A ‘loose parts’ adventure playground for children, designed by children has opened up in Eagleby.
Beside the oval at Eagleby South State School, ‘Joomunjie Land’ is a playground made from locally sourced recycled materials, including bits of timber, pallets, tyres, crates, ropes and pots and pans.
It was designed by students aged 7 to 12 years old, with the school’s student leaders fronting the community project and organising a collection-drive for the bits and pieces needed to build it.
And it’s not just for the Eagleby South students, the kids want to share it with the whole community.
“We are doing this so the next generation of children can be happy,” 11-year-old Siena said.
The school partnered with the Australian Institute of Play (AIP) on the project – a non-profit organisation that aims to protect children and their right to play.
The organisation set up a smaller loose parts playground in the school 18-months ago and the teachers found it had a positive impact on students.
Eagleby South State School principal Andrew Barnes said the new play space has had a seismic effect on children.
“Investment in active, outdoor, genuine play is having more impact than any other partnership or program I have seen in my 14 years tenure as principal in Eagleby,” he said.
“I personally attend daily play sessions here at the school in which countless stories of resilience, social confidence and improved communication skills have been witnessed.”
Mr Barnes said the terrain of childhood has changed.
“Many adults are deeply aware that the terrain of childhood has changed,” he said.
“It has been sanitised of adventure, made artificially safe, and digitalised to death. Rather than patch up the problem with programs, we need to tap into this older wisdom and collectively insist that the land of childhood be returned to the children in good shape.”
Eagleby South students want Joomunjie Land to be open for local children after school, on weekends and during school holidays and at no cost.
They are asking for a gold coin donation on entry, but “this is optional, no child should have to pay to play,” 11-year-old Faith said.
Joomunjie Land is on the corner of Fryar and River Hills road beside the school oval.
