2021 Trinity School of Texas
Fund-A-Cause
Every year TST raises funds toward a specific need for our school through the Fund-A-Cause campaign. This year's Fund-A-Cause will be upgraded campus play structures that will benefit ages 2 - 12! This campus wide effort will provide new play equipment across the school grounds.
"Children’s early experiences and the settings where they inhabit, play a powerful role in shaping the adults they will become. To date, outdoor areas have been somewhat overlooked — perhaps because it is easy to assume that play is “just for fun” or playgrounds are just for exercise. However, research suggests that outdoor activities and play likely provide a context in which children can practice key social, cognitive, and physical skills. According to recent studies, children spend around 80 percent of their time on playgrounds engaging in playful activities, including social, physical, and pretend play. Play areas and other outdoor spaces on campus can be deliberately designed to encourage children’s engagement in developmentally significant forms of play. Therefore, the fund-a-cause is a very worthwhile investment for both the immediate result of bringing joy to our children's everyday time on campus as well as contributing to the development of critical skills that will eventually help our TST students become healthy and effective thinkers, leaders, and collaborators."
- Marissa Martin
Sources Reviewed:
Hayward, G. D., Rothenbert, M. & Beasley, R. Children’s Play and Urban Playground Environments: A Comparison of
Traditional, Contemporary, and Adventure Playground Types. Environ. Behav. 6, 131–168 (1974).
Hartle, L. & Johnson, J. E. in Children on Playgrounds: Research Perspectives and Applications (ed. Hart, C. H.) 14–42
(State University of New York Press, 1993).
Refshauge, A. D., Stigsdotter, U. K. & Petersen, L. S. Play and Behavior Characteristics in Relation to the Design of Four
Danish Public Playgrounds. Child. Youth Environ. 23, 22–48 (2013).
Shonkoff, J. P. & Phillips, D. A. From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development. (National
Academy Press, 2000).
Luchs, A. & Fikus, M. A comparative study of active play on differently designed playgrounds. J. Adventure Educ.
Outdoor Learn. 13, 206–222 (2013)
For questions and additional information, please contact:
Tawny Browning, Director of Marketing and Development
Email: tbrowning@trinityschooloftexas.com
Phone: 903-753-0612 ext. 243