Child’s-eye view of how the Maple Leaf Playground might look, from an earlier get-together with kids.
Some folks wanted to wander, some wanted edible plants. Some wanted birdhouses, some rocks to climb.
About 30 people attended Wednesday night’s meeting on the Maple Leaf Playground and Family Terrace. 
About a third of them were the meeting’s target audience, i.e., kids.
They were asked questions such as:
- What do you think of when you imagine ADVENTURE PLAY?
- What do you like best about TRADITIONAL PLAY AREAS?
- How might we best reflect the essence of the Maple Leaf community in the design?
There’s a video of segments of the meeting here. Ideas from the meeting will be posted online at this Seattle parks site. You can also fill in a survey on the playground that’s due June 8.
The proposed design of the Family Terrace will be presented July 13 from 6-8 p.m. at the Northgate Community Center gymnasium, 504 N.E. 95th St.
The playground is part of the Maple Leaf Reservoir Park, currently slated to open in 2012. The budget for the playground is $450,000, but the Maple Leaf community is trying to raise an additional $175,000, in part by applying for a city neighborhood matching grant, to build an adventure play area and children’s garden. If interested in volunteering, contact Scott Bishop, sbishop at live.com.
