Pia’s Place A landmark new playground for Whiteman Park
hello Do you remember going to the park? The excitement of finally being big enough to reach the monkey bars? Or the view from the top of the rope tower? When you would meet your friends and be pirates or superheroes? Maybe you threw a ball for your dog or played hide and seek. What we love about play is that everyone can relate to it. What we know about play is that it increases our creativity, language, coordination, social skills and improves both our physical and mental health. It decreases stress, anxiety and depression and gives us a sense of value, belonging and attachment. Pia’s Place is where childhood memories are made. It’s a place to connect, learn and grow. Pia’s Place is a place of hope, where everyone’s included.
let’s play! A playground needs to be fun for everyone. Through an extensive consultation and research process, Pia’s Place is a world leader in inclusivity and here’s our top 10 reasons why:
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A polished concrete slide It stays cool year round. It’s super slippery. It can also be made wider than a traditional slide to allow plenty of room to go down with a friend (or carer) at any age. The concrete slide is also great for people with cochlear implants to slide without feeling static interference (which plastic slides make).
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A cubby space Making your own fort or castle is not only a childhood right of passage it promotes problem solving and leadership skills. But don’t tell the kids. This area, has all the things to build a cubby from nature as well as platforms for kids (or carers) who use walking frames, wheelchairs or guide canes: So no one will miss out.
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Pogo swing Promoting team work and giving users a sense of risk, this swing has been designed exclusively for Pia’s Place. It moves up, down and all around which improves the vestibular sense needed for balance and includes an accessible harness seat for people who need a bit more support. Best of all, it’s super fun.
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Gumnut chutes and fairy doors Sending gumnuts down the chute and watching them race helps kids understand cause and effect. But in the real world the gumnuts are secret messages for the birds or perhaps morning tea for the fairies. Nature plus imagination equals endless possibilities.
image: Richard Croft CC
Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you. Frank Lloyd Wright
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Basket Track Ride Designed specifically for Pia’s Place, the Basket Track Ride is like a flying fox you can go on with the whole family or all your friends! This Australian first is a great opportunity for everyone to enjoy together regardless of ability.
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Activity panels What better way to announce your arrival than with music. Located at the entrance/exit they’re a great way to start to play with cause and effect activities. These panels are designed to slow down excited children and allow caregivers time to catch up (particularly where a child has autism).
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Lighthouse and Tunnel with Rope Climb inside and Star Lights. Made just for Pia’s Place, the Lighthouse has various tunnels of differing heights zigzagging their way under and around so kids can feel enclosed and experience different sound and light effects (through echoes, submarine periscopes and more). For those keen for more or a challenge, wire tunnels at height provide great opportunity for movement between the lighthouse and ship, promoting upper-body skills and general coordination. Inside the lighthouse, a net climber will allow children to gaze upwards and enjoy the light effects from the speckled roof top. From the top you will have panoramic views of Pia’s Place and Whiteman Park.
Our aim is to build a playground where visitors are so engaged they don’t realise it is designed to be inclusive.
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Sand play table with funnel and scoop, grindstone boulder and stump bowl This accessible sand table lets kids play with textured sand at different heights with the use of funnels and scoops. A boulder and a stump, both with carved depressions in the top make perfect places to brew a soup or magic potions.
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Rainbow poles These poles reflect the light and make rainbows creating a magical space for elves and pixies to dwell. They are an opportunity to engage in science and nature play and they provide quiet spaces for kids to rest (particularly good for kids with sensory processing disorders or autism). The rainbow poles are placed in peaceful corners in memory of baby Pia Maeve Rudd and all the children who leave the world too early.
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Playspace App Following construction, an interactive map of Pia’s Place will be available online, allowing orientation to place prior to visiting. The interactive map online is mirrored by physical communication boards within the playground. In a world first, the innovative App will allow visitors to orient themselves once inside the playground. It offers another dimension to play. The App uses iBeacon technology to allow people with visual impairments to navigate their way around the playspace. The interactive map and App will decrease anxiety for people visiting Pia’s Place for the first time (particularly important for children with autism) and will give a person with a communication disorder greater control over how they access the playspace and interact with their peers. It has the potential to have sounds or alerts
triggered when the user enters an area, such as waves crashing when a child approaches the lighthouse, and could be used as an educational tool for school groups with information on flora and fauna.
