The Playful Green Planet programme will identify areas of land in urban and economically disadvantaged areas and transform them into ecologically thriving outdoor playrooms and classrooms that encourage children’s capabilities and social activism.
The project is being run in partnership with the Eden Project and Bath Spa University in response to the current gap in children’s interaction with nature, with research showing that three-quarters of children currently spend less time outdoors that what is recommended for prison inmates and four out of five children lack a connection to nature.
The first two areas to benefit from the project, funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, have been announced as Coldside – one of the most economically disadvantaged areas in Dundee, Scotland – and a set of sites at the University of Hull in East Yorkshire.
Each of these areas’ transformations will be led by Playful Green Planet Stewards – local environmental and social experts – to ensure spaces and experiences are co-created with local children and communities. This may involve transforming a neglected space, scaling-up an existing community programme or making spaces more accessible for all. They will be supported by the Eden Project, which will bring its expertise in developing nature-based spaces and activities for children.
In Hull, the transformation will be led by Dr Jo Traunter, Dr Isobel Reagan and Dr Lee Fallin from the University of Hull’s School of Education alongside the University of Hull Forest School. Their aim is to support children’s learning, from early years upwards, through the creation of ‘environments of inquiry’ across the university’s green spaces.
‘We are very excited about this project,’ they said. ‘It is not only a great opportunity for children and families in Hull to connect with nature in our green spaces – it is also a huge accolade for all the work that already goes on in the city and the University’s expertise in this area of education.
‘Our aim is to encourage more meaningful playful interaction with nature for children and families and this will hopefully translate to research which will transform the way we work with children and families in green spaces.’
Ensuring the green spaces and experiences are co-created with local children as well as social and environmental experts is key to the project. To achieve this, they will be working with partners at Hull and East Riding children’s services, local academy chains, children’s charities and the NHS trust and plan to involve groups of students in the space to work with the children and community groups as part of the project.
The Dundee site will be overseen by a coalition between the Maxwell Community Centre and Garden, and ‘Toadstool Trails’ – a woodland sculpture project led by local artist Suzanne Scott and the Dundee Medical School Healthcare Improvement Team.
Playful Green Planet is a pillar of the RSA’s Design for Life mission: to enable people, place and planet to flourish in harmony, and to create a world where everyone can fulfil their potential and contribute to a more resilient, rebalanced and regenerative future.
The first phase of the programme aims to reach 2000 children after the first year. It is hoped to expand it to 200,000 children in five years as the initiative secures partnerships for more sites around the country, working in partnership with the charity Land Trust.
Joanna Choukeir, director of design and innovation at the RSA said that they will announce more detail throughout the next year. She added, ‘With our partners, we want to equip a generation of young leaders with the confidence and capabilities to connect with, care for, and regenerate people, places and planet.’
Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden Project, said, ‘We are delighted to work with the RSA on this landmark project which puts nature at the heart of a radical new approach to education.
‘Playful Green Planet will start by transforming locations in Dundee and Hull, creating thriving outdoor classrooms to reach those children left behind by traditional education routes. We look forward to seeing this go from strength to strength in the years ahead.’
Find out more about the RSA (Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce)
Nursery World conferenceKerrie Lee, lecturer in early childhood studies and education at the University of Hull, who is involved in implementing the Playful Green Planet programme at the university, is speaking at Nursery World’s upcoming ‘Sustainability in the Early Years: Economic, Environmental, Social’ conference at the America Square Conference Centre in London on Tuesday 12 November. To hear her and other leading thinkers and practitioners explore how to put sustainability at the heart of your practice, book a ticket at: https://bit.ly/46rpcGC.
