Meet The Recess Project: Creating Playgrounds for All

Building a more inclusive world, one playground at a time

Every kid has the right to play. But for kids with disabilities, non-inclusive spaces mean they get left out of the fun. After Katrina Placzek had her daughter Dallas, a wheelchair user since age three, she noticed how inaccessible the world is for people with mobility aids. She went on to found The Recess Project in 2023, a non-profit that helps provide accessible playground equipment to schools. French Toast is dedicated to helping all kids shine and we sat down with Katrina to learn more about why she started the non-profit, what challenges she faces as a disability advocate and how to get involved.

The moment that sparked a movement

Katrina used to love taking her daughter to the swings, but by the time Dallas outgrew the baby swings, she couldn’t play with anything on their local playground. That’s when a friend asked if they’d seen the town’s new inclusive playground. When Katrina saw her daughter swing for the first time on a wheelchair swing, the moment changed her life. “I knew I would advocate for more inclusive playgrounds after seeing that joy on her face,” Katrina says.

Meet The Recess Project

That moment on the playground sparked a fire in Katrina that only grew bigger with time. In 2023, she started The Recess Project, a non-profit whose mission is to create a more inclusive recess for students with disabilities. Why recess? For many kids with disabilities, recess is one of the first places where they feel excluded from their peers. Katrina didn’t want to see her daughter be a bystander at playtime, missing out on all the socialization that happens on the playground. 

Inclusive playgrounds are a rare gem in communities and almost never found on school grounds. The Recess Project helps schools gain access to an inclusive piece of equipment, which starts the process of building a more inclusive recess for all. They also work with schools to educate and advocate for students with disabilities, so administrators know what inclusion looks like. For the team behind The Recess Project, the issue is personal. Almost everybody on the team has either a background working in special education or personal experience living with a disability. 

What inclusivity looks like

So what might you find on an inclusive playground? You’ll see less curbs and more ramps. You might find Braille labels for kids who are visually impaired, or wider slides for kids who need to slide with a friend. Rubberized ground takes the place of woodchips or mulch, so wheelchairs can easily cruise around. Overall, you’ll notice a variety of options and equipment that’s flexible in use — the aim is to include something for every kid who comes to the space, regardless of ability. For Katrina’s daughter, a ramp to the jungle gym was a game-changer. Not because she uses the monkey bars, but because it allows her to socialize with the kids playing on it instead of sitting silently on the sidelines.

One of the biggest challenges the non-profit faces is a misunderstanding of what inclusivity means. Many people think inclusive playgrounds are for disabled kids only. “Creating an accessible playground gives the opportunity for more children to play and does not leave anyone out,” Katrina says. The goal is for kids of all abilities to play side by side, disabled or not. A non-disabled kid would be unfazed by rubberized ground over woodchips, for example. But for a kid who uses a wheelchair, this detail means everything.

An example of an inclusive spinner. This is Dallas Placzek, her sister Brooklyn, and friends Olivia and Alyssa playing together. Photo courtesy of Katrina Placzek.

Breaking ground

The Recess Project is currently working on their first project. They’re partnering with Clarence Lobo Elementary to create a playground for all. The partnership kicked off when Amanda Hicks, a parent and paraeducater at the school, learned about the non-profit on TikTok and nominated her school for consideration. Just like Katrina, she felt heartbroken after seeing her own two kids sitting on the sidelines at recess.

The current non-inclusive playground at Lobo Elementary. Photo courtesy of Katrina Placzek.

French Toast believes all kids should feel included at school, and we’re proud to support The Recess Project. We donated $5,000, which they’ll use towards a new inclusive spinner, a merry-go-round that’s flush to the ground, so kids using mobility aids can easily roll onto the platform.

Several faculty members at the school were so inspired, they decided to raise money to help build an entirely new inclusive playground. What started as a revamp grew into a full redesign that includes ramps, inclusive equipment and space for a quiet zone. “Once completed, all kids will have the ability have fun spinning and playing together at recess,” says Katrina. When will it be finished? The group hopes to have it finished for summer break of 2024.

A rendering of a future playground that could be installed at Lobo Elementary. Photo courtesy of Katrina Placzek.

How to get involved

Interested in helping out with The Recess Project? There are a lot of ways to get involved. You can visit the website at www.therecessproject.org to sign up for their monthly newsletter, donate or see any current fundraising opportunities. You can also support them by following them on social media. They’re on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube. If you would like to volunteer, there is a sign-up option on the website as well. “We greatly appreciate any support,” says Katrina. “Recess is such an important part of the school day that every kid should have access to.”