory experience in nature and the value of the natural environment.

Kingsway College
Early Learning

Overview:
A series of winding pathways lead you through the sensory oasis at Kingsway; a hill slide, wacky post sand log tunnel greet students entering the environment for the first time. The sand area with the water stump is a great place for sensory engagement, allowing children to dig, mix, scoop and pour. It’s a fantastic spot for exploration, making fun sculptures and creating “sand pies.” It also has a small stump table allowing children to have the choice to stand rather than sit in the sand while playing. There is a mirror mounted on the side of the building for children to watch themselves dig and play. The trees and shrubs transform the space providing shade, mottled light, fragrant breezes, wildlife engagement and loads of loose parts.

Project Background, Public Input and Goals:
Located near a major transportation artery inToronto, all the surfaces of the former play space were paved and terraced to remove the slope. The walls of the building acted as amplifiers of the road noise, rendering the space unsuitable for conversation or quiet play. Our new design celebrated the grade change, shifted to rolling and organic topography and surfaces and maximized tree and shrub cover to bu er noise. We built a visually stimulating solid fence of acrylic panels, blackboards, murals and plant material so the children could see the road but not feel as if their space was dominated by the noise. The result was a drop in decibel levels of 500 percent and a transformation in the children’s behaviour. Teachers’ job satisfaction, program enrolment and academic performance all exhibited improvements in key indicators.