Nearly all visitors of Pinnacle Presbyterian Preschool have some version of the “I remember the first time I saw PPP” story, and nearly all of these stories involve the playground (we call it our Outdoor Classroom). The Outdoor Classroom is not a static space. It is an ever-evolving extension of our classrooms and Atelier, a place to test theories, take risks, wonder, create and MOVE! A track runs along the perimeter of the playground, acting as an all-important conduit for the bikes, trikes, wagons and tiny fast feet that zoom around with purpose and pride. At one end, our desert tortoise friend, Harry Houdini, makes his home. Nearby, a simple wooden boat takes students on daily adventures (usually through shark, pirate, and storm-infested waters). Several picnic tables, a ring of tree stumps, and a small, low stage sit in the shade of a large Mesquite tree, the anchor of our outdoor space. In the sand area, a pump and trough guide water into buckets, bowls and the sand below. Stories and adventures come alive daily in this space, and collaboration and turn-taking are worked out over prized dump trucks and turns at the hand pump. Occasionally, a treasure is buried or dug up by an elated child. Cross the wooden bridge (and hope you don’t wake the Troll!), and you are at our play structure. Physical grit and perseverance are honed here, as the children learn to navigate their bodies in space. Past the wooden magnet house, tucked into a shady corner of the Outdoor Classroom, is the Eric Carle Garden. Among sprouting sunflowers, carrots, and mint, the children can be found reading in the book hut, exploring worms, or turning over stones in search of bugs.
Managing the continual evolution of this complex space is our very own Miss Kristine. In addition to teaching in the Roadrunner class, Kristine is in charge of planning and setting up the materials in our outdoor environment. Her choices often reflect the interests of the children or the seasons, and the environment is altered just often enough to be both comfortable and unexpected. Kristine loves the challenge of making the playground exciting and fun. She can often be found wandering the aisles of Home Depot in search of inspiration, or rigging up beautiful fabric or a dangling magnet on a rope as an alluring provocation. As she readies the Outdoor Classroom each morning, nothing makes Miss Kristine happier than hearing the students and their parents excitedly commenting on the space as they walk to class.
Over the years, the Outdoor Classroom has been a labor of love for PPP. Eight years ago, the staff drew up plans, altered spaces and literally labored to received our very first “Nature Explore Classroom” certification. This designation is given to outdoor spaces that connect children with their natural environment. The aesthetic and beauty of the space is important, as is the idea of the outdoors being a classroom itself. The final product of this process is an outdoor space that invites the desert landscape into our world and elicits a sense of wonder and connection from the children. Ask the pre-k students about their favorite cacti, and you will get an excited flurry of answers about jumping chollas, saguaros and prickly pears. Seed pods scattered under the mesquite tree become rattles and sand cake decorations. And after a few months of school, children can tell you that we don’t climb this special tree because we might hurt its bark or step on our tiny red ant neighbors that busily march from the base to the tip-top branches.
As with every other space in our school, the Outdoor Classroom will continue to evolve to meet the needs and interests of our young adventurers. Lately, Kristine has noticed a growing number of “ninjas” loose on the grounds. She is in the process of creating a new obstacle course activity that will make sure these young ninjas receive the best training in the Valley. Another exciting project in the works is the addition of a Sensory Skill Zone. This simple structure will have interchangeable parts that can be connected to a frame to help build the children’s core strength, support appropriate risk-taking, engage a multitude of senses, and boost neurological development.
Do you know just the right thing to enhance the Outdoor Classroom experience? Don’t be shy! Share your idea with Miss Kristine! PPP parents and family members have contributed some of our best ideas, sweat, and tears (hopefully only of joy!) over the years.
