Nothing Bundt Cakes Partners With Sensory Garden Playground for Grand Opening

Newly opened Nothing Bundt Cakes this weekend is celebrating their grand opening by donating 20 percent of their sales to the Sensory Garden Playground, a project in the fundraising stage for an inclusive playground with features designed for children with special needs.

Nothing Bundt Cakes opened earlier this month at 421 Town Square Wheaton, and will celebrate its grand opening Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13.

Representatives from the Sensory Garden Playground, which will be built at Warrenville Rd. and Naper Blvd. in Lisle, will be on hand 4 to 6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday to answer questions about the project, according to a news release from the Western DuPage Special Recreation Association (WDSRA).

Information and renderings will also be on display and on Saturday, the first 50 customers will receive a free bundtlet for a year coupon. Cake tasting will also be going on in store. 

Nothing Bundt Cakes co-owner Todd Davies said in a statement, "We just want to do anything we can to help kids. All kids need a place to go and just be a kid. We feel privileged to help the Sensory Garden Playground.”

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The goal of the Sensory Garden Playground is to create an environment where all children can feel comfortable and develop themselves by challenging their bodies and minds, according to the release. This area will include amenities that will encourage different types of physical activity than standard playgrounds. 

The mission of the Sensory Playground Committee and partner, Shane’s Inspiration, is to develop a universally accessible play environment and provide community outreach and education programs. Universally accessible playgrounds allow children with disabilities top play side-to-side with their able bodied peers, creating a truly integrated play environment where compassion and acceptance flourish. 

Located at Danada Park South, the current proposed plan calls for:

• A playground area
• A sound and scent garden
• An accessible tree house area
• Water play
• A shelter and restroom building to accommodate longer visits
• And accessible baseball field to allow children of all abilities to have the traditional ball field experience

Partners of the Sensory Garden Playground include the Wheaton Park District, Kiwanis Club of Wheaton, Western DuPage Special Recreation Association and the Forest Preserve District DuPage County.

More information

• Children use play as the instrument to learn about the world. Unfortunately, some play environments exclude children with disabilities because they have barriers to mobility or limited opportunities for play for children with autism. Some play areas fall short because they lack more sensory opportunities.
• Research indicates that by creating a challenging and social environment for children with disabilities, it will provide a lasting effect for them into adulthood.
• Kids with sensory problems aren’t at ease with a playground bordered with noisy traffic, beneath a bright sun or exposed to other sorts of external stimuli. They can react, by running away, pushing and shoving—That makes traditional play experiences difficult as well as bonding with typical children more difficult
• A foundation for academic learning is developed (literacy through storytelling, science through physical exploration or environment, math/physics through manipulation of objects and environment)
• Play stimulates the brain to produce chemicals that can reduce brain damage—Receptive and verbal communication skills are built.

For more information, go to www.dupagesensoryplay.org.

Related:

• Sensory Playground Project to Begin
• Inclusive Playground to Encourage Play for Special Needs and Able-Bodied Children