The goal of early childhood education should be to activate the chid’s own natural desire to learn. Maria Montessori
a big, fun day out Hidden Helpers It’s the school holidays and the Norton family want to go to the park for a picnic. Dad, Finn and Lottie go to the website to have a look at the new playgound: Pia’s Place. On the site they are able to see a detailed map and all the play equipment in the playground. The kids are excited about the lighthouse and can’t wait to play pirates and Lottie decides to dress as a fairy in case she meets real ones. That night Finn shows his Mum the map of the park and they talk about all the things they can do. Mum downloads the App to their tablet and they plan to go in two days’ time. On the day, the kids run to the gate and announce their arrival by ringing the bell and playing at the activity centre. Lottie heads straight to the giant nest with gumnut chutes and fairy doors while Finn uses the tablet to find the spinning pod. Finn loves spinning. He takes a moment to watch the other kids before deciding to try something more adventurous and have a go on the boulder climb. They all meet at the flying fox and Dad, Finn and Lottie whiz down together. The kids play pirates in the lighthouse with Mum and then have morning tea watching the light change colour on the rainbow poles while birds dart in and out of the trees overhead. At the end of the day, the family talk excitedly about their time together and how welcome they all felt. They are already planning their next trip.
Finn is 9 and has been diagnosed with autism. He can be easily overwhelmed in new places, so looking at the interactive map together online before going to the park helps to orientate him and reduce his anxiety. Dad uses a wheelchair so the map helps him find the accessible paths, the equipment he can go with the kids and the fully equipped accessible toilets. Taking the tablet to the park with the App means Finn can feel in control and experience independence. The family have discussed the activity panel and together they have imagined a world where the kids must stop there. This allows everyone time to gather together on the way in and out. The paths, that exceed ADA standards, mean Dad can move around with ease and the whole playground is fully fenced to ensure no one can be lost. The fairy garden lets Lottie, who is 4, engage in social, imaginative play while the spinning pod allows Finn a moment to observe other children. Dad is able to transfer onto the flying fox with the kids and for the first time they all experience it together. Mum helps Lottie and Finn climb onto and in the lighthouse with the other children which helps develop their social skills, imaginations and proprioception (which tell the brain about body position and how much force is needed for an activity). It also helps with taking calculated risks and motor planning, thinking of the steps involved to climb the ropes and get to the top.
Children usually prefer play that stimulates their curiousity and gives free reign to their imaginations and creativity. Lisa Daly and Miriam Belogovsky, Authors: Loose Parts: Inspiring Play in Children
whiteman park With over one million visitors every year, Whiteman Park is the largest metropolitan park in the world dedicated to education and conservation. The Park offers a variety of experiences for visiting families including tram rides, museums and the Caversham Wildlife Park. Nearly half of the parkland is retained for the purpose of conservation making it the ideal place for a playground that encourages interaction with nature. Situated in the fastest growing area within Western Australia, Whiteman Park is unique in that it serves the dual purpose of catering to the needs of local communities as well as being a popular tourist destination. Currently, there are almost 120, 000 people in the City of Swan area and this number is forecast to almost double in the next 15 years. These local communities are some of the most socially and economically disadvantaged areas in Perth and City of Swan data indicates this area has a higher proportion of children than the greater Perth region. The surrounding Swan and Wanneroo regions also have higher than average rates of people working Fly-in, Fly-Out (FIFO) rosters. Given the increased risk of social isolation for FIFO families and their need for strong social support, Pia’s Place offers the opportunity for all families (particularly FIFO partners and children) to meet and mix. The Park already attracts a large number of visitors with disabilities
and a survey conducted by Whiteman Park in 2009 recognised the pressing need for an inclusive playspace. Using the Australian Early Development Index (AEDI), 23% of children in the City of Swan area were considered developmentally vulnerable on one or more domain and 11% of children were considered developmentally vulnerable on two or more domains. Play spaces are important sites for people to meet others and help reduce isolation and it’s flow on effects. Pia’s Place will add another exciting element to Whiteman Park and offer focal point to the surrounding area. Pia’s Place will be an essential facility for the local community and a new landmark for Western Australia.
