Give a child a crayon and ask them to draw their dream playground, and you’ll get ziplines, drumsets, race cars, and slides in every color imaginable. Give the Village of Berrien Springs the chance to build it, and you get Wolf’s Prairie Playground at Grove Park.
As part of a “Drawn to Play” campaign, local children were invited to design their ideal playground from the ground up. What started as a simple classroom activity quickly took on a life of its own — becoming the blueprint for a full reimagining of Grove Park and a powerful reminder that even the smallest voices in our community can make an impact.
Turning Imagination into Investment
A fundraising campaign followed, carried forward by the generosity of local donors, partners, and community members. A $10,000 For Good Grant from the Berrien Community Foundation helped propel that campaign past its $75,000 goal — a benchmark that unlocked an additional $75,000 matching grant through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Public Spaces Community Places program. Together, those dollars pushed the project to the edge of completion, with continued community support helping fully fund the inclusive playground while minimizing the impact on local taxpayers.
Twenty Years in the Making
In June, we helped unveil the results: a $1 million playground at the heart of Grove Park, where community leaders, local families, and youngsters gathered to play and celebrate an accomplishment two decades in the making. For 20 years, the site had been home to a community-built wooden playground, a beloved fixture that had reached the end of its lifespan. Now it’s a modern playspace designed for children of all abilities — complete with climbing towers overlooking scenic Lake Chapin, slides, swings, and custom hand-sculpted play equipment shaped like camping and kayaking scenes. Among those celebrating were the very students whose creativity had come to life.
More Than a Playground
Community leaders say Wolf’s Prairie Playground was never just about the equipment. It was about improving the quality of life for the families who call their community home.
“This project represents the very best of community driven placemaking,” said Sheila Snyder, President of the Village of Berrien Springs. “Drawn to Play shows what is possible when a community listens to its children, embraces creativity, and comes together around a shared vision. This playground will serve families for generations and stands as a lasting reflection of collaboration, imagination, and community pride.”
Twenty years from now, the kids whose sketches sparked this project will have moved on, but the playground they inspired will remain. That’s the kind of legacy Berrien Springs is leaving — and one we were proud to build alongside them.
Sponsored By:
