Gretchen’s House-Dhu Varren Infant and Toddler Playground

The Infant/Toddler playground takes a whole community to maintain. We rely on a combination of family and teacher donations for both the natural and found materials we have on our playground. The local thrift stores also provide many of the non-natural materials we utilize in our spaces.

We are fortunate to be surrounded by trees that provide many of our natural materials and families that are willing to bring in materials from their homes. During the warmer months, water play is available in a variety of forms: sprinklers, sensory tables, and a water trough in the sandbox. As the cooler months are coming up, we have plans to incorporate fall harvest items for the children and teachers to explore together. When there is snow on the ground, we are fortunate to enjoy that in a variety of ways: shoveling, scooping, making “food” in the sandbox and beyond, and also painting.

We have a variety of plants on our playground in a variety of places. We have mint and vegetables planted in two raised garden boxes. We have potatoes planted in buckets and tomatoes planted in upside-down tomato planters. We also have a variety of herbs plants in small planters around the playground. Children are encouraged to water the plants and let them grow at first, then encouraged to help pick once the plants are ready. They enjoy tasting the foods that they have grown in their own gardens.

The teachers and children on our Infant/Toddler playground are surrounded by a variety of materials that allow them to interact, grow, and learn while surrounded by nature. Shaded areas are prevalent and each area is easily distinguishable by labels and materials. Teachers work with the children to keep all areas safe and clean. Children are encouraged to interact and explore in their own way with teachers available for support and to ensure safety. The playground is truly an extension of the indoor classrooms and anyone who experiences that space is in for a treat!

We are fortunate to have a team of teachers that work together to help maintain and enjoy our outdoor classroom. We are also grateful to the families that consistently donate items that are needed. Our community is caring, supportive, and kind… we are incredibly lucky!

Learn more about this classroom on their certification page!