The Lockington outdoor play area has had a major makeover and children are enjoying running, jumping, role-playing, hiding, seeking and playing.
Nominated Supervisor/Educational Leader at Lockington, Tracey Norris, said that having upgraded facilities and outdoor spaces was beyond exciting for the children and educators.
“Outdoor play supports all areas of childhood development—physical, cognitive, social, and emotional. Through outdoor activities, children build gross motor skills like running, climbing, and balancing, which are important for their physical health and coordination.
Being outside also promotes curiosity and creativity, offering open-ended learning experiences as children interact with the natural environment and one another —exploring textures, observing weather, and inventing games with found objects.
The upgraded outdoor areas were made possible through a $150,000 Building Blocks Improvement Grant from the Victorian School Building Authority. Spaces have been thoughtfully designed to invite longer and more meaningful play, to cater to a range of interests and abilities, and to support educators in planning rich, child-led learning experiences.
“There are new nooks to explore, a bike track, ample space in the sand pit and generally better surfaces. Not to mention the fact that the new mud kitchen has running water in it, which is proving to be a very popular addition” Tracey said.
Outdoor play encourages collaboration, problem-solving, and resilience. Children learn to take turns, negotiate and manage risk in a more expansive and less structured setting.
Time outdoors also supports mental wellbeing, reducing stress and fostering a sense of freedom and joy.
“The yard needed attention and being able to utilise the space better is awesome. We needed the bike track to support how physical our children are, and it offers us so many opportunities to extend their interests.” Tracey said.
Here is what some of the children have to say about their new outdoor space:
“I love all the new stuff because it’s fun and I like digging.” Henry
“I love the mud kitchen cause it has water.” Ivy
“I like the bikes on the bike track because it’s longer.” Mackenzie
“Making dough in the kitchen is fun.” Isla
View the image gallery below to see Lockington’s new look!
