Children at Rochester Memorial School haven’t had a place to swing, slide, and shout on a surface that wasn’t made of asphalt since 2010.

Thanks to the efforts of the school’s playground committee, recess is about to get a lot more fun.

At a recent meeting, playground organizers earned the approval of the Rochester School Committee to build a playground with a total estimated cost of $29,000.

“We wanted a playscape to keep the kids happy and healthy for years to come,” Erin Bednarczyk said.

Bednarczyk, the Playground Committee’s co-chair and website coordinator, alongside Co-Chair and Treasurer Donna Fourcier, presented the plan. A few years ago, community members raised the money that will be used to construct the playground.  Until recently, the funds sat untouched.

Support former Rochester School Assistant Principal Susan Norton helped to resume the stalled playground project Bednarczyk said.

“Nothing else would have happened if it wasn’t for her,” Bednarczyk said of Norton’s contributions.

Playground committee members still need to raise $5,000 to cover construction costs. Bednarczyk said her committee would turn to local businesses for help in raising the money.

In the meantime, the committee members have purchased balls, jump ropes, and frisbees. Soccer goal posts were installed at the school too.

The new playground, which includes an eight-foot slide, fireman’s pole, and swings, will be built on the grassy area next to a newly constructed wing of the school. The structure is designed for children between the ages of five and 12.

“People take for granted that play space, and recreational space is part of a kid’s educational experience,” she said. “ Those spaces help student’s health and well-being.”

Once built, it will accommodate about 60 students at the same time.

The estimate takes into account the cost of installing surfacing material at the site.

The material, engineered wood fiber, is easy to maintain and easy on student’s bodies if they fall said Cindy Maak, of Site Specifics LLC located in Rochester. The company, owned by Maak, provides complimentary design service for groups looking to build playgrounds.

Specifically, the company focuses on safety standards and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Slides, bongo-pods, fitness elements and other opportunities provide access for kids of all abilities to play alongside one another, Bednarczyk said.

Maak, a Rochester resident, said the playground would be built in one day. Members of Maak’s small staff will guide the volunteers.

Bednarczyk said raising the playground is going to be a community event. The Rochester Lions Club offered to cook food for those helping out. A specific date hasn’t been chosen yet, but it will be built this summer Bednarczyk said.

About 25 volunteers are needed. Anyone is welcome to help Maak said, adding that not all of the tasks require heavy lifting; people are needed for small jobs such as assembling nuts and bolts.

The previous playground was torn down to make room for a school additional that opened in January of 2011.

The new playground is scheduled to be ready for the first day of school.