Due to its success this garden playground has been

Due to its success, this garden playground has been expanded
to include a more active area with a sand box, a boat overlook
and spiral mazes. It has recently been adopted as a main play
site by the severely handicapped services unit at the hospital
and now also serves children with limited mobility and
cognitive functions.
Innovative Play Structures Research Project August, 2001
Page 46

Whatcom Centre for Early Learning -
Bellingham, Washington
Whatcom Centre for Early Learning (WCEL) is a centre for
children from 0 to 5 years of age with special needs and for
their families. Based on staff and parent research, the WCEL
group was able to develop a sensory therapeutic garden for
these toddlers and infants using local materials, talent and
labour. With the help of Plant Earth Playscapes, a garden was
conceived where every human sense could be explored and
developed. Features of the playspace include a raised herb
garden, a ‘trike’ track, a slide embedded in a grassy berm,
decorative grasses, a playhouse, a mini-treehouse, a sand and
water play area, a deck trellis, a ‘wobbly walk’, a textured path,
a quiet area and a talk tube.
Boulders from the local river were embedded in a shallow,
serpentine concrete channel to form a free flowing sand and
water sculpture. Coloured marbles were embedded between the
rocks to create a sense of discovery, colour and surprise.
Driftwood, from a local bay, was installed as a climbing and
balance structure.
The overall site is connected by a tricycle track and path with
textural changes from crushed stone to asphalt to flagstones,
identifying different parts of the play area. This playground
now serves as a model for playground development in schools
and daycare centres throughout Bellingham.
Innovative Play Structures Research Project August, 2001
Page 47

Therapeutic Gardens & Manitoba Playgrounds
Many Manitoba hospitals and health care centres have begun
implementing therapeutic landscapes on their grounds. These
organizations have learned that well designed landscape
environments can help to decrease stress, improve recovery
rates, and allow grieving families solace.
The idea of human health is also moving from a prescriptive
treatment ideology, toward a preventative and proactive
community and individual participation model. For example,
the ‘Healthy Communities Movement’ has spread throughout
the world as an idea and process that galvanizes communities,
neighbourhoods and cities to take action in changing their
attitudes and increasing their environmental, physical and
social health.
Manitoba’s school, recreation centre, neighbourhood and park
playgrounds are essential places for contributing to children's
overall health, yet they are often ‘sick ‘ environments. Many
children experience high levels of stress and violence on the
playground. It is time to include the therapeutic landscape
approach in the design of all playgrounds.