Leathers and Associates have been fortunate to collaborate with communities throughout the country on memorial playground projects. The playgrounds are a way to turn a painful loss into a positive experience that provides a long-term remembrance of a loved one.
In Yuma, AZ Stewart Vincent Wolfe Creative Playground is a super-sized playground located in Yuma’s West Wetlands Park. Ron Martin donated a large amount to the playground project in memory of his friend Vince, who loved the park. Yuma’s city parks department managed the project, which made this special playground possible.
This true community effort boasts some impressive numbers: a budget of more than $300,000, 8,000-plus construction volunteers, imaginative ideas from 5,000 school children, 50 committee volunteers serving on 9 committees,and 10 short but full days of construction. The result is a17,000-square-foot kingdom for kids—that’s over 3 acres of playground!
Martin said that “the biggest thing is the people working on this from all walks of life. The inmates were honored to be here. And the winter visitors were awesome. This showed they’re part of the community. There was so much positive energy. It’s amazing to see the finished product.”
Ellen from Love that Max allowed us to share with you her visit to Imagination Playground in New York City. Thank you for sharing your stories and pictures. If you do not regularly read her blog, you should.
A few months ago, I read a magazine article about Imagination Playground, a breakthrough play area at South Street Seaport in New York City that encourages unstructured play. David Rockwell designed it, a big-shot architect who’s tackled everything from hotels to the set design for the Broadway show Hairspray.
The piece mentioned movable foam parts kids could use to build stuff, sand, water structures, a tower to climb. It sounded fantastic, and much more exciting than the usual slide-swings-jungle-gym playgrounds. Then Beth from Role Mommy and Kim from Mom In The City invited a bunch of local bloggers to a family event at Imagination Playground. Is it weird that I was even more excited about it than Sabrina was? I felt bad, Max had school, but we’ll definitely come again.
First, we had lunch at the lovely and fascinating South Street Seaport Museum, catered by ‘Wichcraft and Stew Leonard’s. Double yum. Sabrina was especially pleased that I let her have a cupcake before her sandwich (because, er, I did that too).
Here is a video that shows what happens when parents think positively and have determination. Because of their work, tons of children in the City of Lake St. Louis area have an amazing accessible playground to play on. The family is now working on three more playgrounds:
Shaw Park Tree Top Playground in Clayton, MO (Scheduled completion Oct. 2010), Bug’s Life Playground at Westhoff Park in OFallon, MO (Scheduled completion Summer 2011), and a Playground at Jaycee Park in St Charles, MO (Scheduled completion Fall 2011).
To learn more visit the non-profit organization the family started: Unlimited Play
The Make-A-Wish foundation is granting the wish of Brody Wesbrock, a 4-year-old from Merrill, Wisconsin – they are building an inclusive playground at Washington Elementary School, the school he will attend next year.
“This is the first wish that I’ve done where the family and the child has wished to share their wish with so many different people,” Make-A-Wish volunteer Julina Meaden told WSAW News.
The playground was installed by Landscape Structures, and was designed to accommodate children of all abilities. The news provider reports that the structure will include an accessible spring platform, a special swing set and other disability-friendly equipment.
“The equipment itself is set at such a height so that anyone can use it, whether they’re using a wheelchair or not,” Tom Grygo of Landscape Structures told the news source.
“It’s a plus for the school, it’s a plus for the district – and for the community,” he added. “It’s a legacy gift, it’s more than just a trip. I mean, it’s here for a long time.”
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 8 percent of American children ages 5 to 17 have some form of functional limitation.
Freedom Trail Park’s all-inclusive playground in Westfield, Indiana held will its grand openin August 14. It will include a Sensory Garden, which will be planted this fall, and it will be the first garden in Indiana specifically geared for children with autism and is complemented by being one of the few sensory gardens in the state. The playground is geared toward individuals with special needs and to provide a chance for all individuals to learn and grow while playing together.
