Play is Magic.

The temperatures in Fort Wayne, Indiana turn cold in wintertime - much too cold for children to spend extended periods of time outdoors at play. This is a concern for parents who want to make sure their children have enough physical activity. It's a concern for the staff of the Fort Wayne Botanical Conservatory, as well. Last year they had a plan to bring more visitors to their botanical gardens and encourage more physical activity for children - they built an outdoor playground inside one of their exhibit areas.

Working with Sinclair Recreation, GameTime's exclusive representative for Indiana, supervisor of programming Rebecca Canales envisioned a nature-themed play space that blended beautifully with the natural plantings and flowers within the Showcase Garden. To coincide with their Fairy Tale theme, Sinclair Recreation designed a play system that looked like a forest castle with peaked roofs, rope bridges and a giant frog fit for a princess' fairy tale.

On the day of the exhibit opening, the temperatures were well below freezing and families lined up to to see the new play area. The play system stretched toward the glass ceiling and included slides, climbers and play activities for children to enjoy. The staff even provided a carton of costumes for visitors to wear to help imaginations go wild.

The exhibit resided in the Showcase Garden through the winter before it made its way to a permanent home at nearby Johnny Appleseed Park. Now under the care of the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation System, it will be part of the community for decades to come. 

Learn more about this project and other custom and themed play in our catalog. Request your copy today!