Inclusive, Universally Designed, Boundless Playgrounds - where is the closest one to you?

The triple slide allows a center person to be supported on both
sides by adjacent sliders or a few kids to slide all at once.
The center slide is designed for gentle stopping
en route to the ground if you need it, and the ground
is an easy impact rubbery surface.

Back to school time gets me to thinking about kids and playgrounds. I decided to satisfy my curiosity about Boundless Playgrounds with a side trip to E. Longmeadow this week to visit one. I found the place quite active with a dozen families and three times as many kids on a beautiful early autumn late afternoon.

There are about 200 Boundless Playgrounds in the U.S. and Canada, with 100 more in the works. Boundless Playgrounds is a Connecticut-based organization originally inspired by a girl in a wheelchair who was unable to play with other kids on the playground in 1997. Boundless Playgrounds assist communities in developing inclusive playgrounds using level site access, supportive surfaces, and thoughtfully designed play elements. They use play structures and safety surfaces designed by Game Time. A quick perusal of their website shows 45 Boundless Playgrounds in Connecticut, 11 in Massachusetts, 3 in Rhode Island, 1 in Vermont, and none listed yet in New Hampshire or Maine. Many are on school grounds, some are located a private facilites, and others are in public parks.