Play is the highest form of research Alberth Einstein
you can come too It is estimated that disabilities (of varying degree) affect approximately one third of the Western Australian population, from children to carers. Disability and developmental delay are often points of grief and loss for the life a family had anticipated or hoped for. Ensuring every child can participate in typical childhood activities such as going on a swing or down a slide can make a big difference to the life of the chid, their siblings, parents and the broader community. Within Western Australia there are very few inclusive playspaces. Many of the existing accessible playgrounds are limited in their capacity to provide a play space for different age groups. Many playgrounds may provide one aspect of accessibility yet fail to deliver actual opportunities for play, for example, there are playgrounds with ramps to enter, but then stairs to the slide. There is a real need for an inclusive playspace that allows everyone the opportunity to create, explore nature and be active. A place that caters for all ages and abilities. A place with wonderful, aesthetic spaces that parents and caregivers want to take their children, where children of all abilities can take calculated risks within limits, where parents feel confident to let their children explore. That place is Pia’s Place.
The unique inclusive, nature-based design in this world class metropolitan park makes Pia’s Place a landmark for Western Australia and sets it apart from any other playspace in Australia. It is a model for inclusive playspace design and sets the benchmark for families, communities and government well into the future.
LEGEND
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CUBBY BUILDING AREA
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TALL “NEST” WITH GUMNUT CHUTES,
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FAIRY DOORS IN TREE TRUNK SUPPORT LIZARD CLKAMBER CREATURE
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EGG SCULPTURES
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‘NEST” WITH MIRRORS
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“NEST” WITH MUSIC PANELS
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TREE DECK WITH SHOP FRONTS
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JETTY JIGGLER
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SHIP STERN CUBBY WITH SAND SCOOP & FUNNEL
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RAINBOW POLES BASKET TRACK RIDE FEATURE CLIMBING TREE TRUNK SWAY FUN ROCKER POGO SWING : 2 X POMMEL SEATS : 1 X HARNESS SEAT STILTS BALANCE CHALLENGE BASKET SWING BUSH CUBBY “LIGHTHOUSE” & TUNNEL WITH ROPE CLIMB INSIDE & STAR LIGHTS FIREMAN’S POLE MOUNTAIN CLIMB VERTICAL STEPPED LOG CLIMB ALL ABILITIES CAROUSEL “CROWS NESTS” & NET CLIMB CONCRETE SLIDE & BOULDER CLIMB TIGHT ROPES & ROLL OVER BARS POLE & POST CLIMBER STEPPED NET CLIMBER BRIDGE TUBE NET BRIDGE “SHIP” WITH ACCESS RAMP TO MAIN DECK NET CLIMB, FIREMAN’S POLE, & CUBBY BENEATH ROPE WALK TARZAN ROPE CROSSING MONKEY BARS HANGING BASKET NESTS “CREEK” WITH BRIDGES, PLANK CROSSING, LOG BRIDGE G, GRINDSTONE BOULDER STUMP BOWL SAND PLAY TABLE WITH FUNNEL & SCOOP SPINNER P STEPPED BENCH ACCESS TO SAND PIT WAGON CUBBY WITH SHOP FRONT & ACTIVITY PANEL FARM TRUCK CUBBY WITH STEERING WHEELS, HORNS, ACTIVITY PANEL ACTIVITY PANEL
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WELCOME, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, & NOTICE
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EXISTING SHELTER
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EXISTING BBQ
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BIKE RACKS
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EXISTING SHELTER
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EXISTING TREES PROPOSED TREES BOULDERS LOGS STEPPER TIMBER SLEEPER STEPPED LOG POLE NET
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LAWN AREA GRASSES & GROUNDCOVER SHRUBS & GROUNDCOVER EXISTING PAVING BITUMEN CONCRETE PAVING POROUS PAVING RUBBER IAS MULCH IAS TIMBER DECKING QUARTZ SAND GRIT PEBBLES
Lions Club of Noranda
Lions Club of Noranda
SPEAKER TUBE
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SAND PIT
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SLEEPER STEPS
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we’re working hard so they can play We have invested countless hours to reach this point.
All the groundwork has been done.
