Children First meets the Tradie Ladies!

Children First – Blacktown Road Children’s Centre recently received an exciting backyard revamp by the ‘Tradie Ladies Construction & Design’ to help improve the outdoor learning environment.

Outdoor play is an important part of children’s development and our curriculum at Children First, which allows them to explore their environment, develop muscle strength and coordination, and gain self-confidence.

The revamp was designed to give children new play spaces and make the yard a safer place for them to explore and play.

The Tradie Ladies removed the old decking to create a new stage/pergola area, replaced the weathered railway sleepers with a hardwood path and put in some great new gardens for the children to nurture. We were sad to say goodbye to Lizzie the Lizard who has been here since the building opened, but unfortunately, she was a hazard and it was in the best interests of the children’s safety to say goodbye to her. This sadly caused some tears with the children!

Improving our outdoor space also included a new boardwalk which will act as an emergency path, providing a smooth exit in an emergency situation.

THE BEFORE PHOTOS:

The Tradie Ladies were the perfect fit to plan and construct the area as both Bec and Mel have previously worked in the child care industry and know the needs of children’s play spaces. They work closely in conjunction with Kidsafe to ensure their designs are the safest in the business.

Centre Manager, Krystal, expressed that Bec and Mel went over-and-above to ensure smooth construction while allowing the children to play freely around them without restricting their outdoor play (except where applicable for safety, of course). This was a great learning experience for the children, allowing them to be involved, ask questions, discuss what was happening and watch the whole transformation. Under the stage they found a jackpot of lost toys that they engaged the children to help recover and they also shared bugs and creepy crawlies they found along the way to great delight of the children! The children drew the Tradie Ladies a big thank you picture at the end for them to keep in their van.

We’d like to send a heartfelt thanks to Bec and Mel for their fabulous work in the yard and with the children to create this wonderful new space which will see the children thrive outdoors!