MUNCIE, IN — South View Elementary students and children in the surrounding neighborhood are burning off lots of energy at the elaborate, new playground that just opened outside the school.
With more than two dozen components stretching over a quarter-acre area, the new “Quaker Mill” equipment is already a hit with the kids.
“They love it,” said Casey Smitherman, South View principal. “Our kids are so excited to come out here every day and play on this. They love the spinning chair thing, and that there are more and better swings.”
The new equipment is the result of a $226,000 school improvement grant and completes a run of several playground upgrades throughout Muncie Community Schools. This one is special because it is designed for better inclusion of students with physical disabilities.
Along with several traditional swings, slides and climbing areas, this system — installed by PlaygroundEquipment.com — is fully ADA compliant with several ramps and mobility aids, including wheelchair access. It also has several play/learning panels and freestanding equipment where kids can make music.
“We have a couple students with exceptional disabilities, and then 60 preschool students, too, so we wanted to make sure it was a playground everyone could play on,” Smitherman said. “Many kids in our exceptional needs classrooms have autism, so for them to have all these sensory areas to play in is particularly helpful for them.”
The brightly colored components sit adjacent to the older slides, swings and monkey bars that have been there for years. The playground is designed for 5- to 12-year-olds and should last for many years. A video of students playing on the new playground can be viewed here.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: New South View Elementary School playground designed with every child in mind
Reporting by Muncie Community Schools / Muncie Star Press
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