Ileen Henderson had a problem. The playground at the McNeil Child Development Center in Ft. Washington, Pennsylvania, where she serves as Director, was in need of a makeover. The playground equipment was over 15 years old, and made of chemically treated, splintering wood. Old maple trees on the property had exposed roots creating tripping hazards. It was past time for a new design.
So, do you begin by consulting 4-6 child psychologists and play therapists? Not Ileen -- she began by consulting 4-6 year olds.
She took the issue to the kindergartener’s at the center and asked them what they would like to see in a new playground. Taking both verbal feedback, as well as giving the young people the opportunity to draw pictures of their ideal play space, Ileen gathered their ideas and suggestions. Eventually, those ideas and suggestions made it into the hands of the teachers, architects, landscapers, and planners who helped turn them into reality.
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Ileen Henderson, Director
McNeil Child Development Center
Ft. Washington, Pennsylvania
