Explore This Playground
Creating community playgrounds are often a team effort and the McConnell Road playground in Woodstock, Illinois was no exception. Six years in the making, the new park, nestled in a historic community, was a true collaboration of parents, neighbors, the City, Little Tikes and the designer.
"It started when three local moms visited us during our early planning stages," says Bob Hoadley, Park Supervisor for Woodstock. "We had already begun evaluating the bids from playground vendors, but the growing community interest in the project caused us to change our normal process." Jeff Van Landuyt, Assistant Director of Public Works, set up a two-week open house for the community and recalls "it was delightful having the families come in and look at the various designs we had on display. It was great to see how involved kids and parents were in the process. We really enjoyed it."
Van Landuyt explains that the professional staff had already made the decision to go with the Little Tikes design, based on the equipment's design appearance, durability and unique features. "We were so pleased when the community validated our decision. That made it easy!"
Landscape architect Joseph Brusseau, who designed the entire ten-acre park, agrees that the team made a great choice. "The Little Tikes NRG line really gave the park a 'wow' factor because of the architectural character and visual interest of the play structure," he says. "The layout and play events provide a unique and exciting experience for kids."
McConnell Park includes both juvenile and tots structures, and is surfaced with engineered wood fiber to facilitate handicapped access. Lani McKinnon, a representative of Parkreation, says that the impact from the street is dramatic and that the park has become a destination for families from outside the immediate community.
"The community loves the park," concludes Van Landuyt. "We learned a great deal from the families who participated in the decision making process, and plan to make our local families part of the process in the future."