Students at Austin Road Elementary School were excited to discover that their playground blacktop now features vibrant, student-inspired murals designed to encourage movement, creativity and play.
Earlier this year, school staff and the PTO began discussing ways to make outdoor play spaces even more engaging for students. The PTO connected with Jasminia Otero, a Westchester-based mural artist, who collaborated closely with the school to develop designs that would inspire students to stay active during recess and outdoor learning time.
Recently, Otero spent three days painting a series of colorful, large-scale interactive designs across the blacktop, including movement mazes, giant tic-tac-toe boards and a whimsical “Austin Road Town,” a space for imaginative play and student-created games.
“The students immediately gravitated toward the designs,” Austin Road Principal Bryan Gilligan said. “We wanted the murals to invite kids to move, to collaborate and to use their imaginations, and that’s exactly what we saw. Watching students create their own games on the spot shows how important unstructured play can be.”
The project was made possible through the continued partnership between Austin Road Elementary and the PTO, whose support helped bring the murals from idea to reality. The collaboration also included thoughtful planning to visualize how students naturally use the space and how artwork could enhance those routines.
And the outdoor improvements aren’t done yet. A brand-new Gaga Pit will be installed soon, adding another exciting activity area for students.
“We are very fortunate to have such a supportive school community,” Gilligan said. “These are the kinds of shared efforts that strengthen the heart of Austin Road.”
