Eat, Play, Learn: The Space Where Play Happens

What should a playground look like? What should it feel like? Graded Lower School students were invited to imagine the possibilities.

Through a design-thinking process, students imagined what they wanted the space to look and feel like, then transformed their ideas into sketches and models. They thought about the places they would want to explore, move through, and share with friends. Finally, they visited Erê Lab, the company partnering with Graded to build the new space, and saw something exciting: their ideas beginning to take shape.

Why does the space where children play matter?

“Play is the number one way that we are able to get kids to interact with each other and to try out new things,” said Lower School Grade 1 Teacher Austin Schmidt. “Through that play, children are able to learn how to be people, how to interact with each other, and how to be a kind member of a community.”

In the classroom, students may learn about empathy, cooperation, and kindness. On the playground, they have the opportunity to put those skills into practice. They navigate conflicts, find solutions, listen to different perspectives, adapt to changing situations, and learn how to collaborate.

And the benefits of play extend beyond social development.

According to Deeper Learning Coordinator Claudelle Lewis, play engages communication, thinking, self-management, and problem-solving skills. Through movement and interaction with their surroundings, children also develop gross- and fine-motor skills as they learn how their bodies interact with and respond to the world around them.

In education, the environment is sometimes described as the “third teacher.” The spaces children inhabit can shape what they do, how they interact, and what they notice. A thoughtfully designed environment can invite movement, encourage collaboration, spark curiosity, and give children opportunities to slow down, observe, and reflect.

“Play is essential not only for educators but also for kids,” said Grade 5 Teacher Colin Schriner. “It’s important to be mindful about how we make playgrounds, where we make playgrounds, and what shapes and colors we are going to show. It’s about curating a space that’s really child-centered, where they create the meaning and the play.”

That is exactly what Graded hopes the newly renovated Big Playground will do.

The Early Years section of the playground was renovated last year. Now, Graded is on a mission to bring the next phase of the project to life: a new Big Playground shaped by our students and informed by what we know about how children learn and grow.

A playground is more than a place to play. It is a place to build friendships, take risks, make mistakes, try again, create, imagine, and belong.

Our students have imagined the space. Now, we can help make it real.

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