Photo Credit: Nancy Lonnett Roman
The Cranberry Uniting Playground was built to replace a wooden structure at the Cranberry Township Community Park in Pennsylvania. The original playground was brought to life through the vision of the Cranberry Women’s Club and the residents, with construction funded and carried out by the community. After more than 20 years of use, time and weather had taken a toll on the original playground. Splitting and warping wood caused safety concerns, so the decision was made. The original structure was so beloved that volunteers removed it board by board, hoping that much of the original materials could be reused in the new play space.
The construction of the playground continues a long tradition of community involvement. Residents were involved from the beginning, with fundraising activities, such as a 5K walk, drawings and design suggestions submitted by the township’s children, and volunteer construction for a portion of the play space. In fact, the majority of the volunteers who contributed to the design and construction of the new play space had a connection to the original playground.
Paying Tribute
The new play space incorporates a variety of elements while targeting the physical, social, communicative, sensory, and cognitive principles of a child’s play. The playground layout is organized as a representation of the township’s present, past, and future, engaging children in many different ways. The YESTERDAY area is a more-natural play area with farms and rolling hills with a perimeter fence constructed of reused materials from the previous wooden playground. The TODAY area includes a clock tower structure reminiscent of the township’s municipal center. The TOMORROW area is more futuristic, with wavy poles and climbers. Lawn areas for free play are dotted with decorative stepping stones donated as part of the fundraising effort.