North Hempstead, NY – North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth, Council Member Viviana Russell and Parks and Recreation Commissioner Jill Weber are pleased to announce that the Town recently cut the ribbon on a new outdoor classroom at Bunky Reid Park in New Cassel. The classroom is a playground that promotes learning, while incorporating playing outdoors with musical instruments. It includes a stage and performance area; tables for art projects, and a movement and music area with cymbals, amadinda, Tung-drums and rainbow chimes. The entry to the outdoor classroom features the color, playful artwork by artist Emmett Wigglesworth.

The Outdoor Classroom was funded in part by the Town, and a generous grant from the Early Years Institute, the Hagedorn Foundation, Angela and Scott Jagger Foundation, Sandy River Charitable Foundation, Frances Dewing Foundation, William E. and Maude S. Pritchard Charitable Trust, Rauch Foundation, Westbury Class of 1969, NV5, designer, and artist Emmet Wigglesworth.

“It’s wonderful to watch how excited the children get when they see the Outdoor Classroom and all the features for climbing, exploring and making music,” said Supervisor Bosworth. “It’s also a terrific space for educators to bring students and teach lessons about the environment, or art and music. It’s only limited by the imagination!”

“The Outdoor Classroom can help reconnect children with nature and promote dynamic nature-based play and learning,” said Council Member Russell. “It’s designed to stimulate creativity, improve language and science skills and contribute to a child’s healthy development. We are so grateful to our wonderful partners on this project who helped make it a reality.”

The outdoor classroom also includes two tile art tables; two nature sorting tables; and a tree house. Teachers bringing students to the outdoor classroom can also request the use additional items to enhance the learning experience, including dancing scarves, garden tools, and other learning instruments.

“The Town is so thrilled to be able to offer children an opportunity to be creative through art, music and innovative play,” said Parks and Recreation Commissioner Jill Weber.

“The true beauty of this space is that groups of parents and children from Westbury came together to decide the theme for this outdoor classroom,” said Dana Freidman, Deputy Commissioner Suffolk County Department of Social Services. “They wanted to recognize the diversity of Westbury and chose music to represent the international language understood by all. The Early Years Institute, no longer in business, is proud to have inspired and funded this new space for the children of Westbury.”

For more information about the outdoor classroom, call the Town’s 311 Call Center.

Supervisor Judi Bosworth; Council Member Viviana Russell; Parks and Recreation Commissioner Jill Weber; Deputy Commissioner Suffolk County Department of Social Services Dana Freidman; along with teachers and students from the Westbury Head Start program attend the ribbon cutting for the new outdoor classroom.

Children try out the new equipment at the outdoor classroom at Martin “Bunky” Reid Park.

Children try out the new equipment at the outdoor classroom at Martin “Bunky” Reid Park.