Melton City Council sought expertise from Xyst to develop comprehensive Kindergarten Play Space Design Guidelines for the 25 licensed facilities under its administration.
The guidelines were to reflect best‑practice early childhood design principles, relevant Victorian Government requirements, and insights from Council’s draft Community Infrastructure Planning Tool (2022).
The project included the development of design standards for outdoor play spaces—covering general spatial requirements, child‑centred and inclusive design, safety and compliance, play types, sustainability considerations, curriculum integration, and maintenance requirements. The guidelines were also informed by leading sector references, including Early Childhood Australia (ECA) and the Early Learning Association Australia (ELAA), and incorporated illustrative graphics.
In parallel, a Play Space Design Checklist and Play Value Assessment Tool was developed to evaluate the outdoor play spaces across 24 facilities, catering primarily to 3–5‑year‑old children (and one centre also serving infants from 6 months). Each site assessment provided a comparative play value rating, recommended improvements, a basic spatial diagram, and photographic documentation, mirroring the methodology used in Melton City Council’s Playgrounds Play Value Assessment project.
