Sacred Heart is an Eco-Certified School in Burlington, ON and part of the Halton Catholic School Board. In an effort to create an outdoor learning environment that aligned more closely with their values and approach to education, the school focused on developing a more nature-based play space. The goal was to create a space that allowed them to provide a wider range of sensory experiences and engagement and to create a space that would allow them to extend their classrooms outdoors.

We approached the design of this outdoor space with multiple unique “pods” dedicated to outdoor curriculum, dramatic/imaginative engagement, sand & water / fine-motor-skills and gross-motor development. Care was taken to arrange these pods for seamless flow from one activity to the next. Not only did this increase children’s opportunities to engage with natural elements, but it created visually defined spaces with various behavior settings, ultimately improving the functionality of the space for children and educators.