Suggestions for improving the playgrounds in Tampines

Pasir Ris Secondary School
Tampines Street 21
Singapore 529400
Tel:65010800
Fax:65010900

21 July 2008
Mr Mah Bow Tan
Minister of National Development
Member Of Tampines GRC

Dear Minister Mah,

Suggestion for improving the playgrounds in Tampines

I have seeb the playgrounds in Tampines.The playgrounds there has been dedicated to all the people's needs. Almost every evening,i would see many childern coming out of their HDB flats to the playground to play with each other. The playgrounds are beautiful and are decorated with plants around the playgrounds.
However,your playgrounds have fail;ed to provide enough foe these children.The playgrounds do not have many facilities. You could have added merry-go-rounds abd swings.One more thing about your playgrounds is that the palygrounds you have made can only be used by normal children.
There are many disabled children in Singapore, especially in the Tampines area. You should make some playgrounds that can be used by the physically and visually handicapped children.
My friends and I recently did a project about building a playground for the physically handicapped.
The physically handicapped playgrounds eases the children's movement and there will be some obstacles in the playground which will make it challenging for the children. After completing the obstacles, the children might feel more confident. The play ground should have ramps so that the children with wheelchairs can go up. Swings can also be installed. However, safety precaution must be taken so that the children will feel like flying . Safety belts must be installed into the swings so that the children will feel safe while having fun. The flooring can be made of rubber, so that when the children accidentally fall off their wheelchairs, they will not be injured.
Thank You for your time and attention i look forward to your reply.
Yours Truly,
Jason Law Yi Wei
Student
Pasir Ris Secondary School

Letter to Minister Mah

PASIR RIS SECONDARY SCHOOL
390 TAMPINES STREET 21
SINGAPORE 529400
Tel: 6501 0800Fax: 6501 0900

21 July 2008

Mr Mah Bow Tan
Minister of National Development,
Member of Tampines GRC

Dear Minister Mah,

Suggestions and feedbacks about improving the playgrounds in Tampines

We went around looking at the various playgrounds found in Tampines neighbourhood.After visiting these playgrounds,we have come up with an idea for building a playground specially designed for the handicapped people.

The playground will have ramps to make it more accessible and it will also provide handicap accessible playing equipment for the handicapped so they can enjoy playing just like the normal children,this can make the handicapped people more cheerful and happy. The playground is covered with soft material as to cushion the child's fall so they won’t get hurt so easily when they fall.The playground will be colourful so as to attract the handicap to the playground. The playground helps the handicap to widen their knowledge they also will be able to foster friendship so that they would not be lonely the children will be able to overcome fear as there will be many challenges such as they will move around on their own with safety measures.This playground can slowly build up their own confidence as the time goes by.

As I was walking around the playgrounds in the neighbourhood,I noticed that the handicaps are always sitting by on the bench looking at the children running around and playing in the playground.It’s very upset to see that the handicaps are always left behind and this could demoralize the confidence in themselves.I seldom see handicaps trying out the playground by themselves,so if we build a specially designed playground for handicap we will be able to see more handicap
at the playground with laughter being heard miles away and their bright smiles on their faces.

We could install ramps for the handicaps to ease their accessibility to the playground.We could also design swings with seat belts for the handicap so that they will not fall so easily.The flooring of the playground should be rubber so that when they fall,they would not get hurt so easily.Railings should be included in the playground to assist them to move around more freely.

I really hope that you could look into this suggestion as soon as possible.I look forward to see the playground built for the handicap.I would also like to thank you for your precious time in reading this letter.

Yours sincerely,
Gan Ding Zhan
Student of Pasir Ris Secondary School

letter to mah bow tan

Pasir Ris Secondary School
390 TAMPINES STREET 21
SINGAPORE 529400

21July 2008

Mr Mah Bow Tan
Minister For National Development
Member of Tampines GRC

Dear Minister Mah,

Suggestions for improving the playgrounds in Tampines

We did some research about the various playgrounds that allow handicaps to use it. These playgrounds could make the lives of the handicaps more enjoyable as they might not have experience playing on the playground before. We have come up with an idea of a handicap playground.

