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Components of a Bienenstock Natural Playground Looking to purchase one of these components, visit www.natures-instruments.com and place your order today!
Rolling Topography
Simple and subtle berms throughout the garden are carefully placed to allow for surface drainage and percolation. Careful attention is paid to water table and slope/erosion rates when designing this feature outdoors. Pathways become more interesting and challenging with subtle slope while maintaining adherence to the Ontario Disabilities Act. (back to components list)
Hill SlidesThe purpose of the Hill Slide is to eliminate the fall height for children while still giving them the joy that a slide provides. (back to components list)
Sand PlayAll sand areas are 18 to 24 inches deep with a log border for containment. Below the sand, a drainage bed with geotextile felt is installed to keep stagnant water out of the sand. This is important because we recommend that a water source be available in or beside every sand area. Dry sand blows and creates an ocular hazard, and besides, you can’t create anything cool from dry sand. Tables and Chairs Stools and tables cut from fallen logs, and built for those under 6, allow children the chance to play together or alone and create opportunities for outdoor learning. (back to components list)
Trees & Shrubs (Shade)The only way to truly
create a successful natural environment for children is to copy as closely as
possible the vegetation of an established forest. This means that all trees and shrubs in the
Natural Playground are more mature, native specimens. By using mature, native plants it is less
likely that children will be able to trample or hurt these plants, giving the
plants a chance to thrive in their new surroundings. (back to components list)
AmphitheatresThe amphitheatre is a space designed for group play, theatre and outdoor classrooms. Its shape allows for a stage and an intimate space for small groups to gather. Usually set into a slope or berm, this space utilises logs, boulders or simple earth shapes to create an easy space for children and adults to gather and watch a performance or listen to a story author. (back to components list)
Fallen LogsThese logs become balance beams, dinosaurs, airplanes, serpents, locomotives…anything the children can imagine. The logs are carefully chosen by species to be both non toxic and resistant to rot. Over time they become opportunities to learn about the cycle of life and their lifespan in the natural playground is the same as a traditional play structure…at 1/100th the cost. (back to components list)
Tables & ChairsStools and tables cut from fallen logs, and built for those under 6, allow children the chance to play together or alone and create opportunities for outdoor learning. (back to components list)
Burl PlayInfant/toddler areas require a different sensibility and set of challenges. Texture, height, softness, crawling and sensory perspective all come into play with one of these works of art. (back to components list)
Wacky PostsWe have observed that creative play happens under play structures or between the support posts. In kids’ hands, the simple posts become store fronts, forts, mazes, frames for leaf or snow hut – anything they can dream. These are wacky posts in that they are not cylindrical, hewn from trees with large knots and twists.
Children are reminded that the components are now or once were living things. (back to components list)
Art WallsOften placed into sections of fence or against a blank wall, these simple cedar-framed boards are sealed for protection from the elements. The boards make excellent canvases for murals and can be washed if tempera paint is used. The top of the board contains clips to allow for mural paper to be hung so that the art can be brought inside after completion. (back to components list)
Willow WorkOne of the four pillars of productive play from Wendy Titman’s study for the UK ‘Child’s Right to Play’, is ‘the need for children to be’. By this she is referring to the human need for private contemplation, oneness with self and commune with nature. It is one of the hardest and most often neglected areas of child development in modern, enclosed playgrounds. Natural playgrounds strive to provide these opportunities throughout our spaces.
Willow work provides both an opportunity for collaboration between an artist and the kids and an ongoing private space for the children. Available in any configuration, willow structures are living and temporary.
