By Parker McKenzie
Students at Belgrave South Primary School now have access to interactive learning opportunities after the opening of a new cubby house-based play space.
The play space, built by Castle and Cubby, is designed to look like local shops and emergency service buildings after they came together to help fund the project.
Belgrave South Primary School Principal Stuart Boyle said one of the greatest assets the school has is the connection it shares with the local community.
“It wasn’t a very difficult thing to arrange that level of sponsorship at all, the other business owners basically were delighted to have been asked because of how much support they already provide to our school,” he said.
“It was just a way I think of recognising and reflecting them in the play spaces as well.”
Some of the sponsors for the play space include Belgrave South CFA, the local IGA, florists and cafes.
Castle and Cubbie founder Jonathan Stones said it was fantastic to see the kids already enjoying the cubby houses.
“We come from a background of education in my family as well,” he said.
“We know the outcomes that we’re looking to achieve, but to see the kids playing them is always a joy.”
Two more of the cubbies will be installed in 2023.
Mr Boyle said the cubbies will serve as learning tools, giving students the ability to “engage in imaginative play, communicative play and learn cooperation.”
“They’ve had to use those skills of socialization sharing and turn-taking, so it’s actually really brought a lot of that out as well as incidental learning as well,” he said.
“It’s made friendship groups grow, morph, change and extend based on the play itself, as opposed to the friendship group driving what the paper-based activity would be.”
Belgrave South Primary School is located at 175 Colby Drive, Belgrave South.
