RECREATION
SWINGING FOR THE FENCES
NEW KIDSPOT PLAYGROUND IN RUTHERFORD ACCESSIBLE TO KIDS OF ALL ABILITIES
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SPECIAL PARENT
A FIRST LOOK Renderings of the Kidspot playground in Rutherford.
Access for All for their feedback.
“It will be a totally new playground.
We are utilizing the space better and
equipment will cover most of the area,”
says recreation liaison Councilman
Tom Mullahey.
To protect children from the sun
and heat, there is more shade over the
apparatus as part of the new layout,
says Mullahey, a suggestion that came
about from the meetings.
A unique feature is a large glider
with seats for typical children and those
who need extra support. Redesigned
bathrooms have ramps and family-
sized facilities for changing and for
young children who need assistance.
The new playground isn’t entirely
replacing the old, as the memorial
pavers at Kidspot were preserved and
incorporated.
“This is the Rutherford all believe we
can be, and we’re making it happen,”
McGowan says. ●
K
idspot playground is now
more accessible for all of
Rutherford’s children.
Borough Councilwoman
Stephanie McGowan says
that while the playground,
located at the end of Darwin Avenue
in Memorial Park, has been improved
over the last 20 years, was time to do
something different with the space.
The mother of twins, one diagnosed
with Down syndrome and autism,
McGowan recalls that when she was
elected to the council four years ago,
she couldn’t visit a borough playground
with all three of her children. “There
wasn’t equipment for children with
limited mobility, who couldn’t play on a
traditional swing or physically climb on
a slide,” McGowan says. “The parks
are designed for typical children.”
Visiting places like Bergen County’s
Van Saun Park, she saw more inclusive
equipment, something she wanted to
bring to Rutherford.
The new layout includes structures
for children ages 2 to 5, ages 5 to 12,
and a swing area for kids of all abilities.
There is also a grassy patch for ball and
free play. Handicapped-parking spaces,
sloped sidewalks and new entryways
enable access for children who need
any type of assistance, whether it’s a
wheelchair, crutches or walker. While
expensive, a ru