CLEVELAND — A new way for kids to explore the great outdoors is now open in northeast Ohio.
What You Need To Know
- Jordan Creek Park recently opened in northeast Ohio
- The park is part of Lake Metroparks
- It offers multiple play adventures including zip lining
The adventure play area at Jordan Creek Park allows kids 7 years old and older to interact with nature in a fun way.
The zip line is Noah and Emma Wilder’s favorite thing at the park.
“You’ll play a lot here and you’ll get hot,” said Noah, 11. “And this just cools you off.”
The siblings said they were a little scared at first until they got the hang of it.
They’ve been anxiously waiting for the park to open and said they’ve been watching the construction process. They visit as many Lake Metroparks as they can with their grandma, Lorinda Wilder.
“I’m happy they’re not home behind a screen and outside and having a good time,” said Lorinda. “And their mom says if they didn’t get dirty, that means they didn’t have fun. So, they get plenty dirty.”
Emma is happy it gives her a chance to be outside.
“We call them our adventures, ‘cause we don’t have a lot of things to do at her house, so we go to the parks,” said Emma, 10.
But hanging out with family all the time can be challenging.
“Sometimes they get annoying,” said Noah.
“That’s how families work,” replied Emma.
The kids enjoy spending time outdoors, and testing their skills on the slack lines and jumping obstacles in a more natural setting has its perks.
“Not having the sun all the way in my face,” said Emma. “Like, if you go to another playground, there’s always sun down and it’s so hot. So, I like the trees.”
Something they don’t like, however, is seeing adults getting in on the action and taking turns on the equipment.
“I thought grownups were supposed to be…,” started Noah.
“Just watching,” continued Emma. “But, no, they’re actually on the slack lines and the zip lines.”
Kate Murphy is one of those adults. She tried out the Noble Wall.
“Going through my mind was don’t fall,” she said.
The rock climbing activity was named in honor of her dad, a former executive director of Lake Metroparks.
Now she’s seeing her 3-year-old son, Weston, continuing the family tradition of outdoor fun.
“It’s fantastic being able to see him out here playing on all of these outdoor pursuit activities, that this was one of the parks that my father helped build,” she said.
Seth Begeman also had a hand in creating the park. He’s an official tester of all the play equipment there.
“I’ve gone on everything, that’s for sure,” he said. “Making sure it’s fun and safe.”
As the Chief of Outdoor Education for Lake Metroparks, it’s his job to help get kids out of the house and into nature.
He said seeing the smiles on kids’ faces is a sign of a job well done.
“‘This is the greatest playground I’ve ever been to,’” Begeman said. “I mean, this is the first thing, I walk in — that’s what the kid says to me. And, I was like, could not be any better. And that’s what we do.”
