The story of the City of Allentown’s accessible playground at Cedar Creek Parkway is contained in an article in the latest edition of Parks & Recreation magazine. Parks & Recreation is a publication of the National Recreation and Park Association.
In an article entitled, “Playground Equipment Goes Techie,” by Andrea Lynn, Department of Parks & Recreation Director Greg A. Weitzel talks about the popularity of the NEOS electronic playground equipment from Playworld Systems. According to Weitzel, the electronic equipment is enticing kids to go outdoors and get their aerobic exercise by playing the game. “We have been extremely pleased with the number of children who are going to the playground. We knew from our summer playground trials that NEOS would be a very popular piece of equipment. We couldn’t be happier with the early results.”
The destination playground opened in October near the park’s pool and basketball courts. It is a dynamic area with age-segregated play equipment that promotes active and creative forms of play. The poured-in-place recycled rubber surfacing allows children in wheelchairs to easily access the area and participate along with other children.
A new youth exercise trail will be installed near the playground this spring, and exercise stations for older adults will replace the older stations on the west side of the park. The stations, called LifeTrail, were developed by Playworld in collaboration with gerontology, kinesiology and recreation experts from Penn State University and are meant to turn a daily walk into a complete fitness program for active older adults. The workout provides age-appropriate physical activity to maintain endurance, flexibility, strength and balance.
The city is partnering with Lehigh Valley Health Network, Sacred Heart Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, the Lehigh County Senior Center and the Allentown YMCA & YWCA to form a free LifeTrail Club. Anyone age 50 and older can join. It is an opportunity to meet new people and participate in a fun, healthy and free fitness program. Members will also be invited to monthly meetings featuring health professionals taking questions on a specific health-related topic.
The LifeTrail was a key element for Weitzel, who recognizes the growing need for recreation opportunities for older adults. “Even though Pennsylvania is already home to the country’s second-largest senior population, older adults often get missed in park renovations,” Weitzel says. “In addition to building this incredible playground for our young residents, we focused heavily on making the park more accessible for people of all ages and abilities.”