These days, four-year-old Henry Stevenson comes home from his New Westminster preschool wetter and dirtier than he used to — and he and his mom couldn’t be happier about it.
The not-for-profit Queen’s Park Preschool, where Henry attends, recently received a $3000 New Westminster City childcare grant, which school staff used to upgrade the outdoor space of the nearly 50-year-old preschool, located in the centre of Queen’s Park.
The school, which turns 50 next year, hadn’t done any upgrades to the 1800 square foot playground for many years. Before the recent improvements there was merely a cement pad, a few planters and small playground, according to preschool teacher Barb Bender.
Now there are 12 planters, a fairy garden - boxes with plants and toys - plenty of outdoor furniture, a water-wall area, tons of greenery, and a wooden foot bridge.
The school’s 76 students, in four separate classes, all between the ages of three and five, have been quick to take advantage of the added play opportunities.
“Henry is like a lot of the kids there, he is completely into water and dirt and bugs and plants,” said Henry’s mom Shelley Stevenson.
She said Henry has been thrilled with all the new things he can do and is always smiling and happy when he comes home.
“It has been amazing seeing them completely soaked and dirty from head to toe. I think that is a great thing.”
Other parents are also grateful for the new playground’s opportunities for old-school fun. “It doesn’t have bells and whistles and things the way an iPad does. It really makes the kids use their imagination,” said Jodie Shebib, whose son Eli Dubick, 3, also attends the preschool.
“The little bridge for example, it gets turned into all sorts of amazing things. It is where the fairies prance over, it is where the trucks cross over, it is a street, it is a castle - it is whatever they can make it with their fabulous imaginations.”
Bender said the water wall and the footbridge have been the most popular additions for the kids in her classes.
“Lots of interacting with each other and I would say having oodles and oodles of fun,” she said.
Fellow teacher Jenny Lee is excited about all the greenery that has been added.
“The shrubs will bloom at various times throughout the year and besides the added esthetic value, some of them bring smell and tasting opportunities too,” she said.
While the city grant covered most of the improvements, parents, grandparents and members of the community also pitched in by, among other things, donating bulk mulch and sand and helping install the different play elements, such as the water wall.
“I think one of my favourite part has been seeing a community come together to create something so inspiring and fun for the children,” said Bender.
The playground improvements aren’t completely done yet.
By June 3, when a thank-you celebration is planned for all those involved in the creation of the outdoor area, a rain barrel, worm composter and music area will have been added to the playground.
