Project Based Learning STEM Activity - Create a Playground for your school or community that is inclusive for all students / kids! In this project based learning resource for an All Ability Playground, students will work in teams to accomplish the tasks needed to see a project from start to finish. Along the way, they will need to creatively problem solve, plan, utilize their math skills (for money activities, area, and perimeter calculations), and their common sense, too.

✅ What You'll Get ✅

• Notes for the Teacher
• Instructions and Samples
• Rubric
• Is it accessible? Images of real playgrounds to discuss.
• Cover Page for the project folder
• Background Research
• Team Member Responsibilities
• Schedule
• Project Delay Cards
• Budgeting Worksheet
• Fundraising Ad
• Fundraising Amount Cards
• Locate a Site
• Equipment Catalog and Order Form
• Contractor Quotes
• STEM Challenge
• Design
• Grand Opening Ad
• Summary and Follow Up
• Color and Alternate Page Options

Worksheet pages are provided to work through all of the steps needed, though some activities you may choose to do digitally (in a spreadsheet, in a slide presentation, etc.).

⬇️ More About the Project - Project Roles ⬇️

The four main responsibilities in the project are:

Project Manager – completes the project schedule, oversees the project

Financial Lead – completes the budgeting and order forms

Marketing Lead – Comes up with ideas for fundraising and advertising

Lead Designer – Chooses playground location and equipment layout

The responsibilities can be split up differently depending on your team sizes.

Along the way, your students will encounter unknowns, such as how much money their fundraiser has earned them, and how construction issues or weather have delayed their project. They will also need to weigh and balance choice based factors such as lead time and price.

In addition to choosing inclusive playground equipment, fencing, and a contractor to install the equipment (all from an included catalog), they will also complete a STEM challenge where they will design a unique structure for their playground and create a model of it. This Is what makes their playground unique from the other teams and allows them to explore the challenges some kids might face when playing at a playground.

❤️ What Teachers are Saying ❤️

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Loved this resource! It helped my students design a special needs playground for our school."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This was such a fun project for my students. They had a deep personal connection to it since our school is currently looking at putting in a new playground for our 4th and 5th graders. Many of them wanted to go and show their projects to our principal."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "My students enjoyed designing a special needs playground for our school using this resource. There were so many things that were taught in this lesson. No one complained about having to do math because they were so into the project."