Deep within Florida’s extreme natural ecological environments is a world that invites uninhibited play and wonder. Contemporary playgrounds are constructed within fortresses of fencing, and children are intentionally separated from the natural environment. What would it be like to make new connections to the native ecology through play? In collaboration with Bonnet Springs Park and Sasaki, students will explore play through the activities and movement of other species in wild habitats.

By investigating three categories of ecosystems, students will develop new interpretations of playground structures and their integration into these environments. These categories are: Wetland & marshes (Bonnet Springs Restoration); Deep woods (Oak Grove); Lake & Shores (The Lakefront). Students will aim to build full scale models of their play structures to be tested on the All Saints campus.