We are not just sending a message to our school that we want more play, we are sending a message to all schools that kids NEED to get outside and play more, because play is learning.

Think about a typical day for many people. We sleep. We get up and sit. We go to school and sit. We go home and sit, then we go to bed, only to wake up the next morning and do it all again. As primary school students, we spend up to 6,300 hours inside sitting and doing school work. Many of our parents played outside from dusk till dawn when they were children. But for too many children today, play today revolves around screens, Facetime, Instagram or Fortnite.

According to the Australian institute of health and welfare, one in four children are either overweight or obese. Children today spend up to 90 % of their time inside mostly on screens and electronic devices whether its homework, gaming, using their phones or even just watching TV. We have an awesome idea to reimagine that. It's revolutionary. We want kids to put down their phones, turn off their screens and go outside. At Hallett Cove South Primary School, we want to make our space so enjoyable mainly for our older students because there is lack of risks in our playgrounds, we want to create diverse play space for all ages and capabilities. we want to make outdoor play spaces fun and exciting again.

We want to create a Forest playground which will let kids imagination run wild. We want kids to learn to control and be able to take risks. “We want kids at the end of the day, to get their feet dirty, their hair messy and their eyes sparkling” - Shanti. We want kids to explore hidden worlds. We have an incredible space that is being wasted. We can imagine a forest space where kids zip on a flying fox, zoom on bikes, amble, imagine, collect, and create.

A forest play space would provide fitness opportunities for kids to climb, build, balance and run. They would improve their gross motor skills, ability to collaborate and stretch their imagination. We acknowledge that there are going to be some risks involved in this type of play, but if we get together as a community, we can overcome and achieve what kids want and need!