By Andrea Arnold
McBride Centennial Elementary School playground has re-opened and the kids are enjoying the new structure. Many students have younger non-school age siblings that are also thrilled to check out the new brightly colored play environment.
Six-year-old Keira and her three-year-old sister announced very enthusiastically that they love the new equipment.
6-year-old Jane said the monkey bars are her favorite. “I can go on the top of them!”
Three-year-old Madi really likes the big purple slide.
“I can go fast,” she said.
The enjoyment of the play area is a family affair. Maybe too much in some cases. Mercedes Yetter has a hard time pulling two-year-old Brooksâ€sometimes literallyâ€from play when it is time to go.
“Some days, it’s just easier to not let him get out of the van while we wait for the girls,” she said.
Three girls, Gabby, 5, Scarlett, 7, and Kenzie, 9, all agree that the best part is the “orange spinny thing” proving that the equipment is a draw for a variety of ages.
“It spins real fast,” said Gabby. “I get really dizzy.”
Seven-year-old Kamryn couldn’t point out the one thing that she enjoys the most.
“Everything is fun,” she said.
Delylah, nine-years old, said that her favorite parts are the spider net, and the yellow monkey bars, for flips. “Grandma has some at her house, but they are too high,” she said. She did express concern for the younger kids that might not play so carefully on the higher parts of the structure.
The new playground is one of 60 across the province that were funded through the Ministry of Education’s Playground Equipment Program.
