Saying goodbye to the beloved Catlin Gabel playground and welcoming a new one

By Erin Chow ‘25

Photo by Nicole Rinetti-Clawson.

The Catlin Gabel School playground is one of the most iconic aspects of the campus. It's a place where children come together laughing and smiling as they run across the bark chips, climb up the wooden steps, and sway back and forth on the tire swings. 

The Catlin playground has consistently been a fan-favorite place to hang out and is the main playground on the school’s campus. However, in the spring of 2024, it became apparent that the beloved playground, built in the 1990s by older alumni, could no longer serve the Beginning and Lower School (BLS) community. The playground had served the school community for almost thirty-five years. 

In the 1990s, older Catlin alumni and their families had the opportunity to participate in building the playground. Playground by Leathers provided all the needed equipment and materials, and the alumni and their families put the playground pieces together using hammers and other construction tools. While efforts have been made to maintain the playground, the challenges of preserving a mainly wooden structure have become increasingly difficult and costly. 

Each year, Catlin spends approximately $20,000 on playground maintenance and repairs. This past year, administrators and BLS faculty observed significant safety concerns with the existing playground, along with high upkeep costs. As a result, the playground became a topic of conversation among Nick Zosel-Johnson, the head of the Beginning and Lower School, and other faculty members; they began discussing what was working with the current playground and what could be improved. 

One specific area for improvement was the lack of supervision teachers could provide to students playing on the current playground with its current design. Since the current playground is one piece, there are minimal sightlines teachers can use for supervision. Due to safety hazards that required action, discussions about a new playground began.  

In the fall of 2024, it was decided that Catlin needed a new playground. To start this process, multiple “playground committees” were formed, incorporating voices from the administration and parents whose children were of various ages in the BLS. Additionally, a playground fundraiser was created to raise money, and it is projected to cost approximately 1.3 to 1.6 million dollars.

The fundraiser, which started in Oct., has received over 1.1 million dollars in donations, which will cover a substantial portion of the playground cost. 

“Very generous people have stepped forward. They really want to make sure this happens,” said Director of Advancement, Nicole Rinetti-Clawson. She emphasized how “blown away” she was by the generosity of the community in ensuring that this playground project succeeds.   

Zosel-John echoes this claim adding, “The really positive response from the community has meant that we've been able to design our best option [for the playground].”

In terms of the building and design process, Catlin decided to work with Walsh Construction, which is also building the new Community Center for Athletics and Wellness. They also chose Mayer Reed to aid in the design process and Earthscape for needed playground materials. Alongside these partnerships, the playground committee has been actively refining the playground’s design. 

Since the fall of 2024, the playground committee has met multiple times to explore other playgrounds in the Portland area and work and refine the design for Catlin’s playground. The committee also organized a playground event in December for BLS families and children to look at possible playground designs, share their ideas, and leave feedback. Some of the ideas kids aspired to see as a part of the new playground included climbing, imaginative play, swings, and slides. 

This commitment to student involvement reflects a long-standing tradition at Catlin. When the playground was originally built, many alumni contributed to its construction; now, the new playground hopes to incorporate the ideas of the new generations of Catlin.

Last year, during the annual fifth-grade trip to Seattle, the class researched various playgrounds in the area. They later explored these playgrounds, observing features they wanted to see incorporated into the Catlin playground.

Since then, Catlin has transformed the students’ innovative ideas into a playground designed to reflect their visions and preferences. Exciting aspects of the new playground include a “hot lava” vibe with its layout, a newly refurbished boat to replace the iconic old boat (an important part of the requested imaginative play), and a sand pit with water running through it. The playground also incorporates various ways for children to experience an element of risk, which, according to Zosel-Johnson, “was important.”

Another pressing issue with the current playground was student safety. The new playground will consist of multiple smaller pieces instead of one large piece and has improved sightlines. Ultimately, this will allow teachers to better supervise their students during recess and other playtime. 

“We also want [the playground] to be an inclusive playground,” emphasized Zosel-Johnson.

As a progressive school, Catlin strives to have play that is not predefined and wants an inclusive playground that works for all children. One example is having certain elements of the playground meant for spinning, which has been shown to be settling and soothing for some children. Another example is having swings for kids of all abilities, including a wheelchair-accessible swing that a student in a wheelchair could be loaded onto.

These aspects of the new playground were important to include, as they aligned with Catlin’s mission and ability to create a sense of community. 

While the new playground marks an exciting change, it may bring mixed emotions for older alumni who once played a role in the creation. Catlin will host a few upcoming events, inviting alumni back to celebrate the playground’s legacy before the construction process begins. 

One such event is the unveiling of a possible time capsule hidden beneath the old playground. When it was first built, a time capsule was buried, and in the coming months, Catlin hopes to reunite alumni for its reveal. Additionally, there is speculation that another time capsule may be buried during the construction of the new playground. 

Another community event includes a distribution of hand-designed shirts created by Catlin alum Owen Chenoweth ‘24. When the original playground was built, corresponding t-shirts were created to celebrate the playground. Now, these t-shirts will act as a lasting piece of the playground project and its success.

With these events underway, the excitement continues as the playground is set to break ground before the end of the school year. Construction is projected to be completed before students come back to campus for the 2025-26 school year. 

As Catlin moves forward with the playground project, it ensures that the school’s mission and students' visions for the playground are encapsulated. The collaboration between administration, faculty, students, parents, and alumni truly ensures that this new space will embody tradition and innovation. With the generous support of the Catlin community, the new playground will soon become another cherished aspect of its legacy.