Extreme playground opens at STAR Center

February 21, 2013

Winter just got a lot more fun!

There’s a new place to wobble, climb, jump, run and slide in South Tacoma! Kids will find extreme fun on a pint-size scale at STAR Center’s Urban Adventure Course. Exciting, adventure course style features will challenge their physical and cognitive skills while being safe and inclusive.

The fun at this playground keeps on going all winter long. “It’s uniquely designed with a roof and three walls to protect against inclement weather while maintaining an outdoor feel. This is a great option for families to get fresh air and play time any season of year,” said Dave Griffith, STAR Center Supervisor.

Grand Opening
The Urban Adventure Course was built adjacent to the existing Urban Adventure Indoor Playground and will be unveiled to the public from 10 am to 1 pm on Saturday, March 2. Family activities at the Grand Opening include live entertainment, face painting, balloon art, refreshments and contests. Admission to the playground is free during the event.

About the Urban Adventure Course
Play components include swinging rope bridges, climbable mountains, twisting slides and much more. Young climbers and thrill seekers can scale the one-of-a-kind Rainier Rock Wall on their way up to Tall Timbers Tree House, then proceed to wobble, wiggle and weave their way from start to finish on the four rope bridges: Galloping Gertie, Wapato Wobbler, Critter Crawl and Sasquatch Sling.

Three Play Spaces
STAR Center's state-of-the-art Urban Adventure Playgrounds interconnect and operate so children can easily play in the area that best fits their age and interest: the Tot Trek Gym for youth ages 6 months to 5 years, the Urban Adventure Indoor Playground for ages 4 to 9 and the newly finished, covered, outdoor Urban Adventure Course for children ages 6 to 12. Each play area appeals to different stages of childhood development, and together, they provide a variety of age-appropriate, year-round family play opportunities.

All play areas within Urban Adventures are utilized for organized activities such as Kids Night Out and other STAR Center events. Rooms adjacent to the play spaces are available for birthday parties or youth sports team parties. Child Watch, a drop-in daycare service for parents while they use other areas of the facility, is available for youth ages 6 months to 9 years during designated times.

Access to Urban Adventures is available to STAR Pass holders. Hours and special event schedules can be found on the Youth Programs Schedule at MetroParksTacoma.org/Star-Programs.

Dillon Works of Mukilteo designed and installed the new outdoor covered play area. Their unique playground concepts can be found throughout the United States, in locations such as Minute Maid Park in Houston, Turner Field in Atlanta and Metrocenter in Phoenix. Their work can also be found in Russia, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Portugal, Estonia, International Waters, the UAE, Macau and Canada.

Funding for the Urban Adventure Course was included in the original STAR Center construction budget, which was provided by the 2005 Park Improvement Bond.

In addition to Urban Adventure play spaces, STAR Center features a state-of-the-art fitness room with TechnoGym exercise equipment, a Kinesis exercise studio, a demonstration/teaching kitchen, two dance and movement studios (one with a sprung-wood floor), a grand hall with a performance stage, multiple rental spaces and a spacious, Wi-Fi enabled lobby with plenty of community space for socializing.

STAR Center is located in South Tacoma at 3873 S. 66th Street. More information is available at StarCenterTacoma.org or (253) 404-3939.

Learn more about Urban Adventures Play Areas

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