This playground eases handicaps in the movement of the playground as they have difficulty in moving around. They also will be able to foster friendship so that they would not be lonely. The handicaps will be able to overcome fear as there will be many challenges such as they will move around on their own with safety measures and parents would be able to accompany them to ensure their safety. It is specially designed for the handicapped children. It has special learning corners to let the children learn. This could build up their confidence in themselves.

I have researched about the playground in Tampines neighborhood and have noticed that the handicaps are not able to use the playgrounds and whenever the children are playing the playground the handicaps would just sit one side and watch then play. The playgrounds do not have facilities that could be used for the handicaps. Their faces looked as if they had been abandoned. It is very heartening to see their sad faces I hope I could help them but I cannot.

The playgrounds in Tampines could be installed with ramps that ease the accessibility of the handicaps. Swings make children feel like they can fly. Good swing set seats lets them experience that feeling while staying safe. Special swing seats could be built in with safety belts that secure the handicap’s safety and would prevent them from falling down. The flooring could be made of rubber so it would be able to impact the falling. Railings could guide the handicaps and could be installed around the inside of the playground.

I hope that the authorities could look into the matter as soon as possible.

Yours truly,
Arnold Pok Shun Jie
Student of Pasir Ris Secondary School

Steps to get a perfect idea

First idea......
Our second idea.......
Our final perfect idea.........
Pictures of our group's sketches (which is ideas)........

Steps to in building the playground

Playground making process......
Begining to statr to build playground.......Almost there........Finally Done...... phew ..... hard work.....
Pictures of the steps and how we construct our playground

Materials needed to build playground

Those materials that we use:
Ice Cream sticks.......,
SuperGlue.......,
Styrofoam boards.......,
Sand......,and....


Paint.......,

These are photograph that we took.......

Reflection

Eco-friendly features about mt group's 3-D model
Remarks (e.g materials to be used, relevant research with links, photograph link etc)
- We used biodegradable materials like popsicles, styrofoam board and plasticine

Playground designs/concepts that are linked to the novel
- Our playground background is from Terabithia

Explain of the how the design/concept are linked to the novel
- Novel had a castle which is called Terabithia

Playground design/concept that meets the special needs of the children explanation
-It gives the handicapped children how a castle look like as they difficuly in moving around
-It helps the handicap children to widen their knowledge
-They also will be able to froster friendship so that they would not be loney
-The children will be able to overcome fear as there will be many challenges such as they will move around on their own with safty measures

REFLECTION

Eco-friendly features about my group’s 3D-model
-Recycled materials like ice-cream sticks,tooth picks and styrofoam.


Playground designs/concepts that are linked to the novel
-Castle structured playground

Explanation of how the designs/concepts are linked to the novel
-There is a castle in the novel.

Playground designs/concepts that meet the special needs of the children with explanantion
-It have safety measure to ensure the safety of the children.
-It is specially designed for the handicapped children
-It have special learning corners to let the children learn

REFLECTION

Reflections

Eco-friendly features about my group’s 3D-model
-we are using items like ice cream sticks which are not harming the environment


Playground designs/concepts that are linked to the novel
- our design consists of a brodge which is like the bridge towards terabithia
-our design consists of a big castle like the castle,terabithia


Explanation of how the designs/concepts are linked to the novel
- The novel had the castle and the bridge and so does our design


Playground designs/concepts that meet the special needs of the children with explanantion
-our playgrond has i ram in the playground so that the disabled children can go up with their wheel-chairs
-The playground is covered with soft material as to cushion the child's fall.
-The playground will be colourful.

REFLECTION

Eco-friendly features about my group’s 3D-model
Remarks (e.g. materials to be used, relevant research with links, photograph links etc)
1)We used many biodegradable materials.
2)We do not use wood so no trees are cut down for our playground

Playground designs/concepts that are linked to the novel
1)Castle structure

Explanation of how the designs/concepts are linked to the novel
1)The novel had a castle

Playground designs/concepts that meet the special needs of the children with explanantion
1)Our playground provides handicap accessible playing equipment.
2)The playground has only two level as to make it more accessible for handicap children.
3)The playground is covered with soft material as to cushion the child's fall.
4)The playground will be colourful.
5)The playground will have ramps to make it more accessible.

