Children of all abilities visit the Sensory Garden and Playground year-round, but in the summer, there are some special dates set aside for group play presented by the Play For All Playground and Garden Foundation.

Each summer, Play Days are presented on the third Saturday of May, June, July and August, weather permitting.

“Play Days are very popular,” said Gail Creer, Marketing and Development Assistant with the Wheaton Park District. “Children gather to enjoy special activities. Each Play Day is centered around a particular theme. In 2023, the first Play Day’s theme was fairies. In June, it was dinosaurs. The kids played games with dinosaur themes and received dinosaur-themed giveaways. The third Play Day carried an Animals theme and music was the Play Day theme in August. Music brings out the creative side of kids, especially those tuned in to audible stimuli.”

This year we had a $5 suggested donation per family. Children who attend with their parents or guardian may play on the park’s playground equipment, designed to be accessible to all children, including those using wheelchairs. The park has a gravity rail, a net climber and a treehouse equipped with ramps. The special group activities available on Play Days give attendees a chance to interact and socialize with their peers. “It’s a very successful program. Kids and their parents look forward to Play Days. We are so pleased to welcome families and to provide a fun experience for all,” said Creer. We will announce 2024 themes early next year.

“Kids and their parents look forward to Play Days.” – Gail Creer

The Play For All Playground & Garden Foundation’s mission is to create barrier-free and universally accessible outdoor play spaces and gardens in DuPage County. Through the cognitive, social, and physical values of play, the Foundation promotes a spirit of inclusion and enhances quality of life, as well as supports involvement in recreation and wellness activities for all people and abilities. 

Plans for an expanded playground that will accommodate more children continue to get closer to reality as funding goals are increasingly within reach. Only $12,000 remains to be raised toward our $50,000 goal through our matching donation program. For every donation made, a generous benefactor has pledged to match them dollar-for-dollar until the goal is attained. Your contribution will be doubled!

The project will add a long list of new amenities. Multi-sensory play will be enhanced with sensory panels that help children further develop their cognitive, tactile, sensory/ motor, emotional/social and language skills with self-led exploration. New park features will help children integrate multiple sensory experiences, including vestibular, tactile and proprioception, which refers to balance and motor control.

When told about a new playground in Lisle, our family was more than happy to experience it for ourselves.

Our son Bryce, 12, who has Down Syndrome, loves an opportunity to play on all kinds of playground equipment.

Upon entering the park, we loved seeing the very welcoming sign that reads “Play for All.”

Bryce wanted to see everything since it was a new playground to him, so he immediately went to the top of the tower in the treehouse so he could see as much as possible.

He took the slide down and repeated this many times during our visit. While at the top of the tower, he saw children playing on the zipline gravity rail. This quickly became a favorite activity, which appeared to be a favorite for many since there was a line to have a turn.

Bryce loves the feeling of spinning, so the Circle Spinner was another experience he enjoyed, also because for this one, Dad did the work of making it spin.

The web-like net climber allows for so many learning experiences, from balance and coordination to strength and confidence. Bryce worked on all of these while repeatedly coming back to the net climber. What a fabulous piece of playground equipment that so many can enjoy!

From the variety of equipment, various terrains, and sensory experiences, we had a fabulous time! Thank you for the amazing Sensory Garden Playground. We can’t wait to come back when the new additions are made to the playground!

The Bartczak Family
Manhattan, Illinois

Make Play For All’s accessible playground equipment, sound garden, wooded landscape an integral part of your next special occasion.

Visits to the Play for All Sensory Garden and Playground often inspire visitors to creatively imagine the park as the site for their own special events.

Sentiments like “Wouldn’t this be a great place for a family picnic?” or “This could be the ideal location for a special birthday celebration!” often spring to mind when the park’s accessible playground equipment, colorful artwork, sound garden and natural beauty are encountered.

In response to numerous requests for making those ideas a reality, the park located in Lisle now has a picnic area available for rental, for parties of up to 50 people. The current rental space is temporary; however, we are planning to improve the area with a permanent shelter once funds are available.

The rental fee is $100 for two hours. Additional time may be added at a cost of $50 per hour with a $100 deposit.

For more information, please visit playforalldupage.org/rentals.