Blue Valley Rec and Variety KC are bringing a brand-new inclusive playground to the Sports Complex in the heart of Overland Park. With the help of Cunningham Recreation, this one-of-a-kind space will feature accessible playground equipment, sensory-friendly areas, and a walking trail designed for everyone to walk, roll, and play together. Together, we’re creating a space where all kids can Be Active, Be Social, and Belong.
A Playground Designed for Everybody
We imagined and built this space on one core belief: play is essential, and everyone deserves access to it. Our inclusive playground offers:
- Play experiences for all ages
- Supportive entry and transfer options
- Quiet spaces for sensory breaks
- Group play structures for social connection
- Equipment designed for all abilities and mobility levels
This place brings people together to form friendships, build skills, connect families, and share joy. Thanks to Variety KC for their expertise in guiding our design.
Selected as a National Demonstration Site by PlayCore
PlayCore has officially recognized our new Inclusive Playground, opening later this year, as a National Demonstration Site (NDS). This prestigious designation highlights communities that set a strong example for innovative, research-based play environments, and we’re honored to be among the few selected across the country.
What It Means to Be a National Demonstration Site
Earning NDS status means we designed our playground to support meaningful play experiences for children of all ages and abilities, and it will serve as an industry-wide model for how recreation spaces can build stronger, healthier, and more connected communities. We earned this recognition because our playground exemplifies two key NDS design standards.
7 Principles of Inclusive Playground Design™
This designation recognizes that our playground:
- Applies a comprehensive, research-based design philosophy
- Supports both physical and social inclusion
- Enables children and caregivers with diverse abilities to play alongside one another
- Ensures opportunities for choice, independence, dignity, and belonging
- Creates play and social spaces where inclusion is not just possible, but encouraged
From accessible surfacing to sensory-rich features and multiple play routes, the design ensures that everyone can participate fully and safely, experiencing play in ways that are meaningful to them.
Play On!® – Promoting Physical Activity Through Play
The second NDS designation celebrates how our playground intentionally encourages active, movement-based play and supports developmental growth through the Six Key Elements of Play:
- Swinging
- Sliding
- Climbing
- Brachiating (hand-over-hand motion, like monkey bars)
- Spinning
- Balancing
By incorporating these foundational movements, the playground helps children build strength and coordination, motor planning and balance, sensory and vestibular development, confidence and independence, and healthy social interaction. It’s not just play. It’s play with purpose.
The playground is set to open later this year.