Montessori Children’s House students enjoy their new playground

Published 5:02 pm Monday, February 23, 2015

On Feb. 17, Redmond’s Montessori Children’s House (MCH) unveiled its innovative playground, designed to stimulate the mind-body connection for their elementary students.

Envisioned and designed by MCH’s Head of School Jennifer Wheelhouse, the project was developed over the last 10 years and took six months to complete. On Feb. 17, the elementary students were surprised with a playground celebration where white, pink and red balloons dotted the playground, treats were served — and students were treated with an extra-long recess to explore their new outdoor space.

The playground features a swaying rope bridge, custom-designed two-story tree fort and manicured nature trails.

The natural balance beam along with the rope-climbing stump was a big hit with these first- to sixth-graders; as was the repurposed industrial pipe that now serves as a natural tunnel for passage, hiding or quiet time. Musical instruments by The Natural Playground Company pull in an artistic element while the “bird nest” swing was constantly in motion during the hour-long celebration.

“Watching the children revel in risk play opportunities this playground affords was amazing,” said Wheelhouse. “They discovered all sorts of opportunities to develop their critical thinking skills by using the natural playground environment… in ways I didn’t even imagine they would.”