Macaulay Play Garden
In Toronto—and in cities around the world—the disconnect between young children's needs and the environments designed to support them is growing.
Parents want more for their children: more nature, more freedom and considered spaces to learn and explore.
At Macaulay’s Warren Park Centre, parents had asked for traditional play panels—an expensive and limited solution for a much deeper need. We were invited in not just to answer the brief, but to push the question further:
How might this playground be reimagined to serve a broader range of children's needs and abilities?
Scope of work
Strategy Development Community Engagement Natural Materials Sourcing Design Concept Implementation Support
Collaboration
Macaulay Parent Committee, Macaulay Centres for Children Staff
Credits
Higher Place Tree Care
We collaborated with parents and teachers to transform the space from a neutral play-pad, into a three-zoned living play garden capable of growing and evolving.
The design centered on sustainability, accessibility, and a sense of belonging. It was composed almost entirely with donated and found materials - from woodchips from a local arborist, to sensory pathway made from stones contributed by neighbourhood families.
“A playground isn’t just a place to play.
It’s where independence, confidence, and connection take root.”
Erika Fraser
Principal @ TORTOU
Macauley’s Warren Park Centre exemplifies what's possible when families, educators, and designers work together; we create environments rooted in community care, and the needs of the whole child.
