Children at Cambridge Primary School now have their own outdoor haven where they can muck in and get closer to nature all within spitting distance of the school.
The outdoor classroom, which includes two shipping containers, was opened earlier last month with a blessing by Adam Poka and the following day it was down to business in an area which had previously been a bit of a wasteland down the back of the school.
Teacher Laura Wallace celebrates the opening of Cambridge Primary School’s outdoor classrooms while behind her children learn by playing. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Outdoor classroom teacher Laura Wallace described the area as her baby since she started at the school last year. She was previously at Tīrau Primary.
When The News visited, groups of children were building marble runs using PVC pipes.
With rain looming they were able to shelter under a cover built out from the shipping containers which also protects them from the sun.
“We’ve talked about how the marble run needs to come downhill and use gravity and about working together as a team.”
Interestingly none of the groups came up with the same solution.
“It’s just kids being kids. If children are not excelling in the classroom, they show amazing leadership skills or teamwork skills doing something different. It’s really great seeing different strengths coming out,” said Wallace.
The whole school takes part in the outdoor classroom.
Of Year One students Wallace said “they’re amazing, they have the imagination and less of a worry about failing than the bigger kids. They just get stuck in.”
Cambridge Primary School principal Mike Pettit inside one of the containers. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Principal Mike Pettit said children in the 1970s used to play on the field below the school next to the Waikato River.
But it became overgrown and unusable for several years.
About 15 years ago, the school sourced a grant from the Waikato River Authority and cleared the site, trucking in 520 cubes of sand and topsoil – 52 truckloads in all.
Cambridge Tree Trust planted 1150 native plants and trees.
Steps were installed from the school down to the field, a stage area was set up with sculptures designed by the children and built with iron from early last century found under the main school block.
Brainstorming sessions last year with children – they were asked to envisage adventure in the outdoors – saw a design come together.
“Their ideas were incorporated to help inform what has been constructed here today. There are examples all over the school of our children’s direct ideas and design of areas that have a positive impact on what the school offers,” said Pettit.
Fundraising by the Parent Teacher Association and other grants enabled the project to come together last week.
The shipping containers are painted in a camouflage way to tie in with the environment.
“The equipment is vast, covering cooking, camping, fire pit construction, pruning, orienteering, building, confidence course construction, hammock hanging, pipe construction, marble runs, water runs, and a huge raft of other applications and team activities.”
One of the stone sculptures.
Water is tapped down from the school and a generator provides power when camping.
There are also mud slides and nature walks where children can spot tui, glow worms and other bugs.
It’s like a haven in the middle of town, said Wallace.
“I get to play too. Learning through play is amazing. Children have so many different ideas, such creative thinking.”
Working together as a team is critical and that is where children’s different traits come into their own.
Pettit said other youth groups had been offered the opportunity to attend the outdoor area.
“We are hoping they may be able to use it to help give their children and youth additional learning opportunities and outdoor experiences.”
The outdoor classroom fits in with the school’s philosophy of delivering a holistic curriculum, he said.
The pathway to the new outdoor area which had been overgrown. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.
Cambridge PS Outdoors
