The new Play for All playground at Poulsbo’s Raab Park opened earlier this year, providing a fully inclusive space to accommodate individuals with physical or sensory challenges.

The new playground is located next to the park’s other existing small playground. All new pieces of specialty equipment and sensory stations were designed and installed to accommodate physical disabilities and provide a rich sensory experience, which features a wheelchair-friendly merry-go-round, cozy cocoon, an inclusive teeter-totter, sensory panels, wheelchair accessible ramps, and a couple of wheelchair accessible swings, per city documents.

Donor plaques are also embedded into sections of the concrete walkways. Landscaping includes a fully integrated programmable irrigation system, with over 900 plants, shrubs, and trees installed. Designated accessible parking stalls were also added, along with a bench and bike racks.

The final construction cost was $1,014,870.42, which was $175,209.84 under budget. Factors contributing to the construction cost coming under budget included negotiating lower costs for the sensory panels, reducing scope on the irrigation system, and minor change order costs, documents state.

Prior to this project, North Kitsap did not have park facilities with accessible playgrounds to accommodate individuals with physical or sensory challenges. The closest parks were in Bainbridge Island and Evergreen Park in Bremerton. Members of the Poulsbo Rotary Club initiated efforts to install the Play for All playground, and Raab Park had the footprint suitable for the project.