Improving Our Outdoor Spaces
Tax deductible
We are a Reggio-inspired early childhood school in Downtown Grand Rapids, and although we travel around the area to allow our students to explore our community we are very limited with our own outdoor space!
Last year we began a school-wide, child-led, project to improve our outdoor areas and work out how to make the best use of the space we have. This led to building a water wall, music wall, and a rope bridge, all based on our student's ideas and designs.
We currently have about 1,600 square feet of space in our playground but by expanding the fence to cover the grass area this could be increased by almost 50%. The cost for the fence is $3,800 and we need to raise $2,000 to make it happen! Any extra money that we can raise will go towards the removal of the current play structure and the materials that will be required for our kids to design and build their own playground.
Tiger Scissors Salon
One student approached me a few weeks ago and gave me 29 cents and said it was for "the fence to make the playground bigger." That gave me the idea of setting up a fundraising page in collaboration with Tiger Scissors Salon.
Now some people may be aware that the Malaguzzi students have opened up their own salon, named Tiger Scissors. Over the last few weeks, Tiger Scissors have been performing haircuts for their friends and teachers.
If we can meet our fundraising goal Mr. Tom will make an appointment at Tiger Scissors and the class will get to use REAL scissors, clippers, and whatever else they need to make him look his best!
Keep an eye out for updates as other teachers sign up for a real appointment! Families will also be welcome to make an appointment soon.
At $500 Ms. Lauren will have her hair coloured with hair chalk, styled, her nails painted, and a makeover!
At $500 Ms. Kristen will have her hair coloured with chalk, styled, a pedicure, and a manicure!
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“Any child can play on a plastic rocket ship, but that is all it can ever be. When they approach these logs, the structures can become anything. We want to remove the boxes that have been placed on their creativity.”
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/6-reasons-children-need-to-play-outside-2018052213880
"Children need to learn how to work together. They need to learn to make friends, how to share and cooperate, how to treat other people. If they only interact in very structured settings, such as school or sports teams, they won’t — they can’t — learn everything they need to know."
https://www.hollandsentinel.com/story/news/local/2020/12/14/living-sustainably-natural-playscapes-benefit-learning/43269921/
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More information about Grand Rapids Early Discovery (Grand Rapids Early Discovery Center): The Mission of the Grand Rapids Early Discovery Center is to continuously expand the potential of children, the experiences of educators, and the involvement of families within the diverse community of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Last year we began a school-wide, child-led, project to improve our outdoor areas and work out how to make the best use of the space we have. This led to building a water wall, music wall, and a rope bridge, all based on our student's ideas and designs.
We currently have about 1,600 square feet of space in our playground but by expanding the fence to cover the grass area this could be increased by almost 50%. The cost for the fence is $3,800 and we need to raise $2,000 to make it happen! Any extra money that we can raise will go towards the removal of the current play structure and the materials that will be required for our kids to design and build their own playground.
Tiger Scissors Salon
One student approached me a few weeks ago and gave me 29 cents and said it was for "the fence to make the playground bigger." That gave me the idea of setting up a fundraising page in collaboration with Tiger Scissors Salon.
Now some people may be aware that the Malaguzzi students have opened up their own salon, named Tiger Scissors. Over the last few weeks, Tiger Scissors have been performing haircuts for their friends and teachers.
If we can meet our fundraising goal Mr. Tom will make an appointment at Tiger Scissors and the class will get to use REAL scissors, clippers, and whatever else they need to make him look his best!
Keep an eye out for updates as other teachers sign up for a real appointment! Families will also be welcome to make an appointment soon.
At $500 Ms. Lauren will have her hair coloured with hair chalk, styled, her nails painted, and a makeover!
At $500 Ms. Kristen will have her hair coloured with chalk, styled, a pedicure, and a manicure!
---
“Any child can play on a plastic rocket ship, but that is all it can ever be. When they approach these logs, the structures can become anything. We want to remove the boxes that have been placed on their creativity.”
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/6-reasons-children-need-to-play-outside-2018052213880
"Children need to learn how to work together. They need to learn to make friends, how to share and cooperate, how to treat other people. If they only interact in very structured settings, such as school or sports teams, they won’t — they can’t — learn everything they need to know."
https://www.hollandsentinel.com/story/news/local/2020/12/14/living-sustainably-natural-playscapes-benefit-learning/43269921/
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More information about Grand Rapids Early Discovery (Grand Rapids Early Discovery Center): The Mission of the Grand Rapids Early Discovery Center is to continuously expand the potential of children, the experiences of educators, and the involvement of families within the diverse community of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Organizer
Tom Dodd
Organizer
Grand Rapids, MI
Grand Rapids Early Discovery (Grand Rapids Early Discovery Center)
Beneficiary