Paved schoolyards are still all too often the existing unfortunately; not only are falls painful for children, but above all they constitute particularly unbearable heat islands when temperatures rise, as is the case in June 2022, when the thermometer displays scorching levels. To cope with this climatic trend and improve the living environment of children and educational teams, a project has just been inaugurated in Tours (37) by Mayor Emmanuel Denis (EELV).
A garden to grow
THE project A garden to grow at the Charles Boutard kindergarten in the City of Tours is the result of reflection and the will of a team made up of ATSEM and school teachers, led by the school director, Clara Fouquet.
The kindergarten has 175 children, it is the largest in the city. After the spring 2020 confinement, the teachers noticed a change in the children, like a need to reconnect with nature, so observing this vast asphalt courtyard adorned with magnificent lime trees, the teaching team got into the game and designed his playground redevelopment project, with great detail and ambition.
Once the project was down on paper, all that remained was to present it to the newly elected municipality. Although the budget of the Deputy Mayor in charge of the Tours Ouest district and Biodiversity, Betsabée Haas, was “completed” at this time, other solutions were then put in place, there was no question of give up !
As part of the municipal operation Recess in grass which aims to demineralize and vegetate 2 to 3 schoolyards per year, in consultation with school officials, parents and children, significant support was obtained. The complement was found via crowdfunding from sponsoring families and companies*.
A new way of living the playground
This Tuesday, June 14, 2022, it was not without a certain emotion that the director of the school and her colleagues welcomed for the inauguration of the project, the families, the patron companies and the elected officials: the mayor, Emmanuel Denis, Franck Gagnaire, Assistant Delegate for Education and Betsabée Haas.
The steps were recalled because it was necessary to intervene without the presence of the children. During the summer of 2021, an old fence was removed, saving space for the future garden. During the All Saints holidays that followed, the technical services of the City allowed the removal of the asphalt under a 2nd row of trees, thus making it possible to increase the size of the garden. At the same time, the services began to prepare the ground for the future open-air vegetable garden and ordered the new furniture as well as the elements of the sensory journey for the children. In the spring of 2022, shrubby and perennial plants could be installed in the ground.
Today, a beautiful wooden terrace offers an outdoor classroom space under the trees with log seats, which the classes share according to a defined weekly schedule. An enclosed vegetable garden area with access through a wooden gate already shows its first crops while colorful birdhouses adorn a wall gable. A rainwater collector and a composter are also in place to make children aware of virtuous gestures from an early age.
For many children, especially those who live in apartments, the link with nature is a plus and can prove to be a valuable educational tool for channeling sometimes excessive energies, resolving to be patient, discovering mutual aid and solidarity, to apprehend the benefits of nature… In short, this is a great initiative, born of a form of participatory democracy, dedicated to unforgettable adventures for children!
* Binette et Jardin participated in this financing via My Beautiful Company, the site’s publisher.
Written by Nathalie on 06/15/2022