Children spend most of their active daytime in schools and other educational institutions, yet playgrounds often lack any green touch or ecofriendly design. Concrete playgrounds tend to heat up and mostly offer little shade for children. So there is great potential to transform playgrounds into green, creative learning and play areas which offer a comfortable microclimate for their users. Kindergartens and schools are some of the few areas left in a city where children can directly interact with nature to explore, learn about and be fascinated by wildlife.

Numerous studies show that green, creatively designed learning environments outside the classroom have a positive effect on the development process of children by supporting their social and teamwork skills. Children who have learned to respect and value nature through positive and playful experiences, are sensitive enough to protect it in the future.

School playgrounds are dynamic places that must fulfill many functions. School playgrounds can be transformed into gardens where children enjoy spending time. Here they can literally touch green. These places can encourage a sense of ownership as well as responsible behaviour.

touchgreen designs, plans, creates and constructs whilst involving all the school community’s participants. As a result, ecologically green and biodiverse child-friendly learning and play areas are created for students of all ages, which improve quality of life through creating healthy microclimates. These areas offer valuable dynamic spaces, that invite people to stay by offering a healthy microclimate. The school community can maintain, nurture and further develop these green dynamic spaces through creative workshops and planting activities.

Moreover, with these green spaces, schools, kindergartens and other educational institutions can make a valuable ecological contribution towards the greening of cities. Examples in Berlin demonstrate how transformed and green school playgrounds can be opened for the neighborhood on weekends, resulting in a shared green space with high social value.