A master-planned community in Houston will soon be home to a unique play structure designed for children of all ages and abilties.
Located in South Montgomery County, the Woodforest development will be the first in the U.S. to incorporate a Sona Play Arch. Sona Play uses smart camera technology to measure movement of those playing its games. The amenity will merge interactive technology and outdoor play in a fully-accessible park space. Wallaroo Park, which started construction in January, will feature the dynamic structure that uses smart camera technology to measure the movement of those playing games using sound and movement.
“This is very cutting edge,” says Virgil Yoakum, general manager of Woodforest. “Children will be able to play a number of games and the smart technology will be able to determine who wins. It’s all designed to keep kids moving and having fun.”
The colorful 12.5-foot-tall, 16.4-foot-wide arch is anchored by a play floor that features colors and numbers used in the interactive technology, all of which have increasingly difficult levels of play. Due to its size, the Sona Play Arch can also accommodate children in wheelchairs and is developed to be accessible for children with mental and physical disabilities. Developed by Yalp, the Sona Play Arch has been installed in more than 300 locations worldwide, including public park spaces, shopping malls, and health centers.
Builders, including Taylor Morrison, Chesmar Homes, Highland Homes, Lennar Homes, Perry Homes, Darling Homes, Empire Communities, Westin Homes, Coventry Homes, Wendell Legacy Homes, Partners in Building, and Huntington Homes, have opened more than 30 model homes in Woodforest priced from the $200s. Residents enjoy pools, parks, miles of trails, a dog park, tennis and basketball courts, and events planned by an on-site lifestyle director.
The park’s other features include an accessible slide, spinner play pieces and LED ribbons that serve as water misters. A water bubbler with seating will be a centerpiece of a central play area that also will include bird’s nest and spider web play pieces. Appealing to children who love to climb will be a lemongrass climbing wall play set and log trunk berm climbing play pieces. A swing set, seat walls, a Wallaroo monument, an open lawn and extensive landscaping complete the design of the 1-acre park.
“Wallaroo Park will perfectly complement our traditional playgrounds, scooter park, spray park and other play spaces found in Woodforest, and carries on the whimsical animal theme found in nearby Fox Trail Park,” Yoakum says. “Plus, the ADA accessible play equipment and park layout will let children of all abilities enjoy time outdoors.”
