Tatum's Garden, a custom-designed, fully-accessible, inclusive playground was brought to life through the efforts of Shawn and Amanda Bakker, the design firm Leathers and Associates, and the community of Salinas, Calif. Leathers and Associates has 40 years of experience creating custom-designed playgrounds, zoos, science centers and community gathering places.

The playground is named for the Bakker's daughter, Tatum, who was born with spina bifida, a condition in which there is a failure of the spine of the fetus to properly close during the first month of pregnancy, which results in permanent nerve damage. In 2012, the Bakkers took a road trip to Yosemite National Park with 2-year-old Tatum and her older siblings, Olivia and Wyatt. When Wyatt developed motion sickness, they sought a place to stop and let the kids burn off steam. The nearest park was a few blocks away: Brooklyn's Playground, in Pocatello, Idaho. The playground was a revelation to them. It was unlike any park they'd seen or knew existed: colorful and unique, with pour-in-place surfacing, huge, ramp-accessible play structures and numerous play components"?ua space where their daughter could participate, play and just be a kid.

The Bakkers learned that Jonny and Melissa Fisher had led a community effort to fundraise and build the inclusive playground for the area's children. The Fishers named it after their daughter, Brooklyn, who, coincidentally, also had spina bifida. The Bakkers realized what a benefit a playground like this would be to their daughter and community. They knew there were over 6,800 children enrolled in Monterey County public schools with some type of special need, not including children who are too young to be in school, or those in private schools.???(R)???AE'?N????e'?N,A+

They naturally contacted the firm behind Brooklyn's Playground, Leathers and Associates (L&A), and "jumped in with both feet," aligning themselves with a sponsor, the Salinas Circle For Children, which has been helping children with special needs in Monterey County since 1972. The city of Salinas (pop. 163,665) provided the Bakkers with Sherwood Park, a 4-acre site near the Salinas Rodeo Grounds. L&A designers Jim Houghton and Kyle Cundy visited for a two-day design day event in May 2013, meeting with children at seven schools to gather their ideas and drawings, meeting with the Tatum's Garden steering committee, and conducting a site review. They unveiled their schematic design to a packed house the evening of May 10. Following design day, the committee obtained approvals, signed up volunteers, finalized the design and set about raising 1.2 million dollars.

Shawn and Amanda Bakker, with their children Olivia (standing), Wyatt (with dad) and Tatum (with mom), proudly survey the new accessible playground from the top of the Broccoli Tree House.
Photo: Laura Herdandez.

The Bakker family thought it might take three years to bring the playground to fruition, but with the help of the people of Salinas, the city and city council, Salinas Parks & Rec and Mayor Joe Gunter, the project took just 15 months.

The Bakker's company, Bakker Construction, donated their general contracting services, providing management, tools, construction captains and other resources. The Bakker's extended families also helped each step of the way. The playground was built from the ground up in 10 days during September 2013. Under the direction of Leathers staff Marc Leathers, Justin Fowler, Bill Hugill, Kyle Cundy and a crew of construction captains, 3,000 volunteers built the structures and added colorful touches.

Following the build, surfacing was installed, a picnic area, parking lot and an entry completed. The project opened to the public in December, 2013. Today it is a destination playground that hosts 1,500 families a week. It has been ranked the "second most impressive inclusive playground in the world" by special-education-degree.net.

In June 2014, Shawn and Amanda traveled to Washington, D.C., where they were honored with the National Jefferson Award and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award.

The story came full circle the second week of July when the Bakker and Fisher families met at Brooklyn's Playground. The kids played together and the adults shared stories of their dream to create all-inclusive play spaces, and how they were able to garnish the support to make it a reality. It was an experience both families will always remember.

Olivia, Wyatt and Tatum Bakker are poised for a sibling race down the Alpine Thunder Slide at the tree house.
Photo: Laura Herdandez.

The Design
L&A believes in the benefits of inclusive play. Providing children the opportunity to learn, grow and develop together is important to improving their physical, cognitive and social skills. Tatum's Garden allows children of all abilities and backgrounds a sensory-rich play experience, many different levels of challenge and access to all areas of the play space. Here, children can play together with their peers, family, friends and neighbors without physical or social barriers to inclusion.

The playground theme relates the heritage of Salinas: the agricultural industry. Salinas, called the "salad bowl of the world," is eight miles from the coast, where the Salinas Valley begins and runs for about 90 miles southeast toward King City. It's Steinbeck country, of course. The marine climate is ideal for growing grapes, lettuce, broccoli and peppers. The agricultural heritage of the Salinas Valley is related throughout the park, such as the "vegetable garden." Salinas-area produce companies sponsored many components, and prominent local artists donated beautiful artwork.

