Play All!

Amidst the sounds of a Buddy Ball baseball game at adjacent Mirolo Dream Field, GameTime recently held the grand opening of Dream Field Playground in Grove City, Ohio. This beautiful inclusive playground is designed to address the needs of people of all ages and abilities and is recognized as a National Demonstration Site by PlayCore. The playground and dream field baseball diamond are part of Grove CIty's ongoing commitment to inclusive play and demonstrate their leadership in providing opportunities for everyone to enjoy play and recreation together.

“We are proud to add the Dream Field Playground as a complement to the Mirolo Dream Field that makes baseball accessible for everyone,” said Mayor Richard L. “Ike” Stage. “The playground provides an outdoor environment offering experiences that foster physical and social interaction for central Ohio families with children of all ages and abilities.”

The community partnered with GameTime's exclusive representative in Ohio, David Williams Recreation, to design a space that would provide inclusive play activities for all. Kathy Kolanko from David Williams Recreation noted, “It was an honor and privilege to work with this group to design a space that created an inclusive play experience for everyone.”

Kolanko worked with community leaders to design a playground using the 7 Principles of Inclusive Playground Design®, as outlined in Me2®, a program developed in partnership with PlayCore and Utah State University’s Center for Persons with Disabilities.

“The playground provides an outdoor environment offering experiences that foster physical and social interaction for central Ohio families with children of all ages and abilities.”

As Mentioned in Me2: 7 Principles of Inclusive Playground Design®, “Although children are the primary user group of playgrounds, truly inclusive environments are designed with a broader multigenerational approach in mind. Inclusive play environments are for everyone, providing all people a place to play and recreate with friends and family.”

Recognized as a National Demonstration Site for Inclusive Play, Dream Field Playground has been added to the PlayCore national registry of demonstration sites and will continue to be acknowledged for leadership in creating inclusive recreation opportunities.