Summer vacation is a great time to take your family outside for some fun! Parents of kids who have special needs sometimes find that the local park was not designed to accommodate wheelchairs, or to be compatible with children who have specific special needs. I’ve already blogged about where to find a special needs friendly playground. Here are some more for your family to check out!
McCarthy Park is located in Tinley Park, Illinois. It just opened last month. This playground was developed in order to create a space where kids who have disabilities, and kids who do not, could easily interact with each other. It has a rubberized surface, metal ramps, and sensory activity panels. This is the first completely accessible playground in Tinley Park. The playground has adult size swings, designed to be used by adults who have special needs.
Tumacacori National Historical Park is located in Tumacacori- Carmen, Arizona. It recently unveiled a brand new, paved, pathway that goes through the grounds. The pathway is 2,000 feet long. Most of the segments are six feet wide, which means that it is accessible for people who use wheelchairs. This will help all families to be able to visit the Park and travel the trails. It is not a playground, but, it is a nice, family friendly, place to visit.
Oro Valley which is located in Arizona, recently opened its newest playground. It was part of Oro Valley’s Accessible Playground Project. The funding came from a $25,000 donation from The Keg Steakhouse and Bar. The playground includes large swings that have back and arm support. It has a sensory play structure, and is sitting on “Tot Turf”, which is a synthetic, rubberized cement surface that is used for playground safety.
Harper’s Playground is located in Arbor Lodge Park in North Portland, Oregon. The playground is specifically geared for children who have disabilities so that they will have the opportunity to play with everyone else. It is very inclusive. The playground has a bubbler fountain, ramps, a wood entry bridge and a main fort tower. There is a ramp that leads to a double slide or to a net climber. There is a see saw and a horse bouncer area, and it also has a large multiple swing structure.
Zahra’s Playground is located in Hickory, North Carolina. The playground was designed to be accessible to children who have special needs. There are swings that can accommodate wheelchairs. Other equipment provides access for all children, so they can all play together. The play structure has ramps that are large enough to accommodate wheelchairs. The entire structure sits on a padded floor.
Image by ilovememphis on Flickr