To the Playground!

Now that the sun has returned to Ohio at least every third day or so, the delightful and determined Elizabeth Holiday and I are resuming our exploration of Northeast Ohio’s playgrounds. On our most recent visit, she played for quite a long time on the playset designed for running, jumping, and sliding. She’s nearly four now, so she can investigate on her own – no need for a Nana to hover over her every second. 

I watched as she checked out a free-standing climbing wall, not sure what her response would be. Last summer, we watched her sister conquer a more treacherous wall at Sluggers and Putters, cheering Madelyn on as she scaled its heights, protected by a climbing harness. Each time she reached the top and rang the bell, Elizabeth joined me in cheering on her sister’s accomplishment.

Now, Lizzie grabbed my hand and dragged me to her newest challenge, the wall reaching about eight feet into the sky. As I stood behind her, offering  a bit of instruction as to how best to place her feet and what to grab onto, she finally reached the summit, eliciting a “great job, Lizzie,” from her adoring Nana. To which she responded, “I’m so awesome.”

With summer on the horizon, the lovely Madelyn Simone will soon be released from the time-consuming  restraints of third grade, and the three of us are already planning our summer adventures: Sluggers and Putters, the spray park at the Kroc Center and the splash pad in Plain Township, a Cleveland day trip, swimming at Clay’s Park, and our old standby – the playground.

My first paid job was at a playground. I was probably fourteen, responsible to unchain the swings each morning and keep an eye on the kids during the day. Somedays I’d watch the wading pool, filling it and draining it daily. One momentous day, I got drafted to umpire a girls softball game – that was one of these “never again” experiences. While I knew something about the rules from watching my dad play softball, I couldn’t keep track of the number of balls and strikes. Oops!

Madelyn, Lizzie and I don’t run into many playground attendants, but we do like our playgrounds. Boettler Park has a mini-zip line, and if we go to Kid Station Playground in Stow, we can sneak in lunch with their dad who works nearby. We also like Ashland’s playground at Freer Field, with its bumpy sliding fun (although Elizabeth can’t quite understand why she can’t play on the adjacent Dale-Roy School playground). As self-proclaimed playground connoisseurs, we’re excited about the playground advancements planned for the Ashland area, recently supported by the Ashland County Community Foundation in a new strategic grant opportunity.

I’m not sure of the timeframe for the construction at each of the locations, but soon there will be a wonderful DK’s Play Zone at Ringler Field, and a new playground at Ashland County Job and Family Services. There will also be an inclusive community playground at Mapleton Elementary School, and a new playground will be included in Park Street Brethren Church’s construction project. I wonder if we’ll be able to visit all four playgrounds in one day? 

I’m especially excited for DK’s Play Zone, as this student-led project will honor the memory of Danny Kripinsky, an important presence in Ashland’s world of soccer who died at the beginning of 2019. The next time I hear someone complain about middle school kids, I’ll be ready with the story of how these seventh-grade kids, twelve and thirteen years old, have been dreaming, designing, and fund-raising – that’s what I call awesome kids.

KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated to bringing balanced and active play into the daily lives of all kids, quotes research: “When given the choice, most kids would rather play outside.” With these new playgrounds in the works, the kids of Ashland County won’t have any excuse to stay indoors in the future.

George Bernard Shaw said, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” No climbing wall for me this summer, but I do plan to try out the swings at every playground we find. ‘Cause that’s what awesome grandmothers do!