Westport Kindergarten’s Epic New Playground

Westport Kindergarten has been helping local children learn, play and grow for generations. With around 100 children aged two to five attending each year, it's an important place where young learners build confidence, make friends and explore the world around them. After years of patch-up maintenance, the outdoor play area was ready for something more.

Troy Scanlon (co-owner and operator) and the team at Mitre 10 Westport are no strangers to playground builds, having completed Helping Hands projects at five schools in Westport already. Levelling up the play space at Westport Kindergarten was the obvious next step, so Troy and his team brought together a massive crew of local tradespeople, suppliers and volunteers to deliver a complete playground makeover.

Working side by side, the team transformed the space with a new climbing fort, slide, deck, shaded chill out zone, a bike track, a mud kitchen and upgraded landscaping. A project that would have well exceeded the kindergarten’s budget became a reality thanks to the generosity of the local community and businesses who donated their time, skills and materials.

Cate Barry, General Manager and Licensee of the Westport Kindergarten Association, said that “for Mitre 10 to come on board and help us out, it’s been massive. This is something we couldn’t have done on our own. The learning that the children will get out of these resources and from the playground is incredible.”

The result is a vibrant outdoor space where generations of West Coast children can play, learn and imagine together. “It’s even better than what we envisaged,” Cate said, “it’s amazing!” Though the playground’s grand opening was on a chilly winter morning, it was in hot demand, and the kids had an absolute blast.