Playground designed by kids

Wednesday, February 22nd 2006, 11:00 am

By: News On 6

A national non-profit group and Home Depot stores are turning some playground dreams into reality for hundreds of Tulsa kids. Its part of thier campaign to build 1,000 playgrounds in 1,000 days.

The Northside YWCA at 5424 North Madison is the only site in Tulsa picked. And News on 6 reporter Ashli Sims explains that the new playground will be designed by the kids who will use it.

Ebony Hill may be just 7 years old, but she's a young lady who knows what she wants in a playground. Unfortunately, Ebony and her friends say the current playground at the "Y" just doesn't measure up.

8 year old Xavier Wilborne: "We need more things on the playground//basketball is the only thing we got out there thats fun.â€ But that's about to change.

A national non-profit group called KaBoom has teamed up with Home Depot to give the Northside YWCA a playground makeover. Jennifer DeMelo with KaBoom: "work for adults is play for children and we all know what happens to adults who dont have a job and the same goes for kids who dont have a chance to play so it helps them build the cognitive abilities they need to be healthy adults these days.â€

And instead of telling the kids what they'll get, they're asking them what they want. KaBoom will take the kids drawings, talk with their parents, and come up with a design.YWCAâ€™s executive director Dixie Reppe: "I think having the children have some input into what that playground will look like and giving them the opportunity to dream a dream they never thought would be possible for them is very exciting."

Ebony can't wait. "Yes I'd be out there playing right now." The kids will see they're drawings come to life in April, when 200 volunteers will make build their new playground.