New Website Updates and Equipment Previews
Hello, Thoreau Community!
As we approach the end of the year, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has contributed to Thoreau’s Backyard. Your generosity, enthusiasm, and ideas have brought us closer to making this dream playground a reality for our kids and community. Whether you’ve donated, shared the project with friends, volunteered your time, or simply cheered us on, you’ve played a critical role in getting us to where we are today.
My personal reason for being involved in this project is the sense that opportunities to invest in a shared community space where my kids—and yours—can play outside, with other children, during and after school, feel increasingly rare. In a world where childhood often feels dominated by schedules, screens, and caution, I see this playground as a chance to give our kids what they need most: freedom to explore, take risks, and connect with one another. Spaces like this are too rare, and too often an afterthought. I’m proud to be a part of project that recognizes the value of these spaces.
Our current goal is to reach 50% of our fundraising target by December 31st, and with your help, I’m confident we can make it happen. If you’ve been thinking about contributing or know someone who might want to join the effort, now is the perfect time. Every donation, no matter the size, helps build momentum and brings us closer to breaking ground on a playground we’ll all be proud of.
Exciting Updates on the Website
I’m also excited to share some updates to the project website! We’ve been working hard to make it a better resource for everyone following along, and I’d love for you to check it out—maybe even share it with your kids over the holidays. Here’s what’s new:
FAQ Page: We’ve compiled answers to the most common questions we’ve received so far. If you’ve had questions, this is a great place to start!
Design Goals: You may have seen “Inclusive! Nature-Inspired! Fun!” on our signs at Thoreau and around town. On this page, we explain what those things mean for Thoreau’s Backyard, and how these priorities are shaping the decisions we make.
Equipment & Feature Gallery: A picture is worth a thousand words, so we’ve also added a growing gallery of playground equipment and features that are part of the evolving design. While this isn’t the final list, it’s an exciting preview of what’s possible. Over the holidays, I encourage you to sit down with your kids and explore the gallery together. What do they think looks fun? Their excitement is why we’re doing this, after all!
One of the equipment images from the updated website.
Thank you again for being part of this journey to bring this project to life. Let’s finish the year strong and step into 2025 with a playground dream that’s even closer to reality.
With gratitude,
Mitch Brooks
Playground Committee Chair (and your neighbor)