Students at Lawrence School are climbing, sliding, and spinning on their brand-new playground, which was officially opened during today’s family Harvest Festival.
The new playground features accessible structures for children of all ages and abilities. In addition to slides and jungle gyms, the playground includes built-in musical instruments such as a xylophone and steel drum, low-to-the-ground obstacle courses, and—many children’s favorite—a carousel. The carousel is inset in the ground with only a small gap between the platform and the play surface. This makes it possible for students who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids to enjoy the structure and participate fully with other students.
“This is an all-inclusive playground,” said HPS operations director Sean Sheedy. “It’s a good feeling to be able to build this for the students.”
Inclusive elements of the new playground include a talking board—a sign with pictorial descriptions of common words and phrases for students with limited speech to help them communicate—and room for a full-sized power wheelchair to completely turn around in the perimeter of the play area. To assure the safety of all students, the entire playground stands atop a rubber “bounce cushion” that varies between 5 and 10 inches in depth depending on location in the play space, providing padding to cushion students as they play.
The playground was made possible through funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) III Fund. Installation began over the summer, along with other improvements at Lawrence such as new energy-efficient windows and a repaved front entrance.