This project began with a vision for a functional yet artistic playground that encourages dramatic, creative and active play. To materialize this vision, Earthscape designed and built a playground themed on the concept of ‘wind, water, earth and fire.’
The idea was to create four unique spaces, each of which would creatively and artistically represent one of the four elements. The ‘fire’ area alludes to fire-licked land with the stacked ‘charred’ logs, ideal as a class meeting place or outdoor classroom. The ‘wind’ area features tall grasses that children can see, hear and feel as they move in the breeze. The ‘water’ area is the most literal of the elements – water for play can be controlled by the children using a hand pump in the sand zone where they can build and create on the water table or in the outdoor kitchen. As the water flows down the water tables, children can interact with it before it runs into the sand pit. The ‘earth’ element is also somewhat literal – rocks and shrubs have been designed into the space both for aesthetic purposes but also for play and learning. Musical instruments add to the sensory experiences of the playscape and encourage creative play.