FORT WAYNE, Ind, (WANE) — Remember those make-shift mud pies made at the park? Well, the Parkview Family YMCA Nature Playground is working towards bringing that imaginative play to life.

This project is to develop a 24,500-square-foot, year-round nature playground. It will include various environmental elements for all ages to interact with, such as a log climbing area, a crawling tunnel, a platform and slide, a hillside boulder climb, a butterfly garden, and natural materials building area.

A fence will separate the parking lot from the nature playground.

Amy Griffith, Executive Director of Parkview Family YMCA, told WANE 15 the board of directors was inspired to create a space for kids to get back outside and use their imaginations for play instead of being behind a screen or structured play.

“Recently, we received an anonymous donation to help bring us closer to our total goal, which will allow us to break ground soon,” Griffith said. The main portion of funding was raised at a 2019 fundraiser and throughout the pandemic.

The organization is still looking to raise more funds to help fence in the sides and back of the playscape for more peace of mind for parents as kids use the space.