LIMESTONE, Tenn. (WJHL)- The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) announced plans for a playscape to be built at David Crockett Birthplace State Park. The playscape will provide an educational, hands-on experience for children.
“A playscape encourages more intellectual play from the kids and makes them think and ask questions about the world around them,” said David Crockett State Park Ranger, Joe Nowotarski. “Also from a construction standpoint, it incorporates a lot of the topography and the lay of the land into it, as opposed to built structures.”
The new playscape will replace the Strong Springs pool, which has been closed for several years. Nowotarski said the official plans and budget funding for the project are still underway and he hopes the park can utilize grant money.
Nowotarski told News Channel 11 that he is excited about the upcoming playscape because it will benefit not only the park but also the families that come to visit.
“Right now, there’s nothing that’s really pushing David Crockett out into the mainstream of young kids, so pushing the future of parks, pushing the future of David Crockett, and his story to a younger generation is something that we always struggle with,” said Nowotarski. “Having a place where you can play and learn should help keep that seed going on into the next generation.”
Natosha Wolfe and her family are frequent visitors to David Crockett Birthplace State Park, and she said she’s excited to have more educational areas for her kids to enjoy.
“Anything that is a teaching experience is amazing because they’re learning how to homestead and to build a homestead right now in their curriculum,” said Wolfe.
Wolfe homeschools her two kids and uses many areas of the park to teach them the history of David Crockett.
“For my kids, book learning isn’t that fun, so having a playground that still incorporates the history, it’s a little bit more inviting to the kids,” said Wolfe.
Construction for the new playscape is set to begin early next year.
