Current Adventure: Tanzania Playground
Kitenga, Tanzania Playground
The village of Kitenga lies just west of Utegi.
The Kitenga, Tanzania playground project started when The Association for Childhood Education International and University of Buffalo contacted a friend of our company TBG, Dr. Joe Frost, about designing a playground for the Buffalo Tanzania Education Project. Dr. Frost has decades of experience in researching children’s play environments. He has taught at UT for 34 years and has written many books regarding the history of play. Dr. Frost invited TBG to be a part of this exciting project. Travis put together an overall playground master plan divided into phases as well as detailing out some of the structures to be built.
The plan for the playground includes three themed play environments, each with its own distinct play elements and learning opportunities that allow children to play, learn and interact in an inviting outdoor setting. These play areas include features designed for more active recreation, housed primarily within the Energy Playground; features for cerebral play, in the Imagination Play Area; and opportunities to raise and care for plants and animals in the Cultivation Playground.
Base plan for the school, some of the pre primary buildings are currently under construction.
The preschool almost complete.
The completed playground master plan. Click for a larger image.
The plan features a lot of nature play elements utilizing natural materials like logs, stumps, mounds, ditches, and other natural features to create a creative and safe environment for play without the use of expensive play equipment. Other features of the plan include salvaged materials, such as tires, car springs, conveyor belt mats, and even an old car itself.
Construction should begin July 6th, 2012 with Travis and I leading the effort with the support of Jim Hoot of the University of Buffalo. Stay tuned for more updates as the date gets closer.
A simple playhouse design that is easy to build out of cheap dimensional lumber. Simple structures like this are a good foundation for imaginative play.
A simple shade structure provides children and teachers much needed relief from the sun in an area where many of the trees provide little shade or have been cut for firewood.