About

Village of Berrien Springs – Drawn to Play – Playground Project

Community: Village of Berrien Springs
Population: Under 6,000

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Project Description

The Drawn to Play Playground Project is the complete redevelopment of the former Wolf’s Prairie Playground in the Village of Berrien Springs. The original 20-year-old wooden structure reached the end of its usable life and was removed, creating an opportunity to reimagine the space as a modern, inclusive community destination.

The new playground, anticipated for completion in June 2026, represents a ~$1 million investment in accessible, multi-generational play. The project is defined by a highly original community engagement process in which children were invited to attend a park event and freely draw their vision of a perfect playground. These drawings directly informed the design process, ensuring the final space reflects authentic community input.

Working in collaboration with Unlimited Play, Great Lakes Recreation, and local partners, the project emphasizes universal design, parallel play opportunities, and accessibility for children of all abilities. Beyond recreation, the playground is intended to serve as a regional destination that strengthens community identity, supports nearby economic activity, and creates a lasting public asset for future generations.

Is your project easy to replicate in other communities (clear in its impact and execution for other communities)?

Yes, we found that engaging with the highest stakeholders (the children in our community) this would be obtainable and be easy to replicate in other communities.

What is the Community Wealth Impact (based on one or more of the categories you selected) of your project?

The Drawn to Play Playground Project creates meaningful community wealth through both economic and social impact. As a ~$1 million investment, it supports regional contractors, suppliers, and recreation partners while strengthening long-term public infrastructure. The playground is anticipated to serve as a regional destination, driving increased visitation and creating positive economic impact for the nearby downtown district just blocks away. Socially, it delivers lasting public value through a fully inclusive, accessible design that serves children of all abilities. The project also elevates civic engagement through its child-led design process, fostering community ownership and pride.

Together, these outcomes strengthen local identity, improve quality of life, and create a sustainable public asset that supports both economic vitality and long-term community well-being.

Describe the creativity and originality of your project.

The originality of this project came from intentionally removing structure and prompts, and instead inviting children to simply show up and draw their dream playground. With no boundaries or constraints, the process allowed us to see the community’s vision entirely from a child’s perspective. This open approach revealed creativity, priorities, and ideas that may not have emerged through traditional feedback methods.

What resulted was both powerful and insightful it gave the Village a direct window into how children experience play and what truly matters to them. It also made the process deeply rewarding for the community, as residents could see their ideas valued without restriction and then translated into real design outcomes. By allowing imagination to lead, the project created something authentic, meaningful, and uniquely reflective of the community it serves.

Ultimately, this approach reinforced the value of listening without limits and demonstrated how powerful it can be when children are given the freedom to imagine without direction.