Angie Marie Garcia in sensory playground she created in her basement for her grandson Ryder who was diagnosed with autism. (rdnewsNOW/Alessia Proietti)

By Alessia Proietti

Located in boy's clothing boutique

Red Deer woman plans to open free ‘Sensory Playground’ for children with special needs

May 10, 2023 | 1:52 PM

As children, many can remember spending hours at the park playground. Today, inclusive playgrounds are taking stride for those with physical disabilities. However, what about for those with intellectual disabilities?

One Red Deer woman is on a mission to ensure that all people with special needs have a fun, safe and free place to play, with her goal of opening a ‘sensory playground’.

The inspiration started when Angie Marie Garcia’s grandson, Ryder, was diagnosed with nonverbal autism.

Garcia noticed outdoor playgrounds were not the most physically safe for Ryder. She said he would also yell as a way of vocalizing his feelings, making it difficult for other children to understand.

Through online research, Garcia discovered sensory playgrounds.

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According to the National Autistic Society, these multi-sensory environments, more predominant in Europe, contain equipment that can create light, sound and touch experiences with different textures. For example, monkey bars can be furry, slides can be made with rollers and painted in, and tables can have water-filled tops.

They are also sometimes known as “Snoezelen” rooms, a term coined by two Dutch therapists, combining the verbs ‘snuffelen’ (to seek and explore) and ‘doezelen’ (to relax).

While little evidence has been found, studies have shown that children with autism pay more attention and feel at ease when they can control the sensory equipment.

“They love things that spark their senses. They’re a lot different in the way they look at things than we do,” said Garcia, adding that keeping her grandson occupied reduces his stimming, when children with autism self-stimulate through repeated movements like hand clapping or finger snapping.

In Red Deer, there are three sensory-type playgrounds: at the 49th Street Community Health Centre run by Alberta Health Services, at the Aspire Special Needs Resource Centre, and at the Dragonfly Children’s Healing Centre, run by the Outreach Centre.

However, the playgrounds are reserved for patients during program hours.

Other general indoor playgrounds, not specifically sensory based, are at a cost.

“We just wanted to provide something that is free for kids to play, especially for special needs kids because there is nothing for them,” she said.

Garcia decided, with the love of any grandmother, that she would create her own solution. Although on disability, she saved up funds and materials for six months to build Ryder his own sensory playground in her basement.

One month later, she painted the walls to look like a galaxy, with glow-in-the-dark lighting and even built a rock-climbing wall, to name a few features of the room. She says Ryder instantly fell in love.

Angie Marie Garcia’s grandson Ryder in basement sensory playroom. (Supplied)

“Look at the childish part of you and then keep that inside and that’s pretty much how they look at life. It could be beautiful or it can be awful so we want to make it beautiful,” she said.

She says she wanted people of all ages in her grandson’s position to feel that same joy and began her project of opening a free sensory playground for the entire public with Ryder’s mother, her daughter-in-law, Toni Linzmeyer. However, she needed to find a way to make it self-sustaining.

Previously contributing to the community through the Patchwork Angels, part of Project Linus making blankets for those in need, she decided to turn her attention to opening a used-boys clothing store called “Boy Oh Boi”.

In the current times of economic difficulties and with the lack of boys clothing stores, she says this concept would allow them to make enough money to support The Sensory Playground, which will be located inside the store.

And the community came running to help. She says she already has a full store-worth of boys clothing, many donated by the Calgary Drop-in Centre. With the help of various local businesses and donors, including some celebrities like Canadian Olympic gold medalist figure skater Jamie Salé, she was able to raised $1,200 towards her $4,000 goal to cover the first month’s rent and security deposit.

She intends to open the boutique on July 1, with a silent auction during opening week. Prizes are ready with an “Unplug for Adventure” theme, consisting of zip-lining passes, ski weekend packages, helicopter rides and more.

“We’re getting it done; we’re not stopping,” she said. “We’ve gotten this far on faith and on hope because everything was just coming.”

She says they plan to hold classes like lunch meditation and painting to also raise funds in support of The Sensory Playground, which can cost from $25,000 – 50,000 to build at a professional level.

However, she states people have already begun to donate for the playground as well, with one company donating piping that she intends to hang from the ceiling to create a graffiti-garage themed area.

With parental supervision required in the playground during store hours, expected to be five days a week from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., she says they also want to plan inclusive group activities for children with special needs like pajama parties and movie nights.

According to the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, 1 in 50 Canadians aged one to 17 years were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in 2019.

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