Invercargill Middle School Board of Trustees presiding member Amber Spence said the board identified the need for a new playground last year after health and safety concerns were raised about the old structure.
"The playground is over 60 years old so we’ve had to patch up areas of it to ensure that it is safe for the kids to play on but it’s no longer fit for purpose," Ms Spence said.
The worn state of the playground deterred the tamariki from playing on it and it was no longer considered an "inspired learning tool", that engaged their interest.
A professional assessment was done on the playground which indicated it did not fit the school’s curriculum in terms of outdoor education, she said.
A new school playground would have to "meet all the aspects of mentally and physically challenging the pupils".
The board decided the playground needed to be replaced so fundraising activities were put into action.
Invercargill Middle School is holding a Neon Nights disco tomorrow night to raise funds to revamp the playground.
The Neon Nights disco will be held in the school hall and all families from the community with children up to 14 years old were invited.
Getting the pupils involved in the fundraising efforts and teaching them valuable lessons in the classroom had made them "excited about the different ways they could help".
"We’ve tied learning about currency and how to handle cash in the classroom so it has been a real holistic way in embedding that kind of thinking in the children," she said.
The organisers of the Neon Nights disco were hoping whānau and the community would come out and support the event for a great family evening enjoying glow sticks and neon lights.
