Inclusive playground in Carter Park to be officially opened on Tuesday

Inclusive playground under construction in Carter Park

A ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 4 p.m. to celebrate the RallyCap Sports Inclusive Playground at Carter Park in Bowling Green.

The public and media are invited to come celebrate alongside sponsors, local officials, and the Wood County Plays team.

The new RallyCap Sports Inclusive Playground at Carter Park, located at 401 Campbell Hill Road, features a larger-than-life wheelchair-accessible log in the center of the play space allowing visitors to explore, climb and imagine together. A five- foot-high artificial turf hillside and accompanying slides create unique challenges and a lot of fun. 

This playground also features the first wheelchair swing in Bowling Green, which is designed for easy access and ensures that all can experience the joy of gliding through the air. And for thrill-seekers, a seven-foot-high climbing course will challenge their ability to race to the top.

Over 150 community volunteers donated their time to building the playground at Carter Park. The City of Bowling Green allocated $100,000 and over 1,000 staff-hours toward this project.

This playground welcomes children and adults of all abilities. It provides individuals, who are physically, mentally, or emotionally challenged, the opportunity to grow and learn through sensory-stimulating activities and peer-to-peer interactions. The play space is wheelchair and walker accessible through extensive ramping, rubber surfacing, and specialized play equipment. Fencing also surrounds the playgrounds for children with sensory disorders that may elope or run away.

“The community effort that resulted in the construction of this new space is inspiring. The fundraising, planning, and construction efforts of the Wood County Plays team, donations from community members and businesses, the work of city staff from every city department, the dedication of onsite crews, and the volunteer hours put into the community build of the playground equipment have resulted in a fun, safe, inclusive playground that we can all be proud of,” Mayor Mike Aspacher said. “I’m looking forward to seeing our community create new memories here.”

This will mark the second playground completed by Wood County Plays, following the opening of the Perrysburg Inclusive Playground in the summer of 2021. Wood County Plays is a 100% volunteer not-for-profit organization founded in 2019.

More information on the new inclusive playground and the mission of Wood County Plays can be found at wcplays.org.