About the competition
The competition was open to every recognised primary school in the Netherlands. Participants had to register and could submit their project by means of a drawing they had made themselves. The drawing had to clearly show how the school playground would be made greener and how more space would be created for outdoor play.
By taking part, the school guaranteed that it would carry out the renovation assignment with a project team on the dates specified by the school. The school also guaranteed that the project it submitted was of such a nature that, under the legislation imposed by the Department of Education, it could be carried out by teachers and parents without the presence of professional workers. External parties could be engaged if necessary.
An independent jury assembled by Praxis and Jantje Beton assessed the entries based on the following criteria: motivation, the content of the renovation project, the feasibility of carrying out the renovation project with the proposed team, creativity, originality and sustainability of the project. Schools, as well as parents, family and acquaintances, could vote for their favourite project via www.schoolpleingrijsnaargroen.nl The public vote determined 40% of the score. The jury’s assessment determined 60% of the score.
Implementation by 20 December 2024
On a date to be determined at a later stage, the school must collect the selected materials from a Praxis branch in its area designated by the organisation. The school is responsible for this transport. The renovation project will be carried out within an agreed timeframe. The school guarantees that it will have sufficient people available to successfully complete the renovation assignment, in cooperation with Jantje Beton, by 20 December 2024 (the start of the Christmas holidays). The school is responsible for providing all additional materials and tools that may be needed to carry out the project, such as ladders, buckets, protective clothing and footwear, covering materials, etc. In consultation, these may possibly also be paid for, in whole or in part, from the budget to be spent. The school must also provide all utilities itself.
Reason for the competition
Some 36 percent of Dutch children of primary-school age occasionally complain at home about their school playground. This is shown by a survey of one thousand Dutch fathers and mothers commissioned by Jantje Beton and Praxis and conducted by Motivaction. Click on the photo to download the copyright-free image in high resolution.
Almost one third of the parents surveyed say that there is very little greenery in their children’s school playground. Around ten percent say that the playground is even completely paved. When asked, a quarter of the parents gave the school playground where their children play outdoors during breaks a failing grade in terms of the presence of greenery. The average score was 6.5, a marginal pass. The most common complaint among parents (38 percent) is that there is no greenery at all in the form of trees, shrubs or a small lawn. One third miss natural elements such as tree stumps, paths with wood chips or a sand mound. More than 30 percent think the school playground could use a birdhouse or insect hotel, and the same percentage of parents say there are too few or even no play structures.
From school playground to school garden
“Previous research strongly suggests that growing up in a green environment can have many benefits for children’s development, for example in the form of a higher IQ, better concentration and fewer behavioural problems,” says Marlies Bouman of Jantje Beton. Since 1968, that organisation has been committed to providing more opportunities for children to play outdoors in the Netherlands. “Children who play in a green environment also develop better motor skills and are more diverse and creative in their play. In fact, we should move from the concept of a ‘school playground’ towards a kind of ‘school garden’.”
Parents also see many benefits in a greener outdoor play environment for their school-age children. Perhaps most importantly, around 60 percent of fathers and mothers expect their children to become happier as a result of a greener school playground. A large majority also believe that their children have more to do and discover on a green school playground than on a completely paved play area. A substantial majority (64 percent) expect their children to play in a more creative way, and more than two thirds (70 percent) think that their children can use their imagination more on a greener playground. Most parents also believe that a greener school playground makes outdoor play more appealing compared with other pastimes and increases their children’s interest in nature and the environment.
From grey to green
As a result, many parents are happy to contribute in some way. More than half of those surveyed say they would gladly help as volunteers for a day, for example by removing paving slabs. Around 70 percent are willing to make a financial contribution to greening the school playground. “The figures from the survey show that many schools in the Netherlands can make major improvements to the greenery on their grounds,” says Corine Duchenne, director of Praxis. “And of course this applies not only to school playgrounds, but also to all the paved gardens in the Netherlands.” It recently emerged that almost one third of people with a garden would like to replace some paving slabs with more greenery. To encourage the greening of the Netherlands, Praxis is currently running the From grey to green campaign.
Marlies Bouman of Jantje Beton: “We hope that children and parents throughout the Netherlands will be inspired to tackle grey school playgrounds together and that more and more school playgrounds will turn green. Especially in this season, you can see how much more pleasant and beautiful streets and squares become as a result.”