Lake in the Hills to use new playground equipment for programs

Three Lake in the Hills park playgrounds will be upgraded this summer and serve as test sites for new physical activity programs.

The playgrounds at Leroy Guy and Normandy parks will be closed beginning the week of June 22 through mid-July for replacement of playground equipment that is nearly 20 years old. A portion of Cattail Park will be cordoned off where two new pieces of playground equipment will be added. The existing equipment at Leroy Guy and Normandy playgrounds will be donated to Kids Around the World - an Illinois-based nonprofit that removes and rebuilds playgrounds for children in underprivileged areas globally.

The new equipment partially is funded through the Play On! Grant program, which promotes higher levels of physical activity through active play.

Lake in the Hills received $63,000 in grant funding through Play Core and GameTime playground equipment companies and the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association. The total cost of the equipment is around $104,000, which is a drastically reduced price, said Laura Barron, director of parks and recreation.

The village also has been selected as a "Play On" national demonstration site for the equipment, which specifically is designed for safety.

"It incorporates six key play elements so that it meets and aligns with national standards for physical education," Barron said. "It's a huge benefit to have been selected as a recipient. Normally, we go out to bid for our playgrounds. We are always looking for ways to not impact taxes in any way. It was a great savings."

Once the equipment is up and running, parks officials will conduct programs promoting physical activity and healthy initiatives and study how they are improving the community's health.

Bartlett, Bolingbrook, Crystal Lake, Naperville, Palatine, Plainfield, Schaumburg and Wheeling park districts and the Hawthorn Woods parks and recreation department have received similar grants, Barron added.