An adventure playground?!
We’re planning to create something that Rochester desperately lacks: an adventure playground.
What’s an adventure playground?
An adventure playground is a child-led play space strewn with loose parts, from planks of wood and old tires to hammers and nails. It allows kids the chance to (literally) craft their own world.
It offers no preset routes — just raw materials and the freedom to build, tear down, and rebuild as imagination strikes. Through this unstructured (but still safe!) play, children hone creativity, resilience, and risk judgment by learning hands-on collaboration and problem-solving.
Want to know more?
Wikipedia’s article will give you the basics; local teacher Brandon Hendrickson has written about his kids’ experiences in an adventure playground in this post. There’s a famous documentary called “The Land” that we find inspiring; you can watch the trailer on YouTube.
What’ll make this extra special?
We’re planning to make this playground fenced and as accessible as possible, so kids of all abilities can join in! We’ll have free family playtimes, but also options for after-school care. We’ll incorporate natural and built elements to provide the eight types of controlled risk that benefit kids’ development:
Wanna help us?
If you’d like to stay updated on this — or are interested in helping us get this off the ground! — just leave your contact information in the form below.