NORMAL, Ill. – The Carden Park Playground Area has officially been reopened this week after additions to the playground were made. The 5-acre park that connects to Constitution Trail was originally created through a cooperative partnership with McLean County Unit 5 School District.
The Normal Parks and Recreation department added much needed accessibility to the park throughout this summer. Carden Park is the most recent of Normal parks to receive updates regarding accessibility. Doug Damery, Director of Normal Parks and Recreation discussed the importance of these updates and the park itself.
“Playgrounds provide communities with safe spaces for children to play together and engage with one another,” said Damery. “Playground activities enhance children’s physical, social, and emotional skills, all of which contribute to increased self-confidence, better coordination and improved critical thinking.”
Thanks to a grant from State Farm, Normal Parks and Recreation will update Safety Town in Carden Park. The Safety Town playhouse educates pre-school aged children on safety precautions. The park is set to be both improved and expanded in the near future.
Damery highlighted various contributions to the park upgrades.
“Thank you to Unit 5 and Prairieland Elementary Administration for their help and assistance in choosing inclusive and accessible concepts for the playground,” said Damery.