As many of you know, we have been working to try to get a large grassy field installed as a third outdoor play space. Due to cost this was not feasible last year, but we do not want to see another Spring go by without it! That being said, as a new business, just over a year old, we could use your support to get this project completed. We truly regret not being able to get this installed sooner, as it has been a top priority, but in full transparency we have just not been able to swing it financially.
We know that this is not only important to us, but has been on a lot of families minds as well. After conversations with a few of our families, I was encouraged to reach out and ask for support. Last year, we held a Chipotle fundraiser and our Big Red Barn families really pulled through. It was incredible to see the support you all gave, but at the end of the day the Chipotle fundraiser was not able to raise enough. We were able to purchase new top soil using those funds, but have a long way to go.
Outdoor play is extremely important to us at The Barn and while we love our current playgrounds, we are longing for a natural
outdoor play space for children to enjoy grass in their toes and sun on their skin. This will also allow our students to be outside even more frequently throughout the day. With 3 play spaces and 4 classrooms our kiddos will be able to be outside learning almost all day long! This will also allow for our younger learners and infants, who may not have mastered walking yet, to have a soft natural space to explore outside.
So, what are the benefits of having a natural outdoor play space available to children under 6 years old?
- Natural playgrounds enable children to move more freely around their environment. They allow children to explore, run, jump, climb, crawl, touch, smell, and so much more!
- They encourage active play and creativity and promote better fitness levels helping children develop problem solving skills through unstructured play.
- They foster awareness around caring for their environment
- Exposure to natural environments can reduce stress and anxiety in children and provide a calm environment that enhances emotional resilience. A natural outdoor play space will help elevate our children’s mental health throughout their school days
- Specifically for our younger learners and infants, outdoor nature play combines the use of vision, hearing, taste, and smell which greatly impacts the way they see and explore their world and helps build the foundations for cognitive development.
- Being in direct contact with the Earth and nature boosts dopamine levels in us whether we are 6 months or 40 years old!
In order to create a safe environment for our children, there are 3 major projects that we will have to take on.
- Install fencing around the new play space
- Purchase more soil/level and smooth the current dirt field
- Purchase and lay sod
In addition to these 3, we would also love to install a sandbox in the space for our kiddos to explore. Our target install date is Mid-April, which will allow for the grass to grow and mature for a couple of months, and still allow the children to utilize the area this Summer.
Our total cost for this project comes out to around $10,000 that we will need to raise to complete the project. While this may seem like a large goal to hit, this breaks down to a donation of $250 per family. We know this may not be feasible for everyone. For those who do feel able to make a contribution, any amount helps. For those able to contribute more, we would be incredibly grateful.
All families who donate, no matter how big or small, will be adding to The Big Red Barn difference and will forever be apart of our legacy! All families will be commemorated at the playground to honor your support in helping create a beautiful natural play environment for exploration.
To donate, feel free to Venmo or Zelle us using the QR codes below, or if you would rather be invoiced through Brightwheel please just let me know an amount and I can make sure to send that out. Again, thank you all so much for all that you do to make The Barn a better place, we are so excited to see what this new space can bring to our program!
