DPA’s goal in the design of outdoor spaces at each preschool is to integrate the outdoor and play experience into the learning environment of the school. Play ares should offer more than hard paved running ares and physical exercise equipment. They should also include a blend of discovery noted sea experiences that encourage children to discover the natural world. Quiet, less active spaces should be included for bringing classroom activities outdoors. Other ares should encourage the children to be the ones who change the space - making the outdoor area a different experience each day. Art - bot the children’s own and artfully designed structures should brighten the spaces.
29 Palms Child Development Center
Located at the Marine Corps Base in 29 Palms this 11.6 acre site includes four septet play yards - infants, pre-toddlers and preschool. Each area includes age appropriate natural theme play spaces with maximum shade to ward off the intense heat of this harsh Mojave Desert climate. The preschool classrooms are arranged around a central courtyard that includes an outdoor classroom and water play area.
Camp Pendleton Child Development Center
Located at the west coast’s premier Marine training facility this center’s outdoor areas encourage Reggio Emilia style nature play while meeting stringent DOD requirements for materials and surfaces. Mounded and rolling turf and resilient surfaces with natural borders, log climbers, hill slides, climbing walls, water sprays and sand panels provide for active play in the four age grouped play yards. Each yard’s edges have sheltered tree shaded ocean view areas for art projects or quiet play.
Village Church
Rounded boulders, rolling turf, Eucalyptus logs salvaged from the site and other natural materials provide the basics for this discovery play yard. Steeply sloping rubberized surfacing, inclined tree trunks, cargo nets and boulder hop replace standard metal play equipment. A stream cascades downhill from a hand pumped sluice box to a cluster of mud pie shade shelters. Back uphill, a grape stake fort sits beside a dinosaur with boulder vertebrae and galvanized pipe ribs that can become the supports for cargo net tents. A play house on three foot stilt legs becomes a tree house when set in a grove of bamboo. Tased vegetable beds, a tool shed and a quiet zone with shaded tables assure that each day’s experience is different for the children.
