Parents who have kids with special needs quickly discover that the majority of playgrounds were not designed to accommodate all children. Here is a brief list of places to play, and have fun, that do include kids who have special needs. We need more of these!
Sky High Sports is an indoor playground with plenty of trampolines to bounce on and some foam pits to jump into. The Sky High Sports in Naperville, Illinois, sets time aside for kids who have special needs. On the first Tuesday of every month, from 3:00 in the afternoon until 6:00 in the afternoon, the music will be turned off, and extra staff will be on hand. Families, and siblings that do not have special needs, are welcome!
The Children’s Museum of Tacoma, which is located in Tacoma, Washington, will host monthly evening programs for families of children who have special needs. These free programs will happen on October 11, 2012, November 8, 2012, and December 13, 2012 from 6:00 in the evening until 8:00 at night. Kids get to have a sensory-friendly play experience in the museum while their parents hear a guest speaker. These events are free, (but donations are accepted).
The Benton County Fairgrounds, which is located in Corvallis, Oregon, will be doing the semi-annual Special Needs Ride Night on Monday, September 24, 2012. There will be free horse rides in an indoor arena, coloring activities, prizes, and refreshments. Kids who have special needs, and their siblings, who are ages 2 through 18 can participate.
The Inland Valley Children’s Conservatory which is located in Murrieta, California, will be offering dance classes for students who have Down Syndrome, autism, and other developmental disabilities. Students will learn the basics of ballet and tap while experiencing dance therapy, improving motor skills, and improving socialization skills. This new class means that all of your children can take a dance class at the Conservatory.
Kids Together is the name of an inclusive playground that is located in Cary, North Carolina. Kids of all levels of physical and mental ability can enjoy fully-integrated play in a multi-sensory environment. The playground has climbing structures with graduated levels of difficulty, a wheelchair accessible sand table, water sources in the sand play areas, infant swings, accessible chair swings, a fenced preschool play area, and a shaded picnic area.
These are just a few of the playgrounds and activities that are accessible to kids who have special needs. It is nice that people who design playgrounds have become aware that the traditional designs are not the best choice for all children. The image I used with this blog comes from Morgan’s Wonderland, a well known special needs playground that is located in San Antonio, Texas.
Image by Nan Palmero on Flickr