A giant Ferry Boat play structure is the centerpiece as Bainbridge Island welcomes an imaginative, inclusive new playground at Battle Point Park
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND – It’s time to play! KidsUp! The Next Generation of Play, an imaginative, inclusive new playground built around a giant Ferry Boat play structure, opens Sept. 4 at Battle Point Park on Bainbridge Island.
A 10 a.m. dedication will celebrate the playground opening, with music and food trucks planned for a day of excitement and fun for kids and families. The event is presented by the Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District and Bainbridge Island Parks Foundation, and sponsored by Play Creations and Landscape Structures, Inc.
The playground centerpiece is the “M/V KidsUp!”, a custom-built, one-of-kind play structure that evokes the Puget Sound ferry fleet. The two-level, 47-foot-long ferry was designed and fabricated by Landscape Structures, Inc., equipment supplier for the playground.
In the vanguard of accessible playground design, KidsUp! sets an exceptional standard for inclusion and safety. Elements like the wheelchair-friendly We-Go-Round spinner offer a common play experience for all users regardless of mobility or development. All playground areas are accessible, and extensive soft surfacing minimizes impact from falls.
Honoring Northwest stories and lore, the playground features climbable Orca whales, and a Lookout Pier extending over the “Rotary Beach” sandy play area and whimsical octopus sculpture. Other highlights include a winding Trike Track through the center of the ferry, a Sound Garden of outdoor musical elements, new swings, spinners and slides, and many artworks among fragrant gardens of wildflowers and herbs.
The playground retains several features of the beloved, original KidsUp! Playground on the same site, including the signature “castle towers” and much of the Northwest-inspired artworks, newly refurbished. The towers are integrated with the playground’s new layout, connecting to the ferry boat at one end and an elevated walkway at the other to form a continuous pathway around the open, expansive play area.
KidsUp! The Next Generation of Play was built by the Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District, with fundraising by the nonprofit Bainbridge Island Foundation and the support of many grantors, sponsors and private donors in a three-year capital campaign.
The playground was designed by Chris Cain of Studio Hanson Roberts, with Bainbridge Metro Parks and a KidsUp! Committee of local parents.
Battle Point Park is at 11299 Arrow Point Drive NE, Bainbridge Island.
For information, email dan@biparks.org or mary@biparksfoundation.org
ABOUT THE PLAYGROUND
KIDSUP! THE NEXT GENERATION OF PLAY
Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District
Opening: Sept. 4, 2021, 10 a.m. dedication
Location: Battle Point Park, 11299 Arrow Point Drive NE, Bainbridge Island
Built by: Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District
Fundraising: Bainbridge Island Parks Foundation
Designers: Chris Cain of Studio Hanson Roberts, Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District, KidsUp! Volunteer Committee
Play equipment: Play Creations, Landscape Structures, Inc.
Features: M/V KidsUp! Ferry Boat play structure; new and accessible play features and playground layout, for a “universal” play experience by kids of all ages and abilities; extensive soft surfacing for safety; new and refurbished Northwest-inspired artworks; colorful wildflower and herb gardens