Soon after Playcosystem opened a family oriented forest school called The Outdoor Collaborative visited. What was fun for us to observe was a group of parents gathered in conversation while the children were all off playing on their own. That’s exactly what we hoped would happen. Parents in community sharing conversation. Students in community exploring play. Here’s a really nice letter we received shortly after their visit.
“I loved your mission statement, we clearly hold many of the same values dear when it comes to outdoor free play and equal access to nature.
Our group has been watching the development of the playcosystem over the last few months with mounting anticipation. We could tell from the way the area was being developed that this was going to be a much more interesting space than the usual brightly colored metal and plastic affairs that keep our kids occupied for about ten minutes before they make their way to the nearest fallen tree or creek bed. When we finally got to visit last Monday we weren’t disappointed.
We loved the woodland vibe of playcosystem, with all the large trees for the children to play in, and play structures built from wood and stone. You’ve clearly done your research on how to encourage children in outdoor free play, with the numerous invitations to use different materials, such as sand, blocks, stones and sticks. Nothing feels too prescribed, with that ‘only one way to play’ feel that a lot of playgrounds have. The kids in our group, who range from preschoolers to tweens, were all equally excited to explore and after three hours were still totally engaged. Trees were climbed, ropes were swung on, and forts were built. A long and involved ‘ninja training’ game evolved when they found the wooden poles that had been provided. I feel like we will visit this space time and time again and the kids will continue to find new ways to use it and learn from it.
Thank you for bringing such a beautiful and thoughtful play space to the Louisville area. You get the Outdoor Collaborative’s seal of approval!” – Lizzy Mueller
Here is the mission statement and vision that Lizzy was referring to in her letter…
Mission
The Children at Play Network connects children to nature through free play.
Vision
The Children at Play Network works at the community level to advocate for free play in the outdoors so that every child has a place in nature where they feel free, safe, healthy, empowered, and joyful.