One task the Great Bend Recreation Commission will face in 2015 is planning the city’s next public playground, which will be located outside of the Great Bend Activity Center at 2715 18th St.
GBRC Executive Director Diann Henderson has shown her board members different playground concepts over the past year, and recently toured two parks in Hutchinson with board member James Newman.
“I was impressed with both of them,” Newman said after touring the Dillon Nature Center and the Winwoods Enchanted Playground, which opened this summer at River Banks Orchard Park. Both of those parks incorporate a nature theme.
GBRC Leisure Programming Director Garet Fitzpatrick attended the grand opening of a park at Charlotte, N.C., while attending the National Recreation and Park Association convention there in October.
“Right now we are in the fact-finding stage — finding out what we want,” Henderson said. “There are thousands of products out there.”
As the board works on a master plan for the playground, the first thing to consider is what age group the new playground will serve. Everyone from toddlers to senior citizens uses public space, and the grounds can’t be all things to everyone.  GBRC board members, who represent a variety of interests, have been challenged to seek public input on what people would like to see.
Early feedback from board members indicated kindergarten through grade 8 might be a good demographic. Board President Dr. Marc Huslig and others noted that the Activity Center sits where the former Morrison Elementary School was located, so that neighborhood might need a playground for school-age kids. The idea gained momentum when board members noted that children most likely to use the playground would be those waiting for brothers and sisters who were inside using the activity center.