DIY kit launched to help improve school playgrounds.

As part of Healthy Highland week, Nairn Highland Councillor Provost Liz MacDonald  today (30th October) helped 26 Primary 2’s from Rosebank Primary in Nairn launch The Highland Council’s document ‘How to Upgrade your Outdoor Area.’

Provost MacDonald said: “This is fantastic document, there is lots of advice on how to access funding, it will be an essential document to achieve new playgrounds and encourage people to take the initiative. There is money available that is not accessible to the Council but can be accessed by community and voluntary groups. The Council can and will continue to support anyone who wishes to develop their school playgrounds.”

Compiled by Malina MacDonald, Highland Council’s Play Development Officer in response to numerous requests for information from schools, the document details how Rosebank Primary went about the process.

Malina said: “We know that a varied, interesting and fun playgrounds can have a very positive affect on our youngsters. The document emphasizes that the best outdoor areas provide opportunities for our children to get active, engage with their natural surroundings, be both sociable and solitary, create imaginary worlds, construct and alter their environment and take acceptable levels of risk. This type of playground can only help us produce happy, confident and physically active children.”

Additional information in the document includes: design ideas, external funding sources and local support agencies all of which help motivate and inspire schools and pre-schools to improve their outdoor areas.

Elizabeth Mcdonald, Highland Council’s Nairn Active School Co-ordinator said: “We were delighted to help write this valuable document which brings together all the information a school or pre-school should need to begin improving their outdoor area.  You just have to look around to see what we’ve achieved here at Rosebank and there is no doubt the pupils approve of the result.”

Louise Thomas, Health Promoting Schools Manager said: “It is so appropriate that this document be launched during Healthy Highland Week.  Good playgrounds not only encourage pupils to go outside, get active and sociable,  they can also offer them opportunities to be quiet all of which aids good mental health.”

For further information please contact: Malina MacDonald, Highland Council’s Play Development Officer tel: (01463) 711176 mob: