After six months of construction the remodeled playground at the De Anza College Child Development Center is complete.

The children are not allowed to play on the structure yet, because Social Services needs to inspect and license the area. Paperwork is expected to be completed in the next couple of weeks, then a commencement ceremony will be held.

The Measure C bond funded the construction project. The bonds allocated money to re-landscape and repair broken college equipment and buildings such as the CDC’s playground.

“The total design and construction budget was approximately $410,000,” Pippa Gibson, executive assistant of Financial and Education Resources, said.

The CDC Measure C budget for the playground was under the amount needed to pay for everything. According to Naoko Harada, director of the CDC, the division has held fundraisers, including book fairs, with plans for more activities to pay off the remaining debt.

 “The amount originally budgeted was slightly less than the actual cost of the project. An additional amount of approximately  $47,000 was made up from other college funding, and the CDC parents have also donated money for this project,” Gibson said.

The new play area, located in the southeast corner of the CDC, offers a variety of items to keep a child’s interest such as a wooden playhouse, birdhouses, a shaded performance area and a “tot sized” gardening bed.

“It is a very nice structure and the teachers are excited to utilize it,” Karen Villalba, the assistant director for the Child Development Center, said.

According to Harada, the CDC teaches students to appreciate nature and create an edible garden, and involves the community, parents and students.

The remodeled playground not only offers excitement for the children involved but follows De Anza College’s mission to become more eco-friendly.

The playground is built with natural, recycled materials that are safe for everyone, including the environment.

“The shade structure [and] performance area are made of metal with a fabric canopy. The play surface under the … structure is made of recycled rubberized material. ‘Trex’ recycled plastic decking was also installed in the area,” Gibson said.

Trex is an eco-friendly trademark brand of alternative decking, railing, fencing and trim products. Trex is made up of wood and plastic fibers from recycled sources, such as plastic bags.

The innovative playground is geared toward children between the ages of two and five. The playhouse and play structure give children the ability to create endless possibilities of fun, Harada said.

The CDC is now accepting enrollment for the 2011-2012 school year, and plans to make use of the new play facilities.

This jungle gym and bird house are located behind the Child Development Center. (Brittany Sims)

Children can monkey around on this set of wooden ladders and bars. (Brittany Sims/La Voz Weekly)