The Westfield Rotary Club partnered with the City of Westfield Parks Department to design, build, and fund the Sensory Garden features. During the design, the Hamilton County Autism Support Group (HCASG) conferred with them to make sure the features that are included are ones which children with autism would prefer, for example, spinning and twirl features. The equipment was built so more than one individual in a wheelchair can pass on the wide ramp system leading to all the play features. The swings include handicap accessible swings instead of platform swings.
Although the playground contains a play structure for individuals ages two through five, and a play structure for those five and older, the play area will have nature theme so that individuals of all ages will be encouraged to play in nature. The Sensory Garden is sponsored by the Westfield Rotary Club and endorsed by HCASG. The Sensory Garden will include specialty gardens with plants that stimulate a particular sense, such as smell, sight, sound, and touch.
“We are absolutely thrilled about the opening of this amazing park,” says Westfield Parks Director Melody Jones. “We are extremely optimistic that this park will become a destination for families all across the State of Indiana.”
President of the Westfield Rotary Club Kurt Wanninger says, “Our Club has adopted this park as one of our signature community service projects here in Westfield and Hamilton County, and the Club members are excited about the continued development of this project over coming years.”
This fall, many families from HCASG are planning to volunteer to help with the grounds garden area by planting bulbs and plants.
“Our organization is thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful partnership within our community,” Hamilton County Autism Support Group President Jane Grimes says. “This environment will provide and stimulate much needed support for our children and families who have autism. Our relationship with the City of Westfield and Westfield Rotary is so genuine and for all the right reasons. The rates of autism are continuing to climb at massive rates, as our state is now the 7th highest state in the US with the highest incidence of Autism.”
The cost of the playground is over $200,000 and was funded through a grant and park impact fees; no tax dollars were spent for this project.
After eight years of fundraising, an elementary school in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, was finally able to build its new playground with equipment from Landscape Structures.
Community volunteers who helped to install the equipment were members of the school community as well as eight members of the 185th Refueling Unit of the Iowa Air National Guard. While the project cost an estimated $70,000, the entire community will benefit from the new structure.
“We started fundraising for playground equipment nearly eight years ago,” Amber Bliss, the PTO’s secretary, said. “It took a lot of bake sales, book sales and fun runs to get us to this point, but we did it.”
According to the news provider, the equipment won’t be limited to elementary school children – kids of all ages will be able to enjoy the playground’s many features. The specific pieces which includes an EVOS system were chosen to help children flex both their physical and mental muscles. The playground will be opened to the entire community not just the students of the school. Therefore, everyone in the community will be able to enjoy the playground’s new chinning bar, “noodle tube,” and “gyro twister.”
Sandra Shellhouse envisions the day her daughter, Amanda, can interact with other children on the playground.
“It will mean the world to her,” Shellhouse said. “She loves to socialize and mingle. We used to put her in the seat swing at Solomon Park when she was little. Then she got the wheelchair, and since then, there was nowhere to go.”
A big, bright yellow, red and blue world of fun and adventure is opening for those like 20-year-old Amanda with the construction of the Rotary Miracle Playground located behind Westgate Park Recreation Center.
The half-million-dollar playground is being funded entirely with cash and in-kind contributions through the Dothan Rotary Club and the Dothan-Houston County Rotary Club.
Saturday more than 350 volunteers gathered to put metal to metal as part of the Dothan Leisure Service’s Community Build Playground project. Volunteers included parents of special needs children, soldiers fromFort Rucker, Rotarians, firefighters, law enforcement, public officials and others.
When the work was near completion in record time around 9:30 a.m., Shellhouse and her daughter discussed the possibilities.
“Now she can put her wheelchair on the Sway Fun that actually sways like a swing,” Shellhouse said. “There are ramps wide enough where two wheelchairs can meet each other. There is a music section, where my daughter can reach out and make bells ring and beat the drums. It’s not just play time, but therapy for her.”
