October 2008 | Back to News
PlayLab builds on concepts JCC&A developed in conjunction with PlaNYC, New York City’s visionary initiative to create a greener, more livable city by 2030. One of these concepts is to include science-related play equipment with curriculum connections to school playgrounds throughout the city. For this "SciencePlay" project, JCC&A's PlayLab team worked with New York City's Department of Parks & Recreation and Department of Education, the New York Hall of Science, funder Sara Lee Schupf, and the Trust for Public Land to develop the concept and scope of work and to create a catalogue of science-play equipment based on key concepts of the city's new K-8 curriculum.
In support of Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC "Schoolyards to Playgrounds" initiative, JCC&A directed and curated the SciencePlay catalogue, which presents science playground equipment for participating PlaNYC schools and communities to choose from in designing their new playgrounds. Each piece of equipment ties in to at least one aspect of New York City's science core curriculum for grades K-8. The SciencePlay catalogue describes specific curriculum tie-ins for each grade level and curriculum captions that describe the science action or phenomenon demonstrated by each equipment element.
"Schoolyards to Playgrounds" students, teachers, and playground designers will use this catalogue to create unique combinations of science-related equipment for their new playgrounds. Schools that choose SciencePlay equipment will also be provided with curriculum resources and support to reinforce the science-learning possibilities on the playground. The flagship science playground is set to open in 2009 at P.S. M.S. 394 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
PlayLab is a program of Open Space Institute, Inc./No Time To Lose. For more information please visit No Time To Lose or contact NTTL at notimetolose@jcca-nyc.com.