Crystal Lake Park to Undergo Renovations After Park District Receives GameTime Grant

GameTime, Gametime’s parent company, PlayCore and the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association (IPRA) recently announced that the Crystal Lake Park District is one of 18 agencies in Illinois to receive a 2016 Healthy Play Action Grant as part of an Illinois statewide initiative to promote healthy play. “The Crystal Lake Park District is honored and excited to implement research based playground design guidelines into our existing neighborhood parks. We recognize the need for healthy outdoor play alternatives for park patrons of all ages and abilities. The grant funding gives us the opportunity to upgrade the equipment in some of our busiest parks while keeping the cost as low as possible for the taxpayer,” said Ann Viger, Director of Planning and Development.

The 20 year old playground at Sterling Meadows Park on Amberwood Drive will be replaced in its current location. In addition, three nature based “play pockets” will be installed along the existing walking trail in Sterling Meadows and adjacent Willows Edge Parks. This design will infuse play into pathway networks to encourage active lifestyles for children, families and communities. The parks will serve as a National Demonstration Site for data collection. Information gathered will be published by the manufacturer to help elevate the design of play spaces in the future. The value of the grant is $75,000 and the project is expected to be completed this summer.

The playground will be designated as a National Demonstration Site for data collection, and will contribute data toward the publication of a White Paper to highlight best practices and outcomes achieved. The initial findings will be presented at the 2018 IAPD/IPRA Soaring to New Heights Conference.

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