Building the playground from ground up

Welcome to The Barringwood Park Playground, a playground that came about with the idea that kids learn best when building. Growing up I would remember my parents telling me stories of how big their backyard was, a place they would play daily and spend all their time imagining. On nan and pop’s farm there were a few hectares of land, the grass would stretch as far as the eyes can see, plenty of trees to climb, space to whack some golf balls and even have some archery lessons.

Becoming a parent, this has inspired me to create a little piece of heaven for not only my children, but for children allover, a place where they are not restricted to use the imagination and room for them to run around and create a playground with real tools. This has become a program what is now The Barringwood Park Playground, what initially started off as a large backyard piled with mountains of junk accumulated with building material required truckloads of rubbish removal and has now become a playground that is functional and constructed by kids. It is well known that kids love to build and be creative, whether it be just draping a blanket over four dining room chairs to create a cubby house or building a fort in the backyard against the trees, kids enjoy it and this is where they can thrive.

It is much a different story in modern times with many parents being cautious about allowing children to handle tools, instead of teaching them to handle tools safely; some prefer to mitigate the risk by not allowing children to use tools at all.

The playground is a place where children can build their own structures safely with the assistance of   professional carpenters to guide them on the approach. The staffs have received adequate training on the use of each power tool and are available to teach children on the proper use of hand tools with a strong focus on safety and planning whilst having independence to play and build. A clear set of rules outlined on playground structures exist to promote safety to everyone involved. Throughout the program, children learn life skills from being respectful, communication and contributing to new ideas in addition to handling materials and tools safely.

If you’d like more information about the program and how your child can participate, please contact us for more information regarding the next open day.