MERRILL -- The youngest students in Merrill Area Public Schools might not know it, but their new play area is full of teachable moments.

The fenced-in, 15,750-square-foot area outside the Merrill Head Start/Early Childhood program this year was transformed from a grass field with a single hill into a sprawling playscape complete with a bridge, pumpkin patch and playhouse. Homeroom special section: Revisit previous Homeroom headlines

The natural playscape, dubbed "The Secret Path" by students, is designed in a way that will make the students learn various concepts such as problem-solving, teamwork and other skills. Merrill Focus online

The Head Start/Early Childhood teachers observed that the students were more engaged when they were able to visit the forests and natural areas, so the playscape is a way to give the students that experience every day, head teacher Beth Tepper said.

The program serves 100 students ages 3 to 5 who come from low-income families, have special needs or both.

The playscape was finished after three years of fundraising and collaboration with groups such as the Merrill Rotary Club and Boy Scout Troop 507. In all, the school received $20,000 in grants and donations for the project.

"It gives them more room to explore," Tepper said of the playscape. "Kids need a lot of movement, they're not used to the 'sit-and-get'-type learning. The more energy they can put into learning, the more possibility they have for (retaining) that information."

Parent James Ullman said his son Connor, 4, likes to move around dirt and soil on the playscape. The students have a small garden where they learn about plants and how wildlife is affected by the seasons.

It seems like the students can do so much more on the playscape than on a ordinary playground, Ullman, 33, said.

Students such as Connor and Brady Kanitz, 4, enjoy The Eagle Nest, which is a small house with open windows on the playscape grounds.

The play area gives children who don't have large backyards or live on farms the ability to experience nature, Brady's mother, Ginger Kanitz, 32, said.

The Kanitz family helped plant bushes and perennials at the playscape.

The playscape is open to the public during non-school hours.