Tamariki design and build a Christchurch playground
Tamariki design and build a Christchurch playground
Tamariki from Ōtautahi Christchurch have helped transform their local park, creating a new play space for their community.
25 Year 5 to 8 students from Te Kōmanawa Rowley School spent 6 months designing and building a play area at nearby Hoon Hay Park.
The Place Cadets project, led by Gather Landscape Architecture, brought students together with designers, educators, council staff, local MPs and community organisations to turn their ideas into reality.
Students mapped their neighbourhood, learned about the park’s wetland history and visited the site. They developed a design brief, built scale models, created full-size cardboard prototypes and helped to construct the final play structure.
They even presented their plans to their local community board to gain approval.
“Presenting at the council was a real challenge – it was hard to explain our project, but it was worthwhile.”
Place Cadets programme lead Dr Wendy Hoddinott says the finished structure connects seamlessly with the existing playground, creating a continuous loop for climbing, balancing and jumping.
But the benefits go beyond the physical structure.
“There’s a strong sense of ownership,” she says. “They’re proud of it and protective of it because it feels like it’s truly theirs. The bright colours also bring a fresh energy to the park.
“Children tend to care for and advocate for places they help create. When they see their ideas taken seriously, and then realised, it fundamentally changes how they relate to their environment. It’s incredibly powerful.”
Te Kōmanawa Rowley School deputy principal Niki Penny says the project has also boosted students’ confidence, skills and sense of purpose.
“The biggest impact is on their self-belief around what they can design and create when it comes to play.
“Seeing their ideas valued really showed them the power of their voices. It has seen them grow as learners – they now take a risk and put themselves out there.”
“We got to design something just for kids like us.”
The project has also opened up ideas about future career paths, says Niki.
Year 6 student Anahera said she wants to be a builder after realising she felt confident using the tools.
“I discovered that I am a great builder and I love it. I really enjoyed working together to add something in our local park. I loved that I was successful,” she says.
Fellow students Harper, Cormac and Elliot all worked on the project and enjoyed different parts of it.
Cormac liked developing ideas because it let him think big about how tamariki play. Elliot liked the actual building because he got to learn how to safely use tools.
For Harper, the climbing wall is his favourite piece.
“That was my original wish for the design, so it is cool to see this make it through till the end.
“It also feels like we were successful in our design when you see people using it the way we designed it to be used,” Harper says proudly.
Christchurch City Council play advocate Louise Van Tongeren says the project shows what’s possible when children’s voices are genuinely included.
“This way of working is very different to our usual process, however it has been incredibly impactful,” she says.
“I’d love to see more of this and encourage others to look at how we work with local communities, including tamariki, to shape and even build the spaces around them.”
