Playground design teaches students about water

Sixth graders at one New York middle school are learning about water in a unique way- by designing a new playground for their school. In addition to usual playground equipment, these young designers are also thinking about how they can clean up local waterways. The playground thus includes a butterfly garden and turf field, both designed to capture precipitation.

The students themselves, each given a design notebook, are highly included in the process and learning about water science in their classes. The project is jointly supported by the Trust For Public Land and the City of New York.

Interested in learning more?

• Read a New York Times article about the project
• Learn about the Trust for Public Land's involvement
• Check out our suggested online resources for curriculum development. We also have a collection of books, classroom guides, and more in the library!

Image via Trust for Public Land