INNOVATIVE PLAYGROUNDS FOR MORE INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIESThe first of its kind, Magical Bridge Playgrounds are intentionally designed to improve the physical, social, emotional and mental health of everyone in the community, including our youth, our aging population, the medically-fragile, and the 1 in 4 of us who is living with visible or invisible disabilities. Heralded as the most innovative and inclusive playground, Magical Bridge is not a special needs playground – rather, we are a playground for everyone and everybody, at every stage of life. Further, our active programming engages and unites the entire community around a message of inclusion and kindness. Our intergenerational, fun, and safe playgrounds are:

INCLUSIVE• Distinct play zones designed to

accommodate everyone• Retreat spaces for those needing a

break from play• Smooth, seamless pathways and

surfacing• Wheelchair access to our two-story

playhouse, treehouse and top of the slide mound

• Fully accessible play equipment including bucket swings, joyful spinning features, wide slides, and a merry-go-round flush with the ground so everyone can join in the fun

INNOVATIVE• Far surpasses the minimum ADA

requirements• Designed by inclusive play experts,

educators, therapists, families living with various disabilities, and leading landscape architects

• Surprising and innovative features such as an artist-designed 24-string laser harp, interactive artwork, seamless turf, custom wooden structures for tactile and visual impact, and many others

ENRICHING• Outdoor play is the foundation

for physical development, and social-emotional lessons such as cooperation, sharing, problem solving and kindness

• Without inclusive playgrounds, many families do not have a place to bring their children to play

• Eliminating social stigmas and prejudices naturally happens when people of all abilities have the chance to play together

• Seasonal concerts, hands-on activities, and programming at the playground unite and engeage the entire community

www.magicalbridge.org © 2020 Magical Bridge Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Tax ID: #81-2377796

all abilities. all ages. all welcome.

The opportunity to play with others helps strengthen and maintain physical, emotional, psychological, and social well-being for us all.

Beyond inclusion, there’s magic.

Distinct play zones, labeled above in circles, provide playground users with predictable navigation and play for an enhanced experience. With smooth, seamless ground surfaces, the playground offers ample space for open play and easy transition between play zones.

Variable challenge levels in each zone help playground visitors build skills and confidence. Our carefully selected equipment is accessible for all — including elevated areas such as the two-story, artist-designed Playhouse and Stage, slide mound, carousel, and sway boat.

The Kindness Corner is a place for reflection and thoughtful conversations. The inscripted wall offers messaging that promotes acceptance, good will, and friendship. The Kindness Corner is a perfect place for a “Buddy Bench” which encourages new connections.

Hideaway Huts are placed throughout the playground for those, such as students with autism, who need a retreat from play or a safe place to observe the action. Our Hideaway Huts are custom designed in natural, stained wood to match the Playhouse and add a special, unexpected design element to the playground.

Slides with Dignity Landings™ (patented by Magical Bridge® and distributed exclusively by Playworld®) provide a transitional place to sit at the end of a slide for those needing extra time while waiting for a mobility device or assistance from a friend.

Secure, perimeter fencing offers parents and caregivers peace of mind as their children explore the many play opportunities at Magical Bridge. The playground, designed for all ages, including our seniors, offers adult fitness equipment and tables for group gatherings, games, and celebrations.

PLAYHOUSEAND STAGE

CLIMB AND SLIDE MOUND

KINDNESSCORNER

INNOVATIONZONE

HIDEAWAYHUTS

SWING ANDSWAY ZONE

TOT ZONE

SPIN ZONE

SMOOTH, SOFT SURFACES

PERIMETER SECURITYFENCING

ACCESSIBILITYRAMPS

SHADE AND NATURAL ELEMENTS

GATHERING SPACE

VARIABLE CHALLENGE

LEVELS

AUDITORYFEATURES

DIGNITYLANDING™

Outdoor play is the foundation for physical development and for social-emotional lessons such as cooperation, sharing, problem solving and kindness. Magical Bridge Foundation is dedicated to designing and building the world’s most inspiring, innovative, and inclusive playgrounds. These new kind of public play spaces improve the physical, social, emotional and mental health of everyone in the community, including our youth, our aging population, the medically-fragile, and the 1 in 4 of us who is disabled.

HOW WE ARE DIFFERENT

Magical Bridge Playground in Palo Alto, California

Distinct play zones, labeled above in circles, provide playground users with predictable navigation and play for an enhanced experience. With smooth, seamless ground surfaces, the playground offers ample space for open play and easy transition between play zones.

Variable challenge levels in each zone help playground visitors build skills and confidence. Our carefully selected equipment is accessible for all — including elevated areas such as the two-story, artist-designed Playhouse and Stage, slide mound, carousel, and sway boat.

The Kindness Corner is a place for reflection and thoughtful conversations. The inscripted wall offers messaging that promotes acceptance, good will, and friendship. The Kindness Corner is a perfect place for a “Buddy Bench” which encourages new connections.

