Child's Play

Child’s Play

When I think back on my memories from childhood, it’s common that some of the most prominent memories are ones I recall from times at my neighborhood playgrounds. The colorful equipment and interactive features of various play centers are sources of imagination, rambunctiousness and exploration. For this reason, I’ve chosen the playground equipment in one of the courtyards of St. Mary’s as the artifacts I’ll be focusing on. Playgrounds represent childhood and St. Mary’s represents children.

It’s not a normal playground, there’s no running around or exclamations like “Tag, you’re it!” It doesn’t have the typical playground equipment that you may see such as swings, a slide or a teeter totter. There’s no freedom to suspend from monkey bars or feel the wind cascading through your hair as you swing high into the air. St. Mary’s children can’t do much of this. The majority are constrained to their wheelchairs with immobile limbs or are too weak and feeble to roam around on their own the way non-disabled children can. They lack the freedom to scamper around the playground equipment as they please. Some aren’t aware of where they are. Although for those that are aware, the simple features of this enclosed play bring them great joy.

Entering into the area through a tall glass door is the most eye catching main artifact. It’s the “Swayfun” which is a wheelchair accessible glider that children either steer onto by themselves or are guided onto by a caretaker. The Swayfun is large and royal blue, constructed of sturdy, smooth plastic and metal. It has an access ramp leading up to the area where two rounded, bright blue benches sit parallel to each other. The way it sits on the blue foam ground and rocks back and forth as if it were a boat on land. As the children and young adults are positioned safely onto the deck, the caretakers begin to gently rock the machine back and forth, giving a smooth and engaging sensation to the occupants. I’m told it was...