Creating a place where every child can play

The smile on Charlie’s face said it all. The 11-year-old boy beamed at the grand opening celebration of the Legendary Adventure Zone in Noble County’s Belle Valley Park on July 8, 2025. The community came together to observe the new playground that was built for children of all abilities to enjoy.

The Legendary Adventure Zone is the first public playground of its kind in Noble County and includes features designed especially for children with sensory processing issues like Charlie, who has been diagnosed with autism. Inclusive playgrounds are outfitted with equipment that is accessible for children with physical disabilities as well as for those who may be nonverbal or have other communication challenges due to autism or other conditions, according to the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA).

Charlie’s mother, Amanda Myers, initiated the construction of the playground. She teamed up with Ohio State Extension Noble County, the Noble County Board of Developmental Disabilities and other community partners to make the playground a reality.

Myers said the idea for the Legendary Adventure Zone grew out of her and her husband Chris’ motivation to create a place where Charlie, their younger daughter, Allison, and all children in the community can play together.

“The best thing about the Legendary playground is that people get to see how my little boy and my daughter are changing the world. They are making people see that whether you have a disability or not, you are worthy,” she said. “You deserve every opportunity as everyone else, and that you are loved and you belong. That’s what I want others to know, and that’s what this playground means to me.”

In their effort to build a playground with inclusive sensory equipment in Noble County, Myers and her husband reached out to friends, neighbors and community organizations. They were eventually referred to Dawn Schultheis, community development program manager with Ohio State Extension Noble County. Ohio State Extension is the outreach arm of The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES). 

“The best thing about Legendary playground is that people get to see how my little boy and my daughter are changing the world. They are making people see that whether you have a disability or not, you are worthy.”

“Amanda reached out to me in July 2024 and explained the need for an inclusive sensory playground,” Schultheis said. “She explained how she and her husband would take their children when they would go on vacation and they would look for inclusive sensory playgrounds. She had examples of what was needed, and what we really needed in Noble County.”

Schultheis got local agencies involved in the effort and reached out to Gloria Llewellyn, CEO and superintendent of the Belmont, Harrison and Noble County Boards of Developmental Disabilities.

“This playground was meant to spark interest and creativity from all children,” Llewellyn said. “It wasn’t just meant for a child with autism or a child with a developmental disability. Even the colors that we looked at and the activities that were available, it was meant so that all kids can play on that playground.”

As planning for the Legendary Adventure Zone began, Schultheis served as the project manager, facilitating meetings and working with Myers and Llewellyn to identify funding to make the playground a reality.

CFAES and Ohio State Extension Noble County provided planning, design and fundraising support. The project obtained funding through the Marathon Community Investment Program and a $20,000 match from the Noble County Health Department. Additional support came from the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board, which contributed more than $47,000 to help purchase ADA-compliant tables, benches and sunshades for the picnic area adjacent to the playground.

In September 2024, the Noble County Board of Developmental Disabilities approved funding of up to $125,000 to purchase the playground equipment. The project also received early equipment grants from DWA Recreation/GameTime and financial contributions from the Noble County Board of Developmental Disabilities and the Ohio State Extension Noble County community development program. Additional support came from over 25 community businesses, families and organizations.

“Extension is here to make things better for the community, to guide them and help them,” Schultheis said. “You just reach out to your community, show them the need. And I think the important piece of this is showing them the equipment and what it does, the capabilities that it gives all children to learn and play.”

A playground for children of all abilities

The Legendary Adventure Zone’s features are designed to promote social connection.

One of Charlie’s favorite features is the playground’s communication board, Myers said. A communication board contains pictures and symbols that enable early learners, especially those with communication challenges, to express themselves, according to the NSSLHA.

“Often people with disabilities do have communication barriers, so I love that it is both a tool but also an education piece,” Myers said. “Lots of children … still are gathering information, learning new skills.”

Charlie also loves playing on the swings, Myers said.

“That’s usually his first go-to,” she said. “He likes to do the handicapped-accessible spin in the center. That is probably everyone’s favorite. You see lots of kids running to that and seeing how fast they can go or jump on. They have a good time with that.”

One of the Legendary Adventure Zone’s most specialized features is an area for children with sensory processing issues who may need a quiet moment away from the stimulation and excitement surrounding them.

“The little pod that we have set aside, it kind of helps someone, a child with a disability who likes that cocoon feeling, likes a little bit of the cuddling-type feel, and it kind of reduces noise around them,” Llewellyn said. “That’s also a really popular feature.”

The Legendary Adventure Zone encompasses a playground that had previously been built in Belle Valley Park.

“Belle Valley Park was chosen because it’s the only park in Noble County that already had the most up-to-date playground, and their playground is 25 years old,” Schultheis said. “We knew that we could add to that and still have the benefit of the old playground, with the [new] inclusive area.”

The playground's lasting community impact

The partnership that formed to make the Legendary Adventure Zone a reality can serve as a model for other communities, Llewellyn said.

“We have 88 counties. This is like a blueprint for anybody else,” she said. “Collaboration and relationships are key. We want families and children to have what they need in their community.”

The Legendary Adventure Zone has become a community gathering place, with family members and neighbors spending time together at the picnic tables while children play, Schultheis said.

“It’s important for children of all abilities to feel welcome, to feel safe, to feel equal, and to have the same advantages of every other child,” she said. “It’s also important for caregivers, parents and grandparents to have a play area where they can come and bring their children, and know that they are safe and that they have all the equipment that they need to enjoy, play, learn and grow friendships.”

The collaboration has been so successful that the partners are teaming up again to build another sensory inclusive playground at the Noble County Fairgrounds. The groundbreaking is scheduled for spring.

Myers will also have input on the new playground, having recently joined the Noble County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Her advice to others who want to create similar welcoming spaces in their communities is to identify community partners with similar goals.

“Find your connections. Figure out who and how you can make something like this happen in your area,” she said. “This was done with lots of help. Not one person or group of people made it possible. It was truly a collaboration and a community effort.”

The hard work that went into bringing the Legendary Adventure Zone to fruition has been rewarding, Schultheis said.

“This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever done in my life, in my whole career,” she said. “Something about this project just warmed my heart. I’ve developed a friendship with Amanda that will never be broken. … This is by far my favorite project and always will be - to help people and see the families and the children’s faces. It just makes everything I do worthwhile.”

Projects with a lasting community impact can start with a parent’s simple wish to see their children have access to a playground that they can enjoy as much as everyone else.

“It starts with wanting more. Children are our future, so if we’re not investing in our children, who are we all investing in?” Myers said. “And I think that every parent’s dream is just to make the world a better place for their kids.”