Verbatim

Junior League of Peoria renovates Peoria PlayHouse playspace at Shoppes at Grande Prairie

May 31 project features family activities

May 27, 2008, Peoria, IL – The Peoria PlayHouse Junior gazebo at the Shoppes at Grande Prairie will undergo renovations and revitalization this Saturday, May 31, 2008. The project, which will make the space more inviting and interactive, begins at 10:30 a.m.

Free children’s activities begin at 10:30 a.m., and tie in to the “All Constructions Great and Small” exhibit planned for the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum. Children will have the opportunity to:

• “Build This House” by creating structures with sheets, clothespins and fasteners.
• Create with Play Doh.
• Read and share books about building and construction.

Renovations to the playspace include: a new octagonal picnic table and rubber chips under the gazebo for PlayHouse Junior activities and to provide families a place to relax in the shade while shopping; new hopscotch and four-square games painted on the ground; two interactive play panels, donated by Rainbow Play Systems, to be attached to the gazebo structure; new Peoria PlayHouse signage, donated by Hardin Signs, and four Peoria PlayHouse logo flags to fly from the gazebo.

In addition to these structural improvements, the Peoria PlayHouse play area will receive a cosmetic update as well. Artwork that correlates with the six galleries to be included in the Peoria PlayHouse Children’s Museum will be featured around the inside of the space. Dunlap Elementary school art students will paint these murals on May 31.

“We are excited to re-energize our playspace at the Shoppes at Grand Prairie. The new mural, picnic table and outdoor activities will enhance our monthly programming and make the PlayHouse Jr. gazebo a fun place for families to learn and play together, “said Kris Coulter, Chair of the Peoria PlayHouse Committee.

The Peoria PlayHouse Junior, opened in April 2003, is an exciting first step toward the kinds of interactive learning experiences that will be the heart and soul of the children’s museum. Organizations such as the Glen Oak Zoo, the Peoria Park District, Girl Scouts Kickapoo Council, Peoria Public Library, The Center for Prevention of Abuse, Peoria Art Guild, and the University of Illinois Extension have joined with the Junior League to present fun, free, and educational programs at the playspace.

Scheduled to open when funding is secured, The Peoria PlayHouse is a hands-on, interactive children’s museum. It will be a place for children and families to dream, explore, and learn through play. It will be the first and only of its kind in our community. The children’s museum will be made up of six exhibit galleries, the components of which are all tied to Illinois Learning Standards for Early Childhood Education.