Thanks for your input!

Thanks to everyone who came to the Community Center last Saturday to discuss our natural playground proposals. It was a nice opportunity to reconnect with many of our neighbors, and we appreciated the chance to hear your thoughts and concerns for the Future of Latham Park. We hope that the day will lead to further dialogue with our neighbors, particularly in advance of our upcoming presentation to the Parks and Recreation Committee at 7.00pm on July 28th. Please share the date with your neighbors and join us that night if you can.

Meanwhile, add your thoughts to the dialogue - what do you think of a natural playground at Latham? Please comment here.......

New Plan ready for Community.

We are currently putting the finishing touches to a new colored plan. You can see the new plan at the community center on Saturday. 

See you there!

A Vision for Latham Park

Our design proposes a sheltered area for the youngest children contains sand for digging, low-embedded tree stumps for balancing, and logs to crawl through. A sloping section nearby provides the perfect place for a slide embedded in the hillside as well as seating areas for parents and caregivers gather to chat and keep an eye on the little ones.
 For the older kids who need more independent play, there is a shallow rock-lined stream

bed that they can fill with water by working a hand pump. They can build dams and

small falls and float “Pooh sticks” under the low bridge. And when they tire of keeping

their stream filled, the water will seep into the ground until the next time.

Multi-leveled landscaping creates small hills that, combined with the expansive field,

invite running, rolling and pretend play for all ages. Natural objects, like shells, stones

and sticks gathered from the beach and logs and embedded boulders, are the toys. Trees

and shrubs minimize the effects of the prevailing winds and create more places for play.

As we continue our discussion about children’s play, it is important to remind ourselves

that manufactured play ground equipment was designed mimic the climbing, balancing,

and coordination skills that children have developed in nature throughout history. Why

not simply give them the real thing?