Play Like A Kid

Twelve-year-old Preston Fisher, who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy as a baby, longed for a space to play with his peers. So the all-abilities Preston’s H.O.P.E. Playground Park opened with time for Preston to enjoy it and now lives on in his memory. The 60,000-square-foot space in Beachwood has been updated to offer equipment such as a boat swing, sand pits and bouncy dinosaurs. Spend the afternoon in Imagination Village, where children can explore a wonderland of kid-sized houses and shops, or make the world your stage with a play theater. “We have a lot of families that come where they have one child who is in a wheelchair and other children who are not,” explains co-chair Stacie Halpern. “It’s not just for one child or the other.” The success of the park has inspired Elle’s Enchanted Forest, an all-abilities park in Rocky River that may open later this summer. 26001 S. Woodland Road, Beachwood, prestonshope.com