The Plainfield Park District recently unveiled plans for a new sensory playground at Van Horn Woods.
The play area will feature a main structure with some traditional play elements including:
- Ground-level, under-deck play spaces
- Sphere for sensory interaction
- Spinner
- Rocking rider
- Sensory dome with various small spaces and interactive elements
- Communication board designed in collaboration with Northern Will County Special Recreation Association
The main play area will feature turf surfacing. An additional play area contains a swing set with some musical elements in addition to tot, belt, and friendship swings. This area will be on engineered wood fiber surfacing.
There will also be a seating area in between these play areas for caregivers with some benches, a picnic table, and a trash can. The entire play area is under existing mature trees that should provide ample shade, and some additional trees are also being planted with this scope of work.
Van Horn Woods is a large community park that straddles Lily Cache Creek north of Caton Farm Road and south of Route 30. The new playground will be on the east side off Frontage Road near I-55. This east side has parking, a dog park, fishing pond, and a vault restroom near the playground area.
The new play area is part of an Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grant administered by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in the amount of $400,000 for the redevelopment of Van Horn Woods that was awarded in July of 2022. Story
