Perrysburg opens inclusive playground
June 26, 2023
Children of all abilities have a new playground to use after Perrysburg unveiled its new inclusive playground Wednesday, June 21.
The Woodlands Park playground began renovations in February.
“Perrysburg is a welcoming community, and we think it’s important that our parks can be enjoyed by everyone,” said Marie Dunn, a city spokesperson. “We now have two inclusive playgrounds in our city for families to enjoy.”
Though the park recently opened, community members said they are already looking forward to accessing the renovated equipment.
“I think it is great that the playground has been made more inclusive to include kids of all abilities,” said Helen Vermillion, a Perrysburg community member who has a grandson with Down Syndrome. “However, parents need to teach their children about those with disabilities because often, children with disabilities are excluded from everyday activities including playgrounds, recess and many other kid-friendly activities.”
Dunn said city residents valued Woodlands Park for many years because it is a park built by the community for the community.
“We know how important Woodlands Park is to the community. The original playground, built 25 years ago, was a community effort—volunteers helped raise funds and build the original playground,” Dunn said. “So, we wanted to make sure that this playground was one that could be enjoyed by all.”
The new playground equipment is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible.
Vermillion said the playground’s opening and the arrival of summer creates new opportunities for her grandson.
“This new playground will give an opportunity for my grandson to possibly meet new people. My grandson has been excluded from kids in his own neighborhood, so we are looking forward to making new friends at the park,” said Vermillion.
The new playground cost approximately $900,860, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The previous playground’s age as well as difficulty sourcing replacement parts moved the project to the top of the city’s “to do” list.
The old playground equipment was donated to Missions International of America, which installed the equipment at a school in Haiti.
The Woodlands Park playground is located at 429 E. Boundary St. in Perrysburg and includes the new inclusive playground, an 18-hole disc golf course, and a 16-piece art sculpture walk.
