Greenville SC’s very first totally inclusive playground, named after Brooks Foster, opens Tuesday, September 29th, and we’ve got all the details.
Brooks’ Playground
Greenville, SC finally has their own inclusive playground with the opening of the brand new Brooks’ Playground, 10,640-square-foot playground at Cleveland Park. It’s now open!
It is absolutely beautiful and a very special place for everyone. We went to the grand opening and got to see Brooks Foster and her lovely family, who put so much of their energy, time, finances, and love into the playground. It’s obvious how much they wanted to give this to the community.
Watch! Take a Closer Look at Brooks’ Playground Fun
“Our family loves being outside and Brooks’ younger sister, Ellie, always wants to play at the playground,” writes Reagin Foster, Brooks’ mother on the City of Greenville’s website. “Unfortunately, it has been difficult to find a playground where the girls can play together and have access to the necessary amenities. This is where the idea for Brooks’ Playground began.
The new playground is located near Shelter 6 at Cleveland Park near downtown Greenville and is named after Brooks Foster, a little girl with Pontine Tegmental Cap Dysplasia (a rare neurological syndrome). Her family wanted to create a playground where anyone could play, regardless of their special needs.
The playground includes play elements designed for all kids ages six months to 13+ years.
The project was funded by $2.3 million from the City of Greenville and $1.3 million in private donations.
Elements of Brooks’ Playground
There are several fantastic elements of Brooks’ Playground that make it especially unique and helpful for families who have kids with special needs. Chris Yang, a Design Consultant with Carolina Parks and Play who worked on Brooks’ Playground, revealed tons of interesting information about why specific aspects of the design were chosen:
Completely fenced in: parents of kids with special needs (and toddlers in general) need someplace where they are able to know their kids cannot escape without their notice. This was a key feature of the design.
Shade: we all know how hot summers are in the South and Brooks’ Playground has multiple sun shades to protect kids and caregivers alike. But there are more reasons why the shade covers 85% of the playground: 1) studies show parents who take their kids to the playground stay longer when there is shade and 2) some kids cannot regulate their body temperatures and the shade is crucial to help them with that.
Anti-static flooring: the ground of the playground is anti-static because static interrupts the hearing devices of kids who use them (and they are really expensive to fix). The roller slide at the playground is static-free as well. The floor is also anti-microbial.
Swings & Zip Lines: there are two zip lines at the playground plus a large swing that a child could lay down on and swing.
Merry-go-round: the merry-go-round is perfect for kids who want to sit, run around, or use a wheelchair.
Ramps: ramps at the playground go all the way to the top of the play structures. There is also a ramp through a really cool tunnel with stars. It’s cute!
Calming colors: the colors were chosen by the Foster family and are specifically calming colors of blues and greens. It’s beautiful.
Tactile aspects: the playground was designed with lots of different aspects to appeal to a wide variety of kids – a water mister, touch and feel, things that make sound, etc.
“We designed the playground so that kids of all ages and abilities and play together without technology,” said Yang.
I watched this design in action and saw kids who didn’t know each other playing together and having fun. It was honestly the sweetest thing to see.
Accessible Walkways and Bathrooms
The playground includes several accessible, paved paths but one of the coolest things is the three new bathrooms. There is a ramp up to them and they are huge.
Inside each one is a big, adult-size changing table. The Fosters knew that parents would not always have the opportunity to go home to take care of the needs of their kids and wanted to give them the space to do that outside of the home without having to leave the playground.
Visiting Brooks’ Playground
You can visit the playground near Shelter 6 at Cleveland Park, which is located at Cleveland Park Drive & East Washington in Greenville. If you’re coming from 385, when you turn into Cleveland Park, you need to go past the playground in front of the zoo and stay to the left. There is parking next to the playground.
The address is Cleveland Park Drive & East Washington, Greenville, SC 29601.
For more accessible and inclusive things to do in Greenville with your family, see our Top Accessible Things to do in Greenville with Kids!
And, for another great inclusive playground option, head to Hendersonville, NC for Jackson Park.
Looking for more places to play? Our Upstate Park Guide is the place for that!