The new playground will be completed mid-August after sidewalks are poured, rubber surfacing installed and landscaping done. Assistant Leisure Services Director Kim Meeker said there will be a grand opening event in August.
The new playground will be completed mid-August after sidewalks are poured, rubber surfacing installed and landscaping done. Assistant Leisure Services Director Kim Meeker said there will be a grand opening event in August.
It is the city’s fourth community build which have included Solomon Park, and, more recently Gussie McMillan and Pine Hill parks.
“A community build does build ownership. When you spread that ownership out to 300 or more people like we had here today, you are looking at the beginning of a good relationship,” Meeker said.
Construction on the playground began Monday with technical assistance from the playground manufacturer, Landscape Structures of Minnesota.
CPS Groundbreaker Program Students create ADA Accessible Playground
Mayor Richard M. Daley today joined Chicago Public Schools officials and members of the Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School community in dedicating a new playground at the West Side school.
The playground was designed and constructed with the assistance of Chicago Public Schools high school students who are part of the District’s unique Groundbreakers Program. During the school year, Groundbreakers students from 30 CPS high schools work part-time in project management to design CPS playgrounds A staff of five from the internal student-managed Groundbreakers Design Department coordinated the design process for Bethune’s new play area.
“We are excited about this new school playground because it offers amenities for an enjoyable place to play and exercise for students and families of this community,” said Mayor Daley. “The greatest feature of this new play ground is that it was designed and constructed with the assistance of Chicago Public Schools high school students through the Groundbreaker Program.”
The new play area replaces Bethune’s old asphalt play area and play lot, which were in disrepair and did not meet ADA accessibility standards. The new play area is split into two parts, north and south of the school. Youngest students play immediately next to the school building in a new ADA-accessible playground. Older students can play at the new track and artificial turf field.
The field can be used for all elementary sports and recreational activities. It is surrounded by a wrought iron fence which can be locked to ensure the safety of the students.
Demolition of the old playground began in mid-June and the project was completed at the end of July. The cost of the new playground, turf and drainage system was $350,000.
Student involvement was a key component of the project. The student team from Groundbreakers met with Bethune Principal Zipporah Hightower and school staff to develop two playground designs that provided interactive and educational play options. The CPS youth staff worked with a vendor on two custom designs which were presented to Bethune students for a vote. Last spring, students viewed 3D displays and cast their vote for the design they liked best. During summer break, the youth staff transitioned to a full-time work schedule to complete the installation of more than 20 playgrounds across the entire city of Chicago.
“I want to congratulate the students for a truly innovative design which is ADA accessible. This will ensure children with disabilities and their families can enjoy this park.” Mayor Daley added, ”helping to build 20 playgrounds throughout the city, provides hands-on, real-life work experience these students will need in the real professional world.”
LOS ANGELES, CA–(Marketwire – July 2, 2010) – It’s amazing how a new playground can breathe joy and a life into a community. Just ask the citizens of South Los Angeles. In May, PlayCore, together with their GameTime brand, CVS Pharmacy, Boundless Playgrounds and others helped Los Angeles breathe new life into the Gilbert Lindsay Community Center, and surrounding urban neighborhood, with a new playground.
What was once an empty patch of land in the middle of a congested, inner city now stands a gleaming playground that is the pride of the community. The center had previously built a new soccer field and 2,400 square foot recreation center, but still had no playground. Jon Mukri, General Manager for LA Recreation and Parks, promised the facility, “I will do all in my power to get you a new playground!”
Mukri called PlayCore CEO Bob Farnsworth, having heard of the many urban play areas the corporation had built. Farnsworth, having seen first hand the difference a play space can make on an underserved, urban neighborhood was excited and set the ball in motion by contacting Fred Leone, CEO of Boundless Playgrounds. Soon, other valuable sponsors stepped up in support, including the Good News Foundation, who was looking for a way to honor Anne and Kirk Douglas for the more than 400 playgrounds they had built in LA.
