As I towered over the small three and four year olds, I observed one boy making something out of colorful pipes. The structure resembled a colorful stick, maybe he was creating a conductor’s pointer.I asked the boy what he was making out of the colorful pipes, and his response was “this is my submarine” (Drew ’29).  

The Pre-K at the Bolles Whitehurst Campus has a new and exciting addition to their playground: the Kompan Mermaid Water Fountain. Kompan, the world’s leading manufacturer of playgrounds, is based on three main pillars: health, learning, and environment.

Kompan believes that the more children play, the healthier they will be. Also, behind all fun lies learning. Kompan uses recycled materials whenever possible to create a sustainable design. This environment friendly design results in a better future for children.

The new Kompan Mermaid Fountain on the Whitehurst Campus, was a gift from the Bolles class of 2029. It has been a big hit with the Pre-K, and encourages the children to “take risks, but still be safe” mentioned Pre-K teacher, Ms. Gwin.

The Pre-K typically plays with the Mermaid Fountain several times a week, especially when it is hot outside because the kids can get their clothing wet and dry quickly.

The Pre-K’s mindset when playing with the Mermaid Fountain is “if we get wet, we just dry.”

The carefree atmosphere enables the children to be adventurous with the water, which can stimulate their creative side. Ms. Gwin says the aquatic Mermaid Fountain is great because it “lets them [children] explore and play. That is how they figure things out.”

Stacy Mosley, sales manager for Kompan and mother of Tai-Tai Scherer 18’, was “proud of Bolles for being an educational leader in understanding how important play can be in children,  developing self confidence, social skills & creativity. Challenging play leads to problem solving minds.”

As I played with the Pre-K, I observed both the boys and girls eagerly reaching for buckets and swirling their fingers through the water. I heard a countless amount of times “look what I made!” from the children, as they proudly showed off their vibrant masterpieces made from plastic pipes. Their creativity amazed me.

Running around the squishy mulch, which had the classic wet mulch musty aroma, the children continued to play with the Mermaid Fountain. The occasional splash of water onto one of their shirts did not concern them. Instead, they continued to play with big smiles on their faces.

The Kompan Mermaid fountain encourages children to be adventurous. It is an excellent addition to the Pre-K playground because it builds confidence in the little ones from an early age.