At the entry, a mosaic of the park's logo is set into the walkway. The entry is framed on the left by bas-relief seed packets and vegetable names in English and Braille, and on the right by a Salinas Valley mosaic, offering color and tactile experiences. The tot lot entrance is to the left, and the older children's area to the right. All play areas are surfaced with poured-in-place rubber.

The playground pays tribute to the Salinas Valley community and its support for the project with an agriculture theme, including this mural of Salinas Valley, the creation of Dong Sum Kim. On closer inspection, you can see the mural covers a climbing wall with hand and foot holds. The "celery slide' is also pictured.

Tot Lot (2-5 Years Old)
Ramps provide full access to the highest levels. Transfer points at slides and steps facilitate transfer from wheelchairs. There are three themed play spaces: a strawberry shortcake cottage and produce stand at ground level, and a barn with hayloft slide. All are accessible and provide imaginative play opportunities and semi-enclosed spaces for children needing shade or a quiet space. Accessible play panels are found throughout. An accessible low-horizontal ladder promotes strength and challenges. Other features include bucket and therapeutic swings, a sensory garden and mosaic learning walls. An accessible berry face wall offers interactive play and photo opportunities. Strawberry steppers and a wide balance beam promote balance and coordination. A cucumber crawl tunnel, a food climbing pyramid, spring horses with stable and a bouncy bridge round out the components.

The music station is a custom component created by Bond Anderson of Soundplay, Inc. It combines four instruments, marimba (wood tone bars), metallophone (aluminum tone bars), rain wheel (circular rattle), and two tongue drums that allow children to play while facing each other. The "Oodle Swing' (pictured), Omni Spinner, Sensory Wall and Roller Table are the play pieces from Landscape Structures.

Older Children's Area (5-12 Years Old)
Upon entering the playground, visitors are presented with a low-overhead circuit of play features: bouncy bridge; painted lettuce maze; accessible parallel bars; moving balance beam; overhead spinners; high and low carrot monkey bars; ring bridges, positioned adjacently to provide shoulder-to-shoulder play; a cable bridge; and a moving climbing wall called the climbinator. To the right is a giant spider net and Victorian barn-themed play/quiet space. To the left is the ramp entry to the elevated circuit, which culminates in the Broccoli Treehouse-themed superstructure. The ramps offer additional elevated access to the cable bridge and climbinator.

Continuing up, there are asparagus climbers; a giant tractor; a harvester with accessible swinging deck; a slide for children with cochlear implants; and a celery slide. Surface-to deck features include a tractor ladder; arched rock climb into the harvester; transfer steps; cradle-climber net; and grapevine-themed rope climb. These elements offer different levels of challenges and a variety of routes through the play space. The top-level Broccoli Tree House is fully accessible. It offers a large roof, twisty and triple chute slides, accessible shaky bridge, play panels and views of the playground through a mesh barrier. Other features include an elaborately painted rock-climbing wall, fire pole and transfer steps.

Ground-level features include strap and therapeutic swings, stand-up spinner, Oodle Swing, Omni Spinner and four-seater see-saw, offering opportunities for side-by-side or cooperative play. There is an Artichoke Amphitheater with shaded seating, a stage and custom musical components. Play panels and benches are located throughout the playground.

To see a video about the playground with the comments from Shawn and Amanda Bakker go to https://alturl.com/82g5r.

The Bakker and Fisher family kids gathered together at Brooklyn's Playground in Idaho. It was the accessible Brooklyn's Playground that motivated the Bakkers to build a similar playground in Salinas. Shawn, the father of the Bakker clan, says Tatum's Playground isn't just about an accessible playground for his daughter, but for all kids of the community. He also notes the accessible ramps allow the less physically mobile parent, grand parents and veterans to share the playground with their children and grandchildren.

Team List Playground Design Firm: Leathers & Associates
Site Design and Architecture: J. Mike Wadsworth, AIA
General Coordinators: Shawn and Amanda Bakker
General Contractor: Bakker Construction
Artists: Mark & Debra Panelli (entry mosaic, mosaic logo and veggie relief); John Cerney (welcome sign & mural of Tatum); Jose Ortiz and his group Hijos del Sol (mural); Dong Sum Kim (climbing wall mural), Kyle Cundy (community volunteer mosaic wall and sensory garden)
Musical Instruments: Soundplay
Volunteer Construction Captains: Ellie Love, Alyssa Given, Jimmy Weaver, Danny Kelly, Owen Reese, Kyle Allen, William Tovar, Rudy Tovar, Rob Robinson, Devon McCauley, Brian Smoot

Vendors
Playground Surfacing: Surface America
Manufactured play components:
-Landscape Structures
-Superior International Industries
Musical Components: Soundplay
Nets, fasteners & misc.: Darquest Industries
Structural Plastic: Bedford Technologies