A Place to Learn With Play

Author(s): Brian Carter

Source: Landscape Australia, Vol. 23, No. 2 (90) (MAY • JUNE • JULY 2001), pp. 60-61
Published by: Architecture Media Pty Ltd
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/45146229
Accessed: 27-03-2020 11:48 UTC

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 A Place to Learn With Play
by Brian Carter
The City of Casey opened its first landscaped playground at the Littlecroft Children's Centre at Narre
Warren South, Victoria, in February 200 1 . It was developed out of some fundamental values inherent in
the successful Reggio Emilia (Northern Italy) approach that has attracted worldwide attention.The
environment is seen as the 'third teacher', with attention to every detail.
I grew up in an area in Sunraysia with
noisy Ballar t trees, a yabby dam, large
irrigation channels, places to hide, old
sheds, chooks, wildlife, my own garden
and a house that was only still vertical
because 'the white ants were standing
shoulder to shoulder in order to hold it
up', according to my Dad.
I milked my own cow, separated the
milk from the cream, had lots of room
to play, enjoyed Saturday night sing-
alongs around the piano, and attended
Merbein West Primary School, where I
worked in my own school garden plot
every Friday Riding a bike to school,
summer grape picking, digging holes,
climbing trees and building dreams,
forts, cubbies and traps for animals and
humans were part of life.
All such great opportunities for
learning are lost when the safety audi-
tor steps into the preschool or kinder-
garten yard, waves the safety stick, and
litigation potential takes precedence
over a child's right to learn from play.
Many teachers are themselves frustrat-
ed by not being allowed to use their
own imagination for offering creative
play to the children.
60 I landscape australia 2 - 2001
This content downloaded from 37.6.3.243 on Fri, 27 Mar 2020 11:48:41 UTC
Littlecroft Children's Centre
The City of Casey opened its first land-
scaped playground at the Littlecroft
Children's Centre at Narre Warren
South in February 2001, developed out
of some fundamental values inherent in
the successful Reggio Emilia (Northern
Italy) approach that has attracted
worldwide attention.
The philosophy on which the
Centre has been developed focuses on
the underlying belief that children have
an innate capacity for learning, which
can be nurtured and encouraged, rather
than directed. Children become part-
ners in their learning process rather
than subject to set learning outcomes.
The opportunities for creativity, explo-
ration and research are provided as part
of the environment, as well as in the
approach by the preschool staff.
One of the fundamental differences
and perhaps the most visually apparent
is the environment in which the learn-
ing takes place. The environment is
seen as the 'third teacher', with care,
thought and presentation given to every
detail.
Recycled materials are used exten-
All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms
sively in all areas of the program. The
partnership between the teachers and
children is one of respect and trust,
with the teacher viewed as a researcher,
working together with the children to
further their knowledge.
Throughout the building, specific
areas are available for children to
explore art, music, building, science,
reading and many other interests. Areas
remain set up to enable children to
come back to their work at any time and
progress with their exploration. This
respects the work that children have
undertaken, conveying clear messages
to the children about the value of their
creativity. These values are continued
into the external play area, which is
designed to stimulate their curiosity
and creativity.
Items that needed to be considered
in preparing the plan were:
Required levels and contours, list of
desirable features, types of plants,
explanatory plant list (e.g. perfumed,
prickly, bright), creatures, natural ele-
ments, adventure, designer-built struc-
tures, discovery, performance, safety,
energy levels and limitations, observa-
tion, lighting, drainage, research, num-
bers of children and associated staff
requirements, sensory experiences,
shade and sunlight, carving, art, paint-
ing, fun hand garden, edges, water
reticulation, size or scale, immediate
impact, progressive development and
change, always change.
Some features include:
• A waterfall, creek and pond.
• Creeper climber, pergola structure for
plants of fun and educational interest,
as well as protection and nesting
opportunity for birds and other
creatures.
• Mixed pathway types for stability,
assurance and co-ordination, gravel,
timber, lawn, concrete, decking,
rocks, logs etc.
• A garden of golden plants.
• Prickly garden.
• Perfumed garden.
• Touch garden. i
• Grass bower garden for bower mak- I
ing and imaginative play. Ì
a bush adventure. "
• Stepping logs and rocks to stimulate |

or creek. I
• Random-shape sand play, with rock
and log edges like the edge of a river

• Hedges, gates and archways.

• A small circle of silver birches, con-

toddler. g
sidering the shape and height of a i

• The garden is scaled for children. J

• Plant tunnel-making opportunities. |
• Soil digging area. S
• Vegetable and plant-growing area. â
• Wheelchair access. 3
• Mobile structural play area for 3

climbing. |
renewable, imaginative play, mainly 1

• All plants have fun uses, including •

• Edible plants. -
use of their parts on an art table.

• Pretty garden. I
• Opportunity for hanging baskets. I
• Rinsing rock. I
• Pebble snake serpent or lizard in I
pond.
• Bridges for imagination. ;
• Exploration paths.
• Places for 3 or 4 poles tied at the top
with an old sheet to make a tepee. «
• Solitude places, for imagined adven-
tures and stories told.

This whole garden will become a |

greater adventure as it grows from year
to year. Shade, hiding places with i
supervisor vision or knowledge, secure ą
in the fact that the children are growing =
and learning themselves, not just being 8
trained or conditioned. g
This is a fine initiative by the City of I

Contact I
Casey for the future happiness and I
inventiveness of our children. I

Brian Carter, Landscape Architect, I

Works & Operations, City of Casey, I
PO Box 1000, Narre Warren VIC 3805. I
Tel: 03 9705 5453 • Fax: 03 9705 5393 ?
E-mail: bcarter@casey.vic.gov.au

Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank the City
of Casey Preschool Services for the
information provided on the day of 3
opening.

Pictures taken at the Open Day,

February 2001, Litt leer oft Children's
Centre (Photos: author).

landscape australia 2 - 2001 | 61

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