They are cut to the ground every couple of years and regrow to allow for a new experience for the children. Willow naturally does not have leaves on the bottom 12 to 20 inches of the plant and this provides the children with the illusion of complete privacy while it allows for open sightlines for adult supervision. (back to components list)
FortsBuilt log work structures act as shade and a place to gather, in much the same way as a big hollow tree or a cave. Children can find refuge beneath the scale of the trunks as they lean back to read a book or draw or simply steal a moment. (back to components list)
BouldersRounded, indigenous, weathered boulders are placed carefully into the space and sometimes into a safety surface. Children sit on them, crawl over them, incorporate them into their leaf and snow forts and learn from their wisdom and permanence in the natural landscape. (back to components list)
Rock Climbing WallA natural outcropping of bedrock can serve as an ideal physical challenge for kids. The height and shape of the outcropping must be managed to ensure that it is an appropriate challenge and providing playground safety surface at the base of the outcropping must comply with CSA standards. (back to components list)
Outdoor InstrumentsBongosThe drums are great for gross motor skills and creative play. They allow children to make music while at the same time strengthening their muscles and hand-eye coordination. The drums are made of durable polyethylene and can be ordered in any color. They are installed at varying lengths and come in widths from 6” to 18”. (back to components list)
Whale DrumsThis is a deeply resonant instrument that was originally developed from recycled propane tanks. When installed into the earth, each tongue resonates in the ground at a different wave length. It is an ideal instrument for hearing impaired children and often we find a child lying on the ground beside the drum, giggling as the ground vibrates around them. This is our most durable instrument and is made of heavy gage, powder coated steel in any colour or design you can imagine. (back to components list)
Fence AmadindasThis new instrument has been developed as a panel to be used as part of the fence that divides toddlers and preschoolers as mandated in the Day Nurseries Act. Played on either side, the giant xylophone turns the traditional effect of a fence into a place of collaboration rather than separation. The wooden xylophone is made from durable Ipe, a second growth, farmed Brazilian hardwood known for its durability outdoors, and to us it is known also for its sweet tonal quality. (back to components list)
Hanging AmadindasThis xylophone, produced from Canadian spruce, is designed to hang from a tree branch. It has a beautiful tone and can be played by multiple users from either side of the instrument. It can be left raw, oiled with tung oil or dyed with non-toxic anodyne dyes. This is a beautiful, functional and simple instrument. (back to components list)
Soaring AmadindasThis funky and huge xylophone not only fills your space with deep tonal sounds, it also functions as an art piece in your space. Each soaring amadinda is hung like a hammock on a custom frame created by hardwood branches. This ensures that your soaring amadinda will be unique to any other. The keys are created from Ipe, a second growth farmed Brazillian hardwood. (back to components list)
TuningOur keys are tuned to a pentatonic or C-major scale. We also offer custom tuning. Looking for more information, contact us and we will be pleased to assist you.
Our Wood ChoicesWe only use harvested second growth or scrap from logging or from urban tree removals. We feel that we need to be the industry role model which is why we have made a commitment to never use first growth wood.
Pathways & SurfacesRubberMade of recycled, pelletized rubber base and topped with a finishing layer of solid color EPDM rubber, this surface is durable, impact rated and works well on slopes. It can be shovelled in the winter and is perfect for tricycle play. (back to components list)
Fibar Engineered Wood FiberEWF is not "mulch" or "wood chips" but is made only from virgin wood, never used wood. Fibar EWF meets all the requirements of ASTM F1292 for safety, F2075 for purity, and F1951 for wheelchair access. All testing is certified to meet federal guidelines. When installed at the correct depth with proper drainage Fibar passes all CSA requirements for impact tests without the performance of a “drop test”. (back to components list)
Composted Pine MulchCPM is processed from fresh pine bark, composted for 1-2 years. It is dark and rich in colour and improves pH balance and nutrients in sub-soils. Its compaction rate is superior to other mulches making it a perfect finish surface that holds the shape of berms and hills. (back to components list)
Seed Perennial RyePerennial Rye Seed is one of the world's most widely used grass seeds and is adaptable to a wide variety of soils and climatic conditions. It is a very durable, deep rooting, non-invasive grass that does not creep into other areas. Perennial Rye grass takes approximately 6 weeks to root after seeding and is not available in sod form due to its deep root system. (back to components list)
 Printable Version
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