Cardiff pupils get cooler, greener playgrounds

beehiveweb.co.uk editorial team 2026-07-29 16:03 3 min read

A child playing on a wooden swing in a lush, green outdoor setting.

Sections of hard-surfaced playground at Cardiff schools are being replaced with trees, planting beds, wildlife habitats and rainwater systems designed to help pupils cope with a changing climate.

The first transformation has been completed at Ysgol Mynydd Bychan in Cathays, where pupils now have a nature-rich space for outdoor learning, play and growing food. Four more schools are initially earmarked for the programme: Gabalfa Primary School, St Cadoc’s Catholic Primary School, Glyncoed Primary School and St Illtyd’s High School.

The climate-adaptive Healthy Playground programme is a partnership between Cardiff Council and environmental charity Trees for Cities, supported through the council’s One Planet Cardiff Capital Fund.

What has changed at Ysgol Mynydd Bychan

The Cathays school has replaced parts of its traditional tarmac playground with features intended to provide shade, support biodiversity and make better use of rainwater.

The redesigned space includes trees, a Mediterranean garden with plants expected to cope with hotter conditions, raised beds for herbs and vegetables, wildlife-friendly habitats, a wormery and a rainwater harvesting system.

Head teacher Glesni Lloyd said pupils use the shaded areas during hot breaks and enjoy taking part in planting and growing. The space is also being used for science lessons and outdoor learning.

Local charity Grow Cardiff is running regular hands-on sessions at the school, covering food growing, biodiversity and climate action. The wider engagement programme includes workshops, teacher training and learning resources linked to the Welsh curriculum.

Five Cardiff schools are in the initial programme

The scheme is focused on school grounds in areas considered more vulnerable to climate impacts, including overheating, flooding and biodiversity loss.

Cardiff pupils get cooler, greener playgrounds

At schools where flooding is a concern, planned designs include rain gardens. These are landscaped areas intended to help manage rainfall through sustainable drainage, while also creating additional planting and wildlife space.

The five-year partnership between Cardiff Council and Trees for Cities has already introduced green spaces to 40 school playgrounds. The latest programme extends that work by combining physical changes with lessons and practical activities for pupils.

How the project fits Cardiff’s climate plans

Cardiff Council said the work forms part of its One Planet Cardiff response to climate change. Funding from the capital fund has also supported a rainwater harvesting system at Bute Park Nurseries, secure cycle parking in the city centre and thermal imaging cameras available to borrow from Cardiff libraries to help residents identify heat loss in their homes.

Councillor Dan De’Ath, Cardiff Council’s cabinet member for climate change, strategic planning and transport, said the playgrounds would give children practical ways to learn about climate action, including growing and eating more locally produced food.

Cabinet member for education Councillor Sarah Merry said greener and more biodiverse school environments could help protect pupils from climate impacts while creating new places to learn and connect with nature.

Trees for Cities programme development head Carys Alder said the Ysgol Mynydd Bychan project showed how the council, charity, school and wider community could turn a tarmacked playground into a climate-adapted learning space.

The next phase will focus on developing climate-responsive playgrounds at the other four Cardiff schools, alongside continued workshops and outdoor learning activity.

Source: Cardiff Council Newsroom

Context & actions About this article

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The report was checked against the Cardiff Council Newsroom release and limited to the schools, features, funding and statements confirmed there.

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