Welcome to Playful Learning Landscapes Action Network on ChangeX! It’s time to reimagine how the ordinary can become extraordinary. Imagine a supermarket that doubles as a children’s museum, a bus stop outfitted with puzzle walls and cognitive games, or a human-sized board game where children intuitively solve math problems. Find out here how you can create playful learning in your communities.
Welcome to Playful Learning Landscapes Action Network on ChangeX! It’s time to reimagine how the ordinary can become extraordinary. Imagine a supermarket that doubles as a children’s museum, a bus stop outfitted with puzzle walls and cognitive games, or a human-sized board game where children intuitively solve math problems. Find out here how you can create playful learning in your communities.
Community rallied around the project assisting in designing, installing and maintaining the butterfly garden, the giant ruler showing the metamotphsis of a butterfly, creating the stepping stones for the jumping activity and creating the designs with little hands forming butterflies for the Little Library Post and top. Studeents, faculty, neighbors, a church and the Arts Chamber all contributed to the project. Grand opeingin is set for fall when the students return to school and it is not 100 degrees here.
Planning has already begun. Ideas are being circulated and we are investigating any permitting or engineering requirements. We are in process of obtaining property permissions.
How often will your team meet?
The team will meet at least monthly during the cold months and, biweekly once the weather breaks and we can begin installation
Are there any key dates to share for the project?
We would like to install one, if not two little free libraries this spring, install the play projects in the butterfly garden this spring or early summer and the play projects by the bus stop in the fall when the covered buss shelter is installed by the city.
Budget:
You don't need to share exact prices, but please share how you're planning to spend the seed funding & what costs you're anticipating to get your project up and running:
Little Free Libraries: x2 up to $700 (includes community book drive marketing)
materials for play projects: $2800
artist stipends: $1500 ($500 each for three artists)
developer for the curriculum for the butterfly garden to be managed by a local school: $500
Impact:
How will your community benefit from this project?
This community is a severely underserved neighborhoo which has been devastated by the pandemic as people have not been able to attend their churches, a major social outlet for this community. This project will bring together community members in a constructive project that addresses key needs such as school failures, graffitti and vacant lots.
Do you have any measurable goals for your project such as the number of people that will participate?
It is expected that at least 12 people will be involved in the initial planning with additional community members joining during the installation.
Since the locations for the project components are on main thoroughfares and at a school, it is anticipated that several hundred people per day wil be able to take advantage of the project.
Are you hoping to spread knowledge or increase interest in a specific subject?
Our goal is to increase interest in simple things that can be done to affect the environment as a stepping stone to the larger community project to create a park and provide resources, including a neighborhood class, for homeowners to modify their properties to address issues of water runoff and property values.
Location:
If your project requires physical space, have you decided the location?Do you have all necessary permission and permits to carry out your project at the chosen location?
We have permissions and permits for two of three spaces and are in the process of obtaining the property rights to the third space.