St. Mary Star of the Sea School Sites > St. Mary Star of the Sea Preschool > Outdoor Play Spaces

Outdoor Play Spaces

Children were not born to walk. They were born to run-barefoot, over rocks, through the water, through the mud. We need to give greater recognition to the energy and joy of children.

Bev Boss
Author/ Early Childhood Educator

Our teachers consider our outdoor environment to be an additional classroom space. They create opportunities for children to use their whole body to explore, cooperate and  move in spaces where they  are not limited by  noise or space constraints.   As in our indoor classrooms, there are always centers prepared with emergent learning in mind. Children are given the tools and the time to enjoy relaxing spaces to read and chat, blocks to build big structures, and water to splash and make mud in the sand areas.

St. Mary’s Preschool offers a natural playground featuring a raised garden bed, lots of grass areas, two sandboxes. The large climbing structure is surrounded by a busy bike trail, with a variety of opportunities to develop large motor skills and build confidence with new physical challenges.

Our garden space has a unique backyard feeling which relaxes our little ones and allows the children to get in touch with nature.