REFLECTIONS

Eco-friendly features about my group’s 3D-model
-we use Eco-friendly like styrofoam board, icecream sticks, tooth pick, plasticine
-lots of planning work with photos



Playground designs/concepts that are linked to the novel
-Our playground is like the castle in bridge to teribithia


Explanation of how the designs/concepts are linked to the novel
- The novel had the castle and the bridge


Playground designs/concepts that meet the special needs of the children with explanantion
-it gives the handicap children how a castle look like as they difficuly in moving around
-it helps the handicap children to widen their knowledge
-they also will be able to froster friendship so that they would not be loney
-the children will be able to overcome fear as there will be many challenges such as they will move around on their own with safty measures

Reflections of the design of the playground

Eco-friendly features about my group's 3D model
Remarks(e.g. material to be used, relevant with links, photograph links, etc)
-The material we use are Eco-friendly, those material are like tooth pick, the ice cream sticks, Styrofoams, plasticine


Playground designs/concepts that are linked to the novel
Explanation of how the designs/concepts are linked to the novel
-The design of the playground is like the castle and the bridge in the novel
-This design is very similar to the novel as they build a tree house that looks like a castle and the bridge that Jess build
when the rope that they always swing broke.



Playground designs/concepts that meet the special needs of the children
Explanation of how the designs meet the special needs of the children
-The design enable the handicapped children to move about around in the playground as those slopes are build for the wheel chair to move up and those railing enable the handicapped children to move around using those railings as they could use their hands to push themselves around so they could move around independly, without anyone helping them except when they are using the slide.

This playground will look as if it is made for ordinary kids. However this playground is actually a multi function playground. Ordinary and disabled kids can have fun together which will foster friendships. I think that this playground is a very good opportunity for disabled kids to have interaction with the ordinary children.

Swing Set and Playground Swing Seats

Swings make children feel like they can fly. Good swing set seats lets them experience that feeling while staying safe. American Swing prides itself on making the highest quality playground swing seats on the market. This swing is well suitable for young handicapped children. This will boost the confidence of the children and feel like there are having the same experience as the ordinary children.

1. 
   
   
   
   
   
   1.This swing is for people who is riding wheelchair.This may help the handicapped people to experience that they have the taste of swinging
   
   
   2.The sign is to tell people that this playground activities is for handicapped people
   
   
   3.This is a specailly made for the handicapped people to experience how the feeling of digging holes in the sand in a sandy playground!!!!

There are swings made specially for handicap people and there are also
slopes made for wheelchairs to go up so that it would be more convenient for them

Examples of play grounds we are going to make

LIKE THIS TYPE OF PLAYGROUND:














I like the playground because it HAS SOME THE EQUIPMENT IN THE PLAYGROUND and they also make the playground full of slopes which alow all the handicapped people to move up and down. They can move FREELY around the playground!!!!! Also this playground looks really interesting because it has all the functions of the handicapped playground. So in my opinion, this playground can encourage handicapped people to experience how interesting the playground could be.

Brief description of playground

The playground would be made for handicap people. the playground would be made of lots of slope that would be more easily acessiable so that it would encourage integrated play a success. Helping children of all abilities to play side by side promotes confidence, acceptence, and friendship. The photos of the playgrounds we have uploaded are examples of fully intergrated, totally ramped system for ultimate accessibility.

Our sources........ inspiring ones...

From the book..... Land Structure, Game Time

WE ARE READY!

Of course we are ready,nothing seemed difficult to us not even building the handicapped playground because we are the playground makers!

Introduction

Leader- Yeong Chan
Secretary-Arnold
Design IC-Jin Wei
Builder IC- Ding Zhan
Research IC-Kai Zhi
Presenter- Jason Law

HIHIHIH ARE YOU READY BUILDERS???

Happy playing for the handicap..... weeeeee....

HIHIHIH ARE YOU READY BUILDERS???

Then gogogo.... go get them.....