Our Story
Minnesota Play for All is an initiative that started with compassion.
At Glen Lake Elementary School in the Hopkins School District in Minnesota, our combined 5th- and 6th-grade class noticed that the kids who use wheelchairs were not equally included in all aspects of play at recess.
It all began with the view out of our classroom window.
Every day, we’d see children playing on the playground. But it dawned on our 5th- and 6th-grade class that all students could not access the standard swings and other playground features. The wood chips were a barrier. Equipment was a barrier.
These students were our friends with whom we interacted in both academic and non-academic activities, so we knew that our differences were what made us a great, loving community. Therefore, we decided to figure out how to improve our playground so everyone could swing.
We wrote a grant proposal that would help provide some of the funds for a wheelchair-accessible swing. When our class found out that we were awarded the grant, we quickly turned our sights to bigger things.
With the help of our teachers, we set out to fundraise, building skills that were new to us and finding confidence inside us we never knew we had.
It started with making flyers and going door-to-door to our neighbors, but our efforts quickly expanded, and we dared to face our own nerves to appeal to the kindness of others. Our actions included making cold calls to small and large businesses, holding a silent auction, hosting garage and bake sales, having a coin drive, partnering with restaurants, and even connecting with professional sports teams in the Twin Cities for specialized T-shirts and tickets.
All these actions and many more brought big attention to our small school in the western suburbs of Minneapolis. It was when an anonymous donor contributed a six-figure amount that we knew we could bring all our dreams to reality.
“What if we changed the entire playground? Could we raise enough money?”
Within one day, we decided to start a new passion project to fundraise for an accessible playground. We set our goal at $300,000. In forty-five short days, with the help of lots of people, we not only met our goal but surpassed it. We then quickly learned that to build a completely new playground, our budget would have to increase.
Little did we know how much playgrounds really cost!
With the combined compassion of other students, staff, and our community at large, we are doing more than improving a playground—we are building a legacy.
Students were able to work at local playground company and fully design a new accessible playground. One that incorporated special pieces so ALL feel safe and included and can enjoy the play experience. Additional elements included sun shades for students with light sensitivity, bright-colored sensory panels for students with vision impairments, musical instruments for students with hearing loss, and small confined places to rest for students with sensory needs.
It is a magical place where ALL feel included and welcome — and can play!
Let’s Play together
Visit our playground at Glen Lake Elementary School!
Location: 4801 Woodridge Road, Minnetonka, MN 55345, Get directions >
Hours: Monday-Friday after 3pm. Saturday-Sunday anytime!
In the News
See our fully accessible playground in action!
As featured on WCCO/CBS News Minnesota: Students say they cold-called local businesses, went door-to-door knocking, handed out fliers, and did a coin drive. Their persistence paid off big. Their original goal was to get a swing for $35,000 — but they raised $1 million for an entirely new playground, bringing the teacher who fueled them to tears.
Our Nonprofit
We’re not stopping until all can play on a playground.
After the students completed The Glen Lake Accessible Playground Project, they decided to start a club and non-profit at their now middle school. They have set their sights on a new project, an accessible playspace at their new middle school.
In the future, they hope to continue to educate others about accessible playgrounds AND be able to support Minnesota communities on their accessible playground journeys. This is a lofty goal, but we truly believe this group of students are the future and they don’t want to stop until ALL can play on a playground.
