We’re Using the First Phase of our new Playground!
We’ve now had 2 seasons to use our newly renovated playground (the first phase was completed in the fall of 2025) and continue to explore ways that good design can deepen the children’s connections to the natural world and enhance our capacity to support free exploration and investigation outdoors.
LCP was founded 20 years ago with a strong commitment to the natural sciences in mind – our location at the foot of Great Blue Hill, offers a wealth of opportunities to engage with nature. Our interest has been in encouraging children to deeply engage with their environment – both indoors and outdoors – to discover, ask questions, express their curiosity, and engage. Our curriculum develops from observations of and interactions with children around these interests and discoveries that are deeply meaningful to them.
Our new outdoor space has distinct areas (not unlike those indoors) for children to engage with and explore. Gathering spaces, raised beds for gardening, an art area, areas for construction, musical instruments, a stage, a digging area, an area to freely use a variety of large loose parts, sand, water, an area for riding toys, a play structure and swings are included, along with a grassy area and paths and nooks with native plantings. We’ve expanded the playground boundary so that we could create paths, steppingstones, and a place to gather through a wooded area as well. Our shed and other storage areas are open, so that children can freely access materials on their own.
It has been exciting and enlightening to watch children engage with this open-ended natural environment through the seasons.
We are planning a second phase of playground development to be completed by next fall. This phase will include a deck designated for construction, a greenhouse, and entry arbor, and additional plantings.