Hideaway Huts are placed throughout the playground for those, such as students with autism, who need a retreat from play or a safe place to observe the action. Our Hideaway Huts are custom designed in natural, stained wood to match the Playhouse and add a special, unexpected design element to the playground.

Slides with Dignity Landings™ (patented by Magical Bridge®) provide a transitional place to sit at the end of a slide for those needing extra time while waiting for a mobility device or assistance from a friend.

Secure, perimeter fencing offers parents and caregivers peace of mind as their children explore the many play opportunities at Magical Bridge. The playground, designed for all ages, including our seniors, offers adult fitness equipment and tables for group gatherings, games, and celebrations.

HOW WE ARE DIFFERENT

Hideaway HutsA place to retreat from play

Interactive Art PiecesA place to inspire kindness

Buddy BenchesA place to make new friends

www.magicalbridge.org © 2020 Magical Bridge Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Tax ID: #81-2377796

Swing and Sway Zone

Slide and Climbing Mound

Kindness Corner

Music Innovation Zone

Spin Zone

Playhouse and Stage

Barbara Butler Original

OUR MAGICAL ZONESPlay has such a profound impact on ALL of us, at every stage of life, and we design Magical Bridge Playgrounds so every visitor, young and old, experiences the health and wellness benefits of playing in our magical space. We intentionally divide Magical Bridge into zones, because predictability matters for many who play here. With ample space and endless opportunities for creative play, each zone offers multiple challenge levels and unique benefits for all ages and abilities. Best of all, the spaces and equipment are mindfully designed to provide maximum accessibility so everyone can join in the fun.

Sliding and climbing activates our vestibular systems, which contribute to our sense of balance and spatial orientation. Vestibular input coordinates movement of our eyes, head and body, which affects our body’s balance, muscle tone, visual-spatial perception, auditory-language perception and emotional security.

Swinging creates vestibular stimulationcritical to maintaining body posture,balance and equilibrium. Our bucketswings, group disc swings, and swayboats accommodate all ages and abilities giving everyone the opportunitybenefit from this important motion.

Through pretend-play, children experience the full range of their senses and feelings, how their bodies move through space, and how their imaginations can create alternate worlds of existence. Our custom two-story, wheelchair-assessible playhouses and community stages are designed and built by Barbara Butler Artist-Builder, Inc.

The heart of Magical Bridge, the Kindness Corner is a gathering place for reflection, compassion and education. Magical Bridge offers a dedicated section of the playground to help spark conversations and lessons about making friends with someone who is “different,” modeling positive behavior, and encouraging kids to be up-standers and address the issues of bullying.

Music stimulates more parts of the brain than any other human function. In children, it motivates interaction, facilitates socialization and improves social skills. The brain processes music in a different area than speech and language, therefore, for those who have difficulty communicating verbally, music provides a way to express themselves in a non-verbal manner.

Rotary vestibular input, caused from spinning, is the most powerful form of sensory input that the brain can process. Just 15 minutes of vestibular input can have a 6-8 hour impact on the brain. In our Spin Zone, people of all ages and abilities can access our net and disc spinners and carousel, which is flush with the ground for wheelchair access.

www.magicalbridge.org © 2020 Magical Bridge Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Tax ID: #81-2377796

We offer a variety of programming including a volunteer Kindness Ambassador program, inclusive-themed art and STEM playground activities, seasonal concert series, as well as media relations, and outreach presentations to connect with the broader community. We regularly host classes, tours, and workshops for groups of all ages to give hands-on opportunities to learn.

Companion educational and enrichment curriculum and activities for K-5 are available. These group activities help strengthen social-emotional skills while enhancing academic and life skills.

We engage with city officials, foundations, businesses, and the community at large to ensure Magical Bridge Playgrounds are fully funded and well supported.

We support fundraising events through our social channels and rally our engaged and enthusiastic supporters to get involved and learn more about each playground project.

Through donor naming opportunities in our playgrounds, organizations of any size become important community partners in our efforts to build Magical Bridge Playgrounds for everyone around the world. Every donation is meaningful, appreciated, and acknowledged.

FUNDRAISING EXPERTISE

Partnering with thought-leaders, academics, landscape architects, and playground-users, we create a welcoming space for all. Building on a decade of research and development, our universal design meets the unique needs of everyone, including those often forgotten. Our playgrounds and innovations have been featured at:

• World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland • Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in NYC• PBS News Hour

INNOVATIVE DESIGN

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

OUR EXPERTISE AND SUPPORTWe design, promote, build, and support outdoor spaces to ensure people with and without disabilities thrive in their communities.

www.magicalbridge.org © 2020 Magical Bridge Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Tax ID: #81-2377796

MAGICAL BRIDGE FOUNDATION552 Waverley St. #200Palo Alto, CA 94301www.magicalbridge.org

Olenka Villarreal Founder and CEOEmail: olenka@magicalbridge.orgPhone: 650 380 1557

Jill Asher Founder and Executive DirectorEmail: jill@magicalbridge.orgPhone: 650 520 8512

www.magicalbridge.org