St. Paul's Plus Opens State-of-the-Art Playground

As the adults cut the ribbon on a new, state-of-the-art playground at St. Paul's Plus preschool, the children did exactly what they were supposed to do: play.

Children zipped down the slides and kicked themselves higher on the swings, oblivious to the ceremonial trappings of the grand opening but fully appreciative of the playground's new amenities.

The official opening of the playground on Saturday signified the end of a two-year renovation to enhance the preschool's relatively new infant and toddler programs.

At the onset of the infant program, which serves children as young as 6 weeks old, St. Paul's Plus administrators knew that providing age-specific play areas was crucial for educational development.

But what Isabel Nussbaumer, executive director of St. Paul's Plus, didn't know was just how large the project would become.

"One thing led to another. We thought, 'While we're doing this, let's improve surface and safety,'" Nussbaumer said. "And then it became this wonderful project that culminated into something much greater than I imagined."

The playground is divided into three sectors: one for infants, one for toddlers and one for 3-and-4-year-olds. Each area is an "an extension of the classroom," Nussbaumer said, by adding more complexity to the play as the children progress.

"It's tremendously important. There is so much that goes on out on the playground: There is socialization. ... Then there's the physical development, fine motor and gross motor skills that are developed," she said.

While the children played, parents sat back and admired the facility's upgrades. Many parents bounced on the balls of their feet, testing out the new pour-and-play surface made from recycled rubber.

"[The old] playground was great but it didn't have what we needed for the infant and toddler program, which are new. It still had the old wood chips, which is fine, but this new surface is so much better," said Tom Geddes, a parent.

His daughter, "Lolo," woke him up Saturday morning, anxious to get to school to test out the new equipment.

One couple who had been new to the area said the playground played a key role in helping them decide to send their son to St. Paul's Plus.

"This is a great time for him," said Emily Dalessandro, mother of an "active" 2-year-old. "That's what we liked about this school the most. It was just one of the biggest play areas that we've seen."