SOUTHAMPTON — Trapeze rings, a mix of monkey bars and other climbing apparatuses make up the main play structure at the William E. Norris School.

While the playground can be a blast for kids, for the younger children at the school, around 3- to 5-years-old, the play area can be a challenge and sometimes dangerous.

“It can be intimidating for them,” kindergarten teacher Pauline Webster said.

When it’s time for recess, Webster said some of her students play with balls on the blacktop, others play in the sandbox, but the majority of the kids run to the play structure.

This school year, preschoolers and kindergartners will get their own playground thanks to a $65,000 grant from the town’s Community Preservation Act funds awarded to the school’s Parent-Teacher Organization.

On Friday, about 20 volunteers helped install the structure, pour cement at the bases and spread mulch. Webster helped with the process and said her students will be excited.

“It’s the perfect size for them,” she said looking at the brightly colored play structure.

The yellow, red and blue playground is low to the ground, has a variety of slides and a tunnel to crawl through. A general store area is built-in underneath with a bell children can ring. The top level has a steering wheel.

“It’s going to be very nice for the school,” Juliet Locke, co-chairwoman of the Parent-Teacher Organization, said.

Locke said some local contractors have donated their time to help out, and with the help, the costs previously estimated have gone down.

Locke said the PTO may use those funds to purchase a security camera, picnic tables and standalone play pieces.

Lack of funding for the school has been a concern. In June, voters shot down a $110,000 override to fund additional staff, curriculum materials and necessary supplies at the elementary school. For the PTO, the funding for the play structure is significant.

“We don’t have the money,” Laura Robak, co-chairwoman of the PTO, said. “It’s nice that the CPC (Community Preservation Committee) funds went through.”

The playground will be open to the public when school is not in session, allowing parents to come by and enjoy the structure with their children on the weekends.

Cindy Maak, principal of Site Specifics which supplied the structure, said the new structure is a “smart” playground that incorporates a smartphone activity with the play structure. Parents can download a Biba application on Google Play or iTunes has five different game options from a butterfly hunt to looking for dinosaur bones. The playground has markers that can be scanned to unlock additional content, activate mini-games and reveal treasure, according to the program’s website.

During school hours, students will stick with their imagination.

Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.

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