This is the first time these elementary school students at Elmhurst School have played in their new playground. It’s a wonderland, with monkey bars, slides, swings, and ziplines. But it’s more than a place to play.
To my right, a student using a wheelchair is spinning a map of the world. Next to him, a girl swings from the monkey bars, determined to get to the other side.
This new playground has been built to be accessible for all and to foster inclusion.
"No matter who you are or what you can do, there's something here that you can join in with others and do," said Bret Klopfenstein, the Principal at Elmhurst Elementary School.
Klopfenstein said the playground’s design supports all students, including those with disabilities.
"Diversity is the rule, not the exception. We know that kids are all different and they're different heights. They're different sizes. They have different mobility issues. They have different sensory needs and issues, and so this is a place that kids of all types can come and play together," he said.
Ryan Oas is a teacher at the school. He said what the students do out of the classroom is just as important to their development.
"I really believe that motion is lotion for life," said Oas. "These kids need to move, especially in 2025, where cell phones and iPads dominate so much of their childhood, where they're sitting and not moving as much as we'd like, not to mention it's very important the kids have a playground that can teach themselves about their own characteristics of, you know, to be strong and to take risks."
What takes a playground from a place to play to being a space where it fosters inclusion? Kathy Wiggins was on the playground's design team. She’s a recreation consultant for play and park structures.
"I think a lot of people think inclusion is just ramping," said Wiggins. "But we don't want to ramp them to one piece, and then that's all that they get to do. So that's why you're going to see all these, I call them little Easter eggs, but everywhere around here, the music, the meters, the swings, the inclusive orbit, there's something at ground level, so they don't just get ramped to one thing. So you'll see all the special needs are able to be met."
The playground is the first of 16 being constructed across the district, thanks to the Measure E bond, which voters approved in 2022. Antonio Castro, Superintendent Ventura Unified School District, said they're setting the standard for inclusive play.
"Play is developmental, and so the students get to learn not just about themselves in the classroom, but they get to know about how they move in the world and how they move in a world together," added Castro.
"From my understanding, a playground like this is actually quite unique. But what it means is that we're unified. We've been unified in spirit, especially at a school like this, where we take great pride in serving our students with disabilities. But now we're unified in play, and we're unified in possibility, and the students are out there just enjoying their learning, and it's really inspiring," said Castro.
And what do the most important people—the kids—think? It gets a big thumbs up!
"When I didn't have a playground, it was all boring, but now it was really fun to play on. It's just super fun, and I'm so happy I get to play," said one student.
"I like everything about it," said another.
Everly said she likes the monkey bars. She said she couldn't do them at first, but "just didn't give up."
More than just a place to play, this is a place to grow determination, resilience, friendships, and nurture understanding.
