Two revamped playgrounds now open in Minnehaha Park

New equipment was installed at both Minnehaha Park playgrounds, and they were officially opened on July 31. The Universal Accessible playground at the Wabun Picnic area was paid for, in part, by donations received by a volunteer group, Falls 4 All, a committee of People for Parks, who have been working to raise funds to enhance the accessibility of the Wabun playground since 2010. “It’s not just a handicapped playground. It’s about everyone playing together,” stated Peggy Halvorson of Falls 4 All. “We learn to accept each other when we play together.” While ADA standards call for paths and ramps wheelchairs can traverse, Universal Access playgrounds go further. They are designed so that children with disabilities can access at least 70% of the activities at the playground. According to the 2000 Census, 9.2 percent of American families raising children in 2000 were raising at least one child aged five to 17 with a disability. Over 60 years ago, Minnehaha’s Wabun park provided respite to travelers. Aware of that history, designers fashioned the new playground around an auto camp. (Photos by Tesha M. Christensen)

The Katie and Ryan Bicek children, James, age 3, Claire, age 6, and Maisie, age 8, live near to the North Plateau Park. In renovating this park, planners sought to preserve the historic nature of the area. Instead of adding a large playground structure, there are smaller pieces scattered through the area, including these stone animals where the Longfellow Gardens Zoo was once. There are also freestanding slides, fulcrum see-saws, merry-go-rounds and a dome climber in the older play area, and balance beams, stepping pods and crawl tunnels are in the younger play area. Sand play includes diggers, a sand table and classic molded metal animal spring rockers. The swings and the climbing structure built by a WPA work crew in the 1940s remain. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)

Printed in the September 2014 edition of the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.