While it has taken me a little bit I finally got a drawing of my neighbourhood. As you can see the neighbourhood that I live in offers very little of a play space for children. We have the trains going by, that are loud, which could drive kids to not want to play outside, but also with two major roadways make it not the safest area for children to be outside in this area.

Though not all is lost for this neighbourhood. There is a small park that has some green space, as well as trees that do line the street. And if you take about a 10-15 minute walk from here you are immersed in a forest area along the river. There is also a larger park area and green space that is along the trail at the river as well. So, while my neighbourhood isn’t geared towards children with a little bit of a walk you can reach some awesome green space and parks for children.

If I could change something in my neighbourhood to make it more child-friendly, I would see what the children of the neighbourhood wanted to see. Maybe that means shutting the street down for block parties or street hockey. Maybe that looks like a communal library box, or bulletin board to share their creations they made in their yards. All of these things could possibly lead to more neighbourhood connections and friendships made, which would fuel the inspiration we are seeing with the children of the neighbourhood.

Hopefully when other educators have their classes draw maps of their neighbourhoods they can identify the areas that are the best for them, or what they could change. Maybe it leads to something that they can add to their letters they write to their local government. Drawing a map of your neighbourhood can bring light to so many new ideas.

Have fun, get creative and keep checking back to see what else we are doing.

– Stephanie