The Adventure Playground
A Space for Exploration, Growth, and Play
Our Adventure Playground is more than just a space for recess; it is an ever-evolving landscape where students test ideas, collaborate, and engage in authentic play. As one second grader aptly put it, “You can create anything if you can imagine it.” This spirit of invention, along with opportunities for students to galvanize others around ideas, fosters creativity, leadership, and resilience—skills that will serve them long after their time at Acera.
Cables for balancing. Hammocks and swings erected anew by students. Trees for climbing, complete with treehouse platforms and pulley systems. Wheelbarrows, shovels, ropes, and found natural objects fuel fort-building, game invention, and imaginative play. The playground becomes a stage for restaurant openings, theater performances, and sports like basketball, four square, and volleyball. Conflict resolution emerges organically as students navigate the rules of their own invented games and advocate for their ideas.
Team Freeplay is the philosophy that guides all Acera staff in fostering an Adventure Playground model. Rather than simply supervising, our educators actively support students in developing good judgment based on core values of community, openness, curiosity & innovation, integrity, and leadership. A primary goal is to help children cultivate self-awareness and self-regulatory skills, enabling them to navigate social interactions with confidence and empathy.
Through gentle guidance and intentional interactions, Team Freeplay helps students understand the impact of their choices—both on themselves and on their relationships with others. By providing space for exploration while offering thoughtful support, our staff ensures that the playground remains a safe and enriching environment where students can develop resilience, creativity, and a strong sense of community.
We prioritize outdoor play year-round, knowing its benefits for physical health, emotional well-being, and academic success. Research confirms that regular outdoor breaks enhance focus and engagement in the classroom, something we witness daily at Acera. Whether plowing through leaves in the fall, watching ice form in winter, or inventing new games in the spring and summer, students embrace each season’s unique opportunities.
Winter, in particular, offers a chance to build resilience and deepen connections with nature. Snowflakes on mittens, the crunch of ice underfoot, and the simple joy of drawing with pieces of ice all become moments of discovery. To ensure students are comfortable, we encourage families to send children with layers, including hats, mittens, scarves, and waterproof gear for snowy adventures. As long as temperatures remain above 20°F (including wind chill), we take recess outdoors, with optional shorter outdoor breaks on colder days.
Lower School students have recess twice a day, while Upper School students have one recess period daily. Snack recess is 30 minutes, and lunch recess lasts for one hour.
Engaging in risky play—such as climbing trees, balancing on cables, or navigating natural obstacles—helps children develop confidence and risk-assessment skills. Risk is not about recklessness but about recognizing challenges, making decisions, and gaining experience. What may seem risky at one age becomes second nature as children grow.
Natural environments enhance this experience. Loose materials like sand, sticks, water, and mud invite imaginative play and a deeper appreciation of nature. And yes, sometimes that means getting muddy—but the rewards far outweigh the mess.