Welcome to the process, this project is ongoing.....

The Children Belong to the City Playground project builds on existing efforts to connect children at the Burlington Children’s Space and local outdoor spaces including the Intervale gardens and walking paths, local community garden sites, public parks and green spaces, and the city’s waterfront. The focus of this project is the development of a new playground for The Burlington Children’s Space incorporating elements from public spaces around the city that promote open ended play, physical challenges, and interest in the natural world throughout the seasons. Children, teachers, and parents will be involved in various outings to observe, play, and collect ideas. The process provides many opportunities for children, teachers and parents to share healthy activities such as neighborhood walks, visits to parks and gardens, and open ended outdoor play.

About Burlington Children's Space

The Burlington Children’s Space (BCS), a National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accredited, licensed, nonprofit, community-based early education center, was founded in 1984 to provide high-quality care to an economically, culturally, and developmentally diverse population of children ages six weeks to five years from the Greater Burlington area. BCS serves approximately 70 children annually who are enrolled on a full-time or part-time basis depending on the families' needs. Most of the families at the BCS are employed, seeking employment or participating in education and/or training programs or accessing support services for their family. Additionally, some of the children at the BCS receive early intervention services (Early Essential Education, Head Start, Family Infant/Toddler Project, Early Education Initiative) on-site. These services allow children to remain in one setting throughout their day and receive the support services they need to grow to their full potential. Some of the children enrolled at the BCS are under protective services or in foster care. Other agencies that the BCS collaborates with are Child Care Resource, Head Start, VNA, Burlington Housing Authority, COTS, Champlain Senior Center and Intergenerational Art, YMCA/Boys and Girls Club, Reach-Up, Burlington Community Land Trust, local colleges and other educational/training programs. Our programming regularly incorporates intergenerational curriculum and includes ongoing activities such as Book Buddies, joint field trips, gardening, art and dance programs, nutritional programming and informal recreation contacts between the generations.