Playground Project

In December 2025, KSD's Board of Education gave approval for the District to seek bids for Tillman’s new/expanded playground.  Our design process is officially underway,  after gathering initial input from students, staff, and families.  

• Our Compass team (Art/Music/PE/Library/IDEA Lab) started working with third graders in the fall, in anticipation of future playground work.  They've been gathering preliminary research and information about play, including potential design components.  We met with third graders in early January to discuss desired outcomes, and they helped review and refine our student survey. 
• More than 225 students and 75 families shared feedback about what recess and play mean to them and what they hope to see in the future.  Initial survey data are included here (students/families), with summaries provided below.
• While we'll be seeking input from stakeholders throughout our design process, a core design team will serve as communication liaisons and our go-to group for decision-making.  Included on this team are five teachers (including one special education), two parents, two support staff members who also work with Adventure Club, two administrators, and district-level personnel in our Buildings & Grounds department.  We will also work closely with a small group of 3rd/4th grade leaders, who will serve as liaisons to provide updates to students across all grade levels.  
• If you know of any playgrounds we should visit, or if you have pictures you could share of these spaces, please share using this link.

Tillman's initial draft list of guiding principles includes the following, with specific details available in our draft design guidelines document.

We believe recess is a valuable part of the student experience, as play is essential to the positive growth and development of K-5 students.  Outdoor spaces should feel like extensions of our classrooms, with embedded opportunities for academic, physical, and social-emotional learning. 

1. Build Spaces for Friendship: Including "social nodes" (benches, logs, nooks) so kids can stay connected even when they need a break.

2. Balance Structure & Imagination: Keeping a 50/50 split between traditional gear (slides/swings) and flexible, creative spaces.

3. Prioritize Movement: Focusing on climbing, hanging, spinning, and "getting high up".

4. Design for Inclusion: Ensuring wheelchair accessibility and sensory-friendly experiences are embedded throughout the entire site, not just one area or aspect.

5. Make Nature Part of Play: Using varied terrain and natural elements to support exploration.

6. Provide Shade & Comfort: Adding trees and structures so students can play comfortably on hot days.

7. Encourage Adventure: Embracing age-appropriate risk and curiosity while maintaining safety and thoughtful supervision.

8. Support All Ages: Creating a flow that works for K-5 students simultaneously without rigid segregation.

9. Plan for the Long-Term: Ensuring the playground can handle Missouri weather and heavy community use.

10. Keep Student Voice at the Center: Protecting the features kids already love, like the hill and the soccer field, while adding new favorites.

In order to keep student voice at the center, we asked students to complete a second "forced choice" survey, with each question including pictures of four play structures.  Students were asked to answer which of the four play spaces they would choose first.  You can view the visual slide deck of results at this link.

A handful of clear themes emerged from the survey data, and they align squarely with our core design principles.

1. Students view recess as primarily a social time, with an emphasis on time with friends and interaction opportunities.
2. Climbing dominates nearly every first-choice response, repeatedly choosing things like large rope climbers, net structures, ninja-style obstacle-style play, vertical towers, and interconnected climbing systems.
3. Slides were rarely a focal point of first-choice responses.  Students seem to favor climbing routes, traversing, balancing, spinning, and crossing elements, although kids do like high structures - which often includes slides as a way to get down.
4. Motion equipment scored well, which supports an equity perspective.  Motion equipment often attracts neurodiverse learners, students not drawn to sports fields, and social observers transitioning into play.
5. Students tend to favor complex play structures and BIG experiences over more traditional, single-function equipment.  This also supports their preference for social interaction, as bigger structures allow more kids to play together with fewer lines.