Gardner Edgerton USD 231 wanted every elementary schooler to have the same quality of play, no matter which building they walk into. So we're rebuilding all six playgrounds together, as one coordinated program. Nike, Moonlight, Madison, Grand Star, Gardner, and Edgerton Elementary.
Gardner Edgerton had a clear goal. Playgrounds every child could use, built to one standard across the district. The photos below are grouped by stage, so you can watch all six sites move forward at the same time.
It starts with our design team. We take the district's goals and turn them into detailed drawings and 3D renderings, shaping each layout around its building, its trees, and the kids who'll use it. Inclusive play is built into the plan from the start.
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The old equipment comes out and the ground gets cleared, graded, and leveled. It's the least glamorous stage and one of the most important. Getting the base right is what everything else sits on.
Footings go in and the structures come together piece by piece. Climbers, slides, and shade all start taking shape on site. This is the stage where a bare lot finally starts to look like a playground.
With the structures anchored, the safety surfacing goes down. This is the layer that cushions falls and smooths the whole space out, so kids of all abilities can move across the playground and get to the same equipment as everyone else.
This is the moment it's all for. Surfacing set, landscaping in, fences down, and the playground finally belongs to the kids. We're almost there. Check back soon to see it full of recess.
