BS Wijngaard kOsh Herentals: greening playground with covered cooling area, space for creative play with “loose parts”… and much more

The playground of Wijngaard Primary School in Herenthal Koch still looks very gray and tiled at the moment. This will change soon. In cooperation with “Green Oases” from the province of Antwerp, they will soon prepare and green one of their two playgrounds.

This morning the students received a check for €13,500 from the District of Antwerp, with which the school can implement the greening operation.

On this occasion, the students wore a green tone in their attire. The school’s environmentally friendly mascot, Grunzel, also attended the ceremonial kick-off.

Green start

Wijngaard kOsh Primary School has already made big plans to tackle its outdoor space. The school tackles the largest, grayest playground first. The province of Antwerp supports schools in greening their playgrounds. Representative M. explains. Coulson: ” The Province of Antwerp provides coordination and resources, Antwerp Regional Landscape helps with implementation, and they also visit the school and advise on management and plant selection, among other things. Wijngaard Primary School also receives this support.

The play hill is like a masterpiece

Hirental Koch Primary School sees things big. A very happy one Director Jill Houtmers : “We are planning a covered cooling area, a space for creative play with ‘loose parts’, an amphitheater with platforms, a putting green with trees for shade, an outdoor classroom, a climbing and hiding area and vegetable garden boxes.

The masterpiece of it all will be the play hill. To achieve this, the school will first remove and grease a lot of tiles. The school is also using other subsidies for the large project and has already fully developed the plans. “The students look forward to discovering the new playground in the future.”

Green mentality

Such a major change also requires a change in the mindset of the school team and students. The primary school therefore developed a broader vision regarding green education. For example, the school is focusing on more sustainable choices regarding, for example, mobility and material use, and the administration wants to stimulate a sense of wonder about nature among the students. “By teaching in and about nature, we are teaching future generations how important nature, biodiversity and climate are. So it is good to see how the school is developing.” completely a class“.

Benefits of greening

The soft, green field offers many advantages. For example, children experience less stress after spending time playing in green spaces, and outdoor lessons encourage investigative learning and increased concentration. Our climate benefits too: the water that can seep back into the soil after it becomes soft helps us weather dry spells.

But this early contact with nature is especially essential for young ones: after all, caring for nature already begins in childhood. By teaching in and about nature, we teach future generations how important nature, biodiversity and climate are.

Pictured: Director Jill Houtmers Kush Wijngaard is very happy to implement the plans they have been working on for several years. The school’s mascot Grunzel is also looking forward to greening the future. / District of Antwerp and Kush Wijngaard generation / Nnieuws.