Little Eagles Playground offers small college students large enjoyable

It’s been about two months since Eden Prairie Schools opened the Little Eagles Playground, a play space designed completely for kids ranging in age from newborns to 5-year-olds.

The playground, situated between EP Schools’ Administrative Services Center and the Community Education constructing, has been open for the reason that begin of the varsity 12 months, with a particular grand opening and ribbon-cutting occasion held on Sept. 24.

Mary Bartusek, an early studying coordinator for EP Schools, mentioned this was a districtwide challenge to exchange the earlier playground with extra age-appropriate gear that’s higher fitted to youthful youngsters. According to Bartusek, the previous gear was for 5- to 8-year-olds.

“There could be more injury,” Bartusek mentioned. “We had to be very vigilant with our staff out there to make sure the kids were safe.”

The Little Eagles Playground features a toddler space, turf that lets youngsters crawl and pull themselves up onto gear, smaller slides, and extra ramp-based buildings. Not solely does this enhance security for younger youngsters, but it surely additionally higher aligns with their developmental wants, together with motor abilities and social-emotional studying.

“We also consulted with our occupational therapists and our special education teachers to make sure that things were appropriate to serve that community, you know, those children with disabilities as well, to make sure that these were really good physical, appropriate practices for all children,” Bartusek mentioned.

The Little Eagles Playground follows EP Schools’ calendar and is open to the general public throughout non-school hours, Bartusek mentioned. She hopes households and their youthful youngsters, each inside and out of doors the district, will make use of the playground.

Kristy Hymans, an Eden Prairie mum or dad who attended the grand opening occasion in September, mentioned whereas the playground is finest fitted to these from start to five years previous, her 8-year-old son had simply as a lot enjoyable as her 3-year-old. 

Hymans added that the Little Eagles Playground is a large asset to the Eden Prairie neighborhood, particularly for fogeys with youngsters in that age group.

“For families in Eden Prairie with younger-age children, that’s such a huge benefit to not just the school, but to the community as a whole. … It’s such a different experience as a parent to be able to relax and breathe knowing your children aren’t going to run off with the playground being fenced in,” Hymans mentioned.

There can even be a bigger neighborhood occasion showcasing the playground on May 1, known as Family Fun Night. Bartusek mentioned the occasion is supposed to be family-oriented and can function distributors, a silent public sale, youngsters’s actions and the chance to see contained in the Community Education constructing, together with the preschool rooms and Early Childhood Family Education space.

More details about Family Fun Night is coming quickly. Learn extra about Family Fun Night and different neighborhood occasions on the district’s website.