Children can use their bodies and their voices differently outdoors than they can indoors. The Little School play yard seeks to nurture the unique outdoor experience by connecting children to the fundamentals of nature and to the climate of Northern California in a way that is stimulating without being prescriptive.

Rather than providing “one size fits all” off the shelf objects, LEMON BROOKE designed a variety of spatial situations and sensory opportunities that give children the opportunity to define their own play, and then to redefine it as they develop their own cognitive and physical skills.  The new planting, a rain garden and garden-based manipulatives increase the children’s ability to connect with and learn from the natural environment. The tight urban site presented space restriction challenges that were overcome by making the most out of every corner of the space with custom structures and allowing for flexible use by staff and families.

 

 

 

CREDITS:

Client:                                                      The Little School

Design Landscape Architect:              LEMON BROOKE (Operating as Landscape Office Ltd.)

Architect:                                                 Mark Horton Architecture, San Francisco

Year Complete:                                      2009