Climbing ramp, kid-powered electronic game among upgrades coming to Kimberly's Verhagen Park
KIMBERLY — Verhagen Park's playground is getting a major upgrade this summer, replacing the current equipment with an obstacle course, slides and an electronic game.
The new playground will accommodate Kimberly's growing child population.
Kimberly residents ages five to nine have increased by 229% since 2010, more than any other age group in the village, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
"We're excited to have this new playground equipment in a densely-packed neighborhood with a lot of kids," Kimberly Community Enrichment Director Holly Femal told The Post-Crescent.
Here's what to know about the new playground:
What new equipment will be installed at Verhagen Park?
Currently, the park has some swings, a slide and a climbing area, but the new playground will be bigger, with more options.
New equipment includes swings for people of all abilities, a variety of slides, a ninja climbing ramp and an obstacle course.
The playground will also feature "MOVMNT Xtreme" — a video game that gets kids moving around and is powered by kids turning a crank.
When will the new playground be open?
Femal said installation will likely take place during August and be ready for use by Labor Day.
Verhagen Park is frequently utilized by neighboring Westside Elementary, so village officials want the new playground to be ready to use when kids return to school.
The obstacle course and ninja wall were selected so the elementary school can use the equipment for its physical education classes in fall, Femal said.
How much is the new playground going to cost?
Kimberly is spending $90,000 to purchase and install the playground equipment.
Additionally, the village running a capital campaign to purchase poured-in-place surfacing — the squishy rubber flooring on playgrounds — to be placed under the entire playground.
The village is looking to raise $75,000 for the surfacing by July. Interested donors can donate at the Parks & Recreation Department at 426 W. Kimberly Ave. or online once the village publishes its donation portal.
All donated dollars will be recognized with signage installed at the park after the playground is installed.
If the village doesn't raise the needed amount, wood chips will be placed underneath the playground instead.
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Sophia Voight covers local government and politics in the Fox Valley for The Post-Crescent. She can be reached with feedback and story tips at svoight@postcrescent.com.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: New playground equipment coming to Kimberly's Verhagen Park
