Now that spring has sprung, children living at all Washington State University’s family and graduate living complexes are enjoying new playground equipment to slide down, swing on, and climb.
The playgrounds at WSU-owned Steptoe, Kamiak, Terrace, Valley Crest, and Yakama Village apartments have received complete makeovers as part of a $500,000 project to give kids modern and safe playground equipment.
In all, about 900 people, including 160 children, call these apartments home.
Meg Autrey, director of Housing and Residence Life (HRL), said she and her team wanted to provide more support to students with families, and felt replacing playground equipment would give the largest return on their investment.
“Safety is always on our minds, and this allows us to create safer spaces for children to play by improving fencing and taking advantage of the great advances in technology and child development that the playground industry has made,” Autrey said. “We’re excited to see the progress and improvements.”
Carefully selected to maximize fun
HRL partnered with Northwest Playground Equipment, a Washington-based vendor that installs equipment at schools and city parks across Washington, to complete the project.
“We gathered feedback from families over the years to learn what types of equipment they would like to see,” said Nichole Goodwin, associate director of housing operations and conference services. “Our vendor also provided excellent input on what features kids like the most, as well as what kinds of equipment we should avoid due to maintenance issues.”
Each playground features a central play structure that can accommodate multiple children and provide a variety of different play stations. The central structures will be complemented by other singular pieces of equipment such as teeter-totters or monkey bars. Every piece has been carefully selected by HRL staff to appeal to kids ages 2 to 12.
More than just a playground
Many studies have said over the years that playgrounds provide children with a convenient place to get important physical exercise, breathe fresh air, learn how to interact with others, share, and develop friendships.
Manny Gomez, assistant director of apartment operations, lived in WSU’s family housing 20 years ago when he was a student. What he discovered then is children are not the only ones benefiting from the playgrounds as they serve as important spots for entire families to build community.
“Parents are often outside watching their children on the playground, which becomes sort of a central gathering space for families,” Gomez said. “It is where we met most of our neighbors.”
The playground renovations began last fall, and Gomez said the kids were watching and waiting with great anticipation. “When I was out at some of the playgrounds, kids were asking when the new equipment was going be ready for them to use,” Gomez said. “They are really excited to have new things to play on.”