Over Memorial Day weekend LA’s Mayor, city employees, GameTime staff and others helped install the Kirk and Anne Douglas Playground. Myra Martinez, who lives nearby with her children, was excited about the revitalization and socialization this improved park has created, stating, “Before this playground there was nowhere in the area for mothers to take their children. This is so beautiful and the kids are so excited.”
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, along with LA City Staff and humanitarians Anne and Kirk Douglas, joined GameTime, PlayCore and other sponsors in a heartfelt ceremony held June 30th to dedicate and open the playground. PlayCore CEO Bob Farnsworth accepted a citation for the corporation’s work with urban communities, and told the crowd, “We are honored to have such a great job, bringing play to children and communities just like yours. We hope that you love your new playground as much as we love bringing it to you.” From the joyful smiles and shouts heard after the ribbon was cut, anyone would agree!
Explore and discover Michigan’s landscape with the entire family at the new universally accessible playscape at Waterford Oaks County Park. According to the Destination Oakland website, here is what you will find in this very unique playground.
Little explorers can discover Michigan’s wonders and learn about the Great Lakes State through simulated rock, water and fossil features. The play structure will include: an “Up North Woods” cabin, simulated tree fort, sand dunes area, marsh challenge course with simulated cattails, raised sand play area and multiple climbing structures. Colorful rubberized surfacing will depict Michigan’s Lakes and rivers.
Balance yourself on a cattail or explore nooks and crannies in the log crawl while navigating the Marsh Challenge Course. The Marsh Challenge Course features simulated logs as well as real and simulated stones that create a challenge course for balance, movement and navigation. This feature mimics the many nearby cattail marshes that are home to wildlife ranging from grasshoppers to birds and more.
Photo by cre8play
Explore Michigan’s natural Tree Fort. A simulated tree at the playground’s highest elevation, with several access points, allows children to climb up the interior of the tree or use the walkways and “trails” to access the deck that surrounds the top. Michigan boasts thousands of acres of forests which provide ample recreation opportunities such as hiking, camping and wildlife viewing.
Camp along the waters edge or fish from a fully accessible row boat. A log cabin allows children to set camp after a hard day of rock climbing and playing in the sand. The log cabin represents the experience of going “up north” and enjoying some of the most pristine, natural parts of Michigan.
Dig for fossils in Michigan’s sandy beach areas or climb sand
Photo by cre8play
dunes to Michigan’s backwoods trails. Simulated beaches and an elevated, accessible sand play area, complete with simulated fossils, allow for children of all ages to discover and learn. Michigan’s sandy beaches are one of its defining characteristics and a feature that make the state’s shorelines such a great vacation spot for millions of visitors each year.
Climb Michigan’s glacial rock formations. There are several real and simulated rock features that are great for climbing and exploring, or just sitting down to rest. Northern Michigan is well known for its rocky shorelines, cut by the glaciers as they receded across the landscape thousands of years ago.
Photo by cre8play
Cross Michigan’s natural river ravines and canyons or hop stepping stones across the open waters. The simulated water elements constructed from a blue pour-and-play rubberized surface represents Michigan’s nickname as the “Great Lakes State” and emphasizes the importance of the Great Lakes to Michigan’s economy and culture. Oakland County is home to 1,400 natural lakes and the headwaters of five major watersheds.
The name of the playground was named through a contest. One child who saw the designs of the playground said it looked like Paradise. So the playground is now called Paradise Peninsula Playscape.
Construction on this structure began July 1, 2009 with a $250,000 Access to Recreation Initiative grant funded by W.K. Kellogg Foundation and administered by the Michigan Recreation and Park Association Foundation. The playground was designed and built by cre8play. The playscape is located by the court games complex at Waterford Oaks Park. The playground is located at 1702 Scott Lake Road in Waterford, MI. Get Directions
