Phase one of the Experiential Educational Garden in the Green Point Park is officially open!
In March 2020, the City’s Directorates for Spatial Planning and Environment and Economic Opportunities and Asset Management worked together in creating the Experiential Education Garden in the Green Point Park. The experiential garden intends to engage and activate all five senses, thereby exposing learners to this interactive outdoor experience.
The park is very popular and forms part of the Cape Town stadium precinct; it contains many interesting features including the
- Biodiversity Showcase Garden,
- outdoor labyrinth,
- adventure play park,
- wetland garden and water systems,
- as well as open lawn areas and shaded spaces.
The Experiential Educational Garden is situated on the outskirts of the park, directly adjacent to the City’s Biodiversity Showcase Garden Environmental Education Centre.
A place of discovery and learning
The experiential garden promises to be a place of discovery and learning. It will function as an outdoor environmental education space for engaging and activating all five basic senses, and exposing children to this interactive outdoor experience. The learners will hopefully learn new skills and challenge themselves to take responsibility for the environment and their actions.
‘This addition speaks to our commitment to creating an environment that optimises the use of natural assets. Central to this development is our aspiration to expose children to nature and hopefully encourage them to fall in love with it. Technology, and safety concerns, among other things, have alienated children from nature and most of the time they do not have the opportunity to play, smell, touch, listen or hear freely in nature. The experiential garden aims to reconnect children to the environment and ultimately boosts positive behaviour change,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Marian Nieuwoudt.
The elements that are completed and available to explore and experience during the first phase are:
• an interactive water feature with several surprises (bring dry clothes)
• educational mosaic and animal print stepping stones leading children into a crawling tunnel structure
• woven bird nests to climb in and explore
• a sand pit with a surprise discovery element for children
• a structure offering shade and a deck where parents can sit and observe their children having fun
• a beautiful mosaic seating structure created using sandbags
• a spider’s web climbing structure
• balancing poles
• sound elements that will create a lot of excitement
• a climbing tree with a difference
• a Hop Scotch to jump
• a picnic area with beautiful sculptured animal seating and trees; and
• a weather station so children can observe how strong the wind blows, and so forth
‘I am thrilled that the City’s strategic assets are being used to create benefits for the residents and economy of Cape Town. This park is incredible and most certainly a valuable asset with more than one million people visiting every year. So we would like to invite even more Cape Town citizens to bring their families during the holidays to come and have fun and build memories with your children in this new part of the Green Point Park,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, Alderman James Vos.
‘As the resurgence of COVID-19 infections continues to rise, it is critical that all visitors continue to observe the safety regulations put in place to help limit the spread of the virus. We must all play our part to keep our facilities safe and ensure healthy spaces. Thus, keep on wearing a mask when in public, avoid crowded spaces, practice social distancing, and wash or sanitise hands often,’ said Alderman James Vos.
WHAT: Experiential Education Garden
WHERE: Green Point Park, 1 Fritz Sonnenberg Rd, Green Point, Cape Town, 8051
INFO: Discover Green Point Park with VoiceMap
See also Cape Town Green Map
