October 12th, 2016
EDMOND, OKLAHOMA - St. Luke's United Methodist Church has partnered with Edmond based Noah's Park & Playgrounds to design and install for exciting new playground structures, both indoor and outdoor, for their brand new Edmond campus located at 900 N Sooner Road, on the west side of I-35 in Edmond, Oklahoma
After months of anticipation and preparation, the church officially opened its doors on Sunday, October 16th, to both current and new members. The opening celebration unveiled not only a beautifully constructed new church campus but also a fun and engaging play environment for children of all ages. Four custom designed playground structures were installed on the property, all crafted and constructed by Noah's Park & Playgrounds, an industry leader in commercial playgrounds.
Creating a Church Campus Designed for Families
When embarking on the journey of creating their new campus, St. Luke's leadership recognized the importance of providing dedicated play spaces for young children. The goal was to serve not only church families but also the on site Child Development Center and members of the Edmond community. Leaders knew that accessible, age appropriate indoor and outdoor playgrounds could foster fellowship, encourage community connection, and support children's physical and social development.
To bring their vision to life, the church partnered with the experienced sales and design team at Noah's Park & Playgrounds, who guided the process from start to finish. The team offered a wide variety of customizable playground options to fit the church's goals, space, and safety requirements. After reviewing several designs and color schemes, the church selected a matching trio of outdoor play structures, each geared toward a specific age group, and a custom indoor play system that would entertain and challenge a broad age range.
Custom Playgrounds for Every Age and Ability
The result is a stunning playground collection that caters to children from as young as 6 months to 12 years of age.
Outdoor Playgrounds:
1. Infant/Toddler Playground (Ages 6-24 Months):
Designed with the youngest children in mind, this ground level structure features a wide array of play panels including a crawl tube, drum panel, gear panel, tic tac toe, bench panel, bubble panel, store front panel, car panel, and captain's wheel. These interactive elements support sensory exploration and find motor skills for crawling and early walking children. Its inclusive, accessible design ensures every child can participate.
2. Preschool Playground (Ages 2-5):
The 6 foot tall structure includes an ADA transfer station, straight tube slide, double bedway slide, pod climber, ladder climber, bubble panel, and store front panel. This combination of imaginative and physical elements encourages climbing, sliding, role play, and social interaction.
3. School Age Playground (Ages 5-12):
The tallest of the structures stands at 14 feet and includes multiple climbing and sliding elements. Highlights include an ADA transfer station, single right curve slide, two spiral slides, a double bedway right curve slide, and a wide variety of climbers: railing ladder, leaf, angled rock, standard rock, rope C climber, and spiral step climber. Additional activity panels include tic tac toe, gear, and clock panels. These features provide age appropriate challenges while promoting physical strength, coordination, and inclusive play.
To complement the playgrounds, Noah's also installed two pieces of freestanding inclusive equipment: Xccent's Monarch Climber and the Periwinkle Rocker, offering additional motion and social play opportunities for the 2-5 and 5-12 age groups.
The church took the play experience to the next level by choosing high performance 2 1/8" padded Thatch Turf surfacing, which ensures fall protection and easy maintenance. Four large custom sail shades in sandstone and blue were added to keep children cool and comfortable during hot Oklahoma summers.
Bringing the Fun Indoors
The church also wanted a dynamic indoor playground to provide year round play, regardless of weather. Specializing in indoor play environments, Atomic Playgrounds partnered with Noah's Park & Playgrounds to create a vibrant and multi level indoor structure for kids ages 2-12.
This indoor playground includes:
- An ADA accessible entrance
- Two wavy straight slides and a mini double slide
- Multiple crawl tubes with lookout points
- Punching bags, zig zag and moon walk climbers
- Web platforms and spider maze panel
- A clubhouse area for pretend play
- Twist n' tangle and cave crawl features
Adjacent to the indoor play structure, St. Luke's UMC added an Everlast 10' Standard Climbing Wall with safety mats, offering older children an extra physical challenge that builds strength and confidence.
Playgrounds That Support Ministry Goals
Beyond fun and fitness, these playgrounds serve a deeper purpose by aligning with St. Luke's mission to share God's love and build meaningful relationships. The church designed the spaces to be welcoming to all families, whether attending Sunday services, weekday programs, or visiting the Child Development Center. By providing safe, engaging play areas, St. Luke's fosters a sense of belonging and connection across generations. The playgrounds are more than just amenities. They are ministry tools that help bring families together and encourage lifelong friendships, making the church a true community hub for faith, learning, and play.
Investing in Kids, Community, and the Future
St. Luke's leadership made a deliberate choice to invest in the spiritual, emotional, and physical development of children, and their new campus reflects that vision. "The kids absolutely love all the playgrounds," says Drew Haynes, Pastor of Campus Operations. "In fact, I think parents are happy their kids love all the playgrounds, but they're not happy with out hard it is to get their kids to leave!"
He continued, "We believe it is important to invest in our children spiritually, emotionally, intellectually and physically, and Noah's helped us toward accomplishing that mission."
Noah's Park & Playgrounds' experienced installation crew, along with the team from Atomic, completed all four playgrounds between August and September, just in time for the church's October grand opening. The result is a safe, beautiful, and engaging space where children can thrive.
See It for Yourself
Interested in seeing this project in action? Visit the St. Luke's UMC Project Portfolio on our website to explore photos and videos of the finished playgrounds, or start planning your own playground project today!