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Central School

A Natural Playground

The central purpose of the landscape restoration project is to expose children to the benefit of a beautiful and sustainable landscape that introduces them to natural elements for play, social interaction, and educational opportunities.  A diverse and healthy landscape will complement the Centrals School's curriculum in that it will provide an opportunity to observe nature and the natural patterns that underpin the fields of  biology, mathematics, physics and of course art. For instance, the great poet, thinker and naturalist Henry David Thoreau credited his language skills, in "Faith in a Seed", on his lifelong observation of nature.

The goal of exposing children to nature is seen in research documented and cited by Richard Louv in "The Last Child in the Woods" and Robin Moore in "Play for All" which indicates that because children are sensory creatures, interaction with nature has the following attributes; Increases sensory stimulation, Increases Cognitive abilities, Aids creativity and learning, Increases attention span, Benefits language skills, Develops self-confidence, Develops the power of observation, Furthers a sense of connectedness.

The Central School campus experienced a “re-wilding” of its landscape with work by terra firma landscape architecture.  The athletic fields were edged with meadows and custom natural features were designed to engage kids in a variety of physical challenges. On the quiet side, the ’re-wilding’ included planting groves of native trees, creating places for forest play and small gatherings, and seeding a meadow complete with paths for exploration.

Visit the video link to view more videos about the Central School.

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