Child tested. Child approved!

That was the very apparent verdict last Wednesday as students from Edgewood Highland Elementary School cavorted around their newly renovated playground while beaming parents and public officials looked on.

The playground, which has been in need of repairs and renovations, closed just before the 2023 school year. In the months that followed, city officials, school officials, parents and community groups worked collaboratively to find the resources to refresh and restore the popular community play area.

The new playground is brightly painted, and most importantly, features a new, cushioned ground covering that replaces the prior one that had become pitted and unsafe.

The renovated play yard is also intended to be “all inclusive.”  It is handicap accessible and features some sensory activities for youngsters who might not be able to swing or slide on some of the other apparatus. One such activity includes spinning cylinders that students can align by colors and patterns.

In advance of the re-dedication of the playground, city and school officials, as well as parents and community leaders, have publicly commented on the importance of working collaboratively on the project. It officially opened Wednesday morning with a formal ribbon-cutting event that was preceded by Edgewood Highland students running through the playground’s open gates to happily frolic in approval.

Mayor Kenneth Hopkins gave special credit to Edgewood Highlands student Daniela Ortiz for sharing her ideas about what activities would make a playground fun. Hopkins made her a special “consultant” on the project after she approached him to express her concerns about the playground when it was in need of repair.

After the official re-dedication ceremony, Ortiz said she was very happy with the finished product, spelled her name for reporters, and then ran off to play.

Editor’s Note: Barbara Polichetti, a Cranston resident, is a regular contributor to the Cranston Herald and Johnston SunRise. Contact Polichetti at bpolichetti@gmail.com.