Over $750,000 of in-kind contributions have been received so far.
To build this world-leading, innovative and inclusive play space now we just need $1.1million.
This level of donated professional support is unprecedented. • The playground is approved by the State Government through the WA Planning Commission, • Whiteman Park is contributing earthworks, landscaping, drinking fountains, bike racks, tables, shelters and fencing as well as a number of other major landscaping items, • Nature Play Solutions have contributed over $200,000 worth of in-kind research, consultation and design, • The Touched By Olivia Foundation has raised $40,000 and committed their support for continued fundraising and promotion through their national networks • The Disability Services Commission committed $30,000 to the project, • The Commonwealth Bank have awarded $10,000 to begin development of the prototype of the App, and • Lions Club of Noranda have raised over $30,000 towards ensuring the toilet facilities exceed Australian standards for access. There is significant community support for this project and with Whiteman Park already attracting over 1 million visitors per year, we see Pia’s Place as a landmark for Perth and Western Australia.
We need you to make Pia’s Place happen. There are a number of ways you can help build Pia’s Place. 1
Become our Majority Sponsor
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Make one of the 17 exciting playspaces yours
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Be part of the Community Crew
Natural Play Spaces make kids more active and less depressed University of British Columbia
majority sponsor We are offering a once in a generation opportunity for you to be our Majority Sponsor. By donating the total cost to build Pia’s Place we recognise the major contribution you are making to the future of all children in Western Australia. In return we would like to say thank you on their behalf by offering: • Naming rights for the entire play space, making it truly yours • Long-term recognition through signage, with your company/ foundation logo to be included on the welcome wall in the playground • Your logo and company/foundation name to be used in all media and correspondence related to the project in perpetuity • The opportunity for an exclusive pre-launch event at the play space In addition, you and your company/foundation will be named in all media generated through the development and opening of your play space. Given its significance, this is likely to include national TV, print and online media. Final terms and contracts will be negotiated with the Major Sponsor. We want you to have a lasting, visible symbol of recognition for your generous contribution to your community.
playspace sponsors
community crew
While we would love to have a Majority Sponsor we know sometimes things need to be built one brick at a time. This project has always been a grassroots, community-driven project and it’s exactly that spirit that will make Pia’s Place great.
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If you, or your business, foundation or charity, can help by sponsoring one of the 17 exciting play spaces listed over the page we would love to talk with you! Your contribution will make a significant difference to the lives of thousands of families in Western Australia. In return we will include your logo on the welcome wall in the playground. You will be able to choose which item you would like to sponsor and use it in your own media and marketing. We will acknowledge your contribution through our media and marketing and we will be honoured to thank you in person at our launch event.
course every little bit helps and you can make a big difference by: running a fundraising event, organising workplace giving, organising a school fundraiser, or dontating to our croud funding campaign.
If you would like to help us with our launch we’d love to hear from you too. But possibly the most important thing you can do is simply tell people about us. If we can generate an army in the community to make this happen this play space will belong to all of us. Whatever you can do, big or small, once or regularly, is truly appreciated. Everyone working on this project is a volunteer and every cent generated goes in to making it a reality so that every kid in WA will have the chance to play.
budget Area
Cost
1 Nests and cubbies
92,458
2 Shipwreck coast
57,919
3 Lighthouse land
306,807
4 Swings and obstacles
60,714
5 Tunnel for trasure
126,305
6 Log maze
117,871
7 Pods of peace
22,041
8 Farm truck
24,331
9 Wagon cubby
22,578
10 Sandy creek
50,446
11 Pogo swing
73,780
12 Sway fun
36,936
13 Basket track
46,440
14 Picnic
3,032
15 Big picnic
7,721
16 Picnic
3,356
17 Wecome Activities
5,869
Outer Area Landscaping and Paths
21,819 1,080,423
App
100,000
Total
1,180,423
our friends
contact us
Amy Rudd Project Co-ordinator amy@touchedbyolivia 0437 649 808 touchedbyolivia.com.au/western-australia/ piasplace/
facebook.com/PiasPlayground facebook.com/touchedbyOlivia @touchedbyolivia
pinterest.com/piasplayground
@PiasPlayground @TouchedbyOlivia