The City of Pompano Beach Parks and Recreation Department has enhanced the Sergeant Kip Jacoby Park with a new all-inclusive playground that features equipment that will encourage side-by-side play for all children. The new pieces by the Kompan Company improve physical, cognitive, creative and social skills for all children, while offering a welcoming atmosphere for children with special needs.
“We recognized the need for an all-abilities park in Pompano Beach and felt that Sergeant Kip Jacoby Park would be an ideal choice,” said Mark Beaudreau, Recreations Program Administrator. “This new playground, with its state-of-the-art equipment, will improve the quality of life for families throughout our City and the region and will encourage inclusion and foster new friendships.”
During the past few months, the playground has been redesigned to include a custom-built play structure with ramps, special swings and an array of accessible equipment that encourage fun, interaction and learning.
Responsive to children’s movements, the TIPI apparatus spins when pushed or pulled. Apart from being a fun negotiation and turn-taking game, the pushing and pulling build muscles and cardio. In the TIPI, children can lie, sit or stand with the support of the side bars or the top frame. This welcomes children with mobility disabilities to be part of the play, too. The spinning movement trains the sense of space and balance. The Robinia Percussion Music Panel is an invitation to play for children featuring a variation in drumming sounds and tonal responses to movements. The drums can be played alone or together. The Xylophone Music Panel trains hand-eye coordination while the tonality of the music panel stimulates logical as well as creative thinking. And the Spinner Bowl allows children to adjust the spinning speed with their body movements. This trains logical thinking and trains the sense of balance, which is mandatory for concentration skills and the ability to sit still. Pushing or being pushed by others trains social-emotional skills such as turn-taking.
“Thank you, City of Pompano Beach! There are so few inclusive playgrounds for children with disabilities,” said Myrna Miott, Director of Development and Marketing for the Broward Children’s Center. “We are thrilled that our city has taken this proactive and innovative step so that children of all abilities can play together. We look forward to the many friendships and connections that will be made in our community as a result of everyone being able to safely let loose together in this space.”
Sergeant Kip Jacoby is named after a longtime Pompano Beach resident who lost his life on June 28, 2005 in Afghanistan during Operation Red Wings. To honor his sacrifice, the City renamed the park, where he loved to skateboard, in his honor. The park is located at 620 S. Cypress Road in Pompano Beach.
The City of Pompano Beach is a vibrant multicultural community located in the heart of Florida’s Gold Coast. We are known for our warm welcome and beautiful beaches, listed 9th in the 2021 “Best Beaches in the World” by Travel Addicts Life Magazine. This All-America City is one of the largest beachfront cities in South Florida with a four mile stretch of pristine shoreline, over 700 acres of parks, and a commitment to arts & culture. Key industries include marine, manufacturing, distribution, tourism and entertainment.
For more information visit us at pompanobeachfl.gov
