All 17-year-olds, Kate Horrell (Waitaki Girls' High School), Scott Godsall (Waitaki Boys' High School) and Scott Algar (St Kevin's College), with the help of co-ordinator Gloria Hurst, are leading the concept to develop a play area with the help of their classmates and community volunteers.
A Waitaki Youth Forum in Oamaru in August asked young people what they liked about Oamaru, what needed to be enhanced and what they could do to make it happen.
A lot of what was discussed "came back to simple play", Mrs Hurst said.
That led to a project to create an environment where all ages could come to play, not just children but adults also.
While a specific site has not been identified - that will be up to discussions between the project group and the Waitaki District Council - they want it to be in the same area as a farmers market due to start in spring, possibly in the harbour area.
The concept is based on a playscape in Berlin.
It involves children and young people working with adults and retired people to build the playground, using whatever materials they can make or recycle.
The start will be making mud bricks on Sunday as part of the Oamaru Harbour Day.
People will pay to make bricks and then qualify for other courses.
The bricks will be taken to the Waitaki Community Gardens where they will be made into Hobbit-style houses, which can then be transported to the play area when it is selected.
Next week, about 40 year 7 children from Oamaru Intermediate School will visit the gardens and then make tiles which will be placed along the walkway from the Oamaru penguin colony to the gardens.
Adult volunteers were needed to help with the project, Mrs Hurst said, pointing out that 25% of Oamaru's population were 65 years or older and had a lot of skills to contibute.
"It will trigger the kid in us all, and it's the Oamaru way."
