0522HarfordSpring22 - Flipbook - Page 42
Youngsters have fun splashing in the water and playing at the Chesapeake Sensory Plaza in Rockfield Park. Educational signs teach kids about the watershed’s
delicate ecosystem and the wildlife in and around the water. PHOTO BY MATT BUTTON
Rockfield Park
501 E. Churchville Road, Bel Air
The organizers of the 5,000-square-foot
Chesapeake Sensory Plaza, Harford County’s
first nature-based playground, weren’t afraid
to make a few waves.
The water taps of the 60-foot channel
system that flows down the middle of the
interactive exhibits are turned on during
warm weather. Kids enjoy splashing ankle
deep in the ”river,” pump water from the
pumping station, and explore replicas of
the mill wheels, lock gates, flaps, forks and
collecting areas that can be found along the
real Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Educational signs teach kids about the
watershed’s delicate ecosystem and the
wildlife in and around the water. Other panels
explain the water cycle from the earth into the
atmosphere and down again, while another
panel lets kids forecast the weather with
movable dials: Will it be hot or cold? Cloudy
or sunny? Dry, drizzling or pouring rain?
Schucks Regional Park
301 Schucks Road, Bel Air
One standout feature is the sensory
trail, a 1/10-of-a-mile strip that includes 10
interactive features aimed at helping kids who
can’t see or hear get the maximum enjoyment
from this park.
42 | SPRING 2022 | harfordmagazine.com
But, anyone — kids, grandparents, people
who are blind and those with 20/20 vision —
will get a blast out of the 9-foot chimes that
span two octaves, the roller table that visitors
can pull themselves through, the optigear
panel with its interlocking gears, or the
kaleidoscope panel with optical illusions.
At one end of the trail is the Miracle League
field that is aimed at getting athletes with
disabilities to play baseball and softball.
The custom-designed field has a rubberized
surface that makes it easier for players
with limited mobility, including athletes in
wheelchairs, to get from base to base.
In addition, players who need a little extra
help can have a volunteer “buddy” on the field
with them.
Best of all? It’s free.
Kathy Burley, director of Harford County Parks & Recreation, checks out one of 10 interactive stations on
the 1/10-mile sensory trail in Schucks Regional Park.