How does a new playground come together? At Sgt. Timothy M. Mossbrucker Park, the whole community got involved!
When Foothills Park & Recreation District planning staff visited the third graders at Mount Carbon Elementary to get their ideas for a new playground, they knew there would be no limit to the kids’ imaginations.
After submitting colorful drawings to the parks team, three themed options were selected to move on to a community vote:
- A tree canopy to highlight the Foothills Arboretum at the park.
- A police theme to celebrate the parks’ namesake, Sgt. Timothy M. Mossbrucker.
- A coral reef design picked for its fun and whimsy.
More than 500 community members and students voted for their favorite design. The Arboretum theme won!
Parks staff held a special community playground build day where over 100 volunteers from the neighborhood, local churches and community foundations pitched in to make the kids’ visions a reality. Several of those same third-graders and their families lent a hand as well!
“Through planning, promoting, voting, and now playing on the new playground, our students were able to experience real world problem solving with a tangible and rewarding end result,” third grade teacher Andrea Alden at Mount Carbon Elementary School told us. “Aside from learning throughout each step of the process, students were most excited for the opportunity to have a voice and to share a new zipline with their greater community.”
Visit the new playground at Sgt. Timothy M. Mossbrucker Park, located near W. Cross Ave. and S. Xenon St., or find your favorite local park today!
