The playground is open! About 200 people came out in the rain on Oct. 15 to help recognize the donors, meet the WARM Radio bear and Woody from Toy Story, eat cookies and cut the ribbon. But mostly they came to swing and slide and jump and climb and explore the playground!

Ten days and counting until the playground is open for play! The donation boulder has been installed, the bouncy rubber surfacing is complete (and beautiful!), the irrigation system is in, and the top soil arrives Monday as the perimeter gets ready for the grand opening. The only thing left to do will be the landscape plantings, but that won’t keep us from cutting the ribbon.

Invitations to the grand opening have been sent to all the donors who contributed to the playground, to local dignitaries, to our local non-profit partners, to the contractors who built the park and to members of Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park.

Now we just need children to help cut the ribbon and come to play! The short program begins at 11 a.m. on October 15 and includes the unveiling of the boulder with its beautiful bronze plaque recognizing all the donors who contributed $1,000 or more. Join us as we celebrate their gifts!

Playground Update - Sept. 8, 2016 The blue ropes are waiting to complete the 17-foot climbing net. But first comes the base gravel to fill around the equipment. Then the rotating net (like a merry-go-round), zip line, talking tubes, giant chimes and other pieces can be installed in the next 10 days or so.

Watch for the rubber surfacing to be poured in place over the gravel fill, the last two weeks of September, dependent on weather.

Landscaping may not be ready for the dedication and grand opening of the playground on October 15, but that’s okay. Plan to bring the kids to be the first to play on this amazing long-awaited playground!

Mission Accomplished! Playground Build!Many thanks to all the volunteers, to all our media partners for helping to publicize, to Issaquah Highlands’ Zeek’s Pizza for lunch, to Talking Rain for liquid refreshments and to Krispy Kreme for morning donuts!

Yes – building a playground is like raising a barn – it takes the entire village working, sweating and laughing together!

The playground dedication will be Oct. 15 at 11 a.m., so save the date!

Save the Date – Oct. 15 – Ribbon Cutting of New All-Access Playground! Come on out for a fun day at the park on Oct. 15 when we cut the ribbon and the kids inaugurate the new all-access playground.

Plan on bringing your families and friends for a fun morning and day at the park.

The playground made huge progress with volunteer help last week, but it is a long way from completion. Next will be the gravel fill around the base before the final playground pieces are installed. The last two weeks of September will be reserved for the poured-in-place rubber surfacing to finish things off. But not quite! There will be an irrigation system, rail fencing and landscaping added in early October, readying for the grand opening at 11 a.m. on October 15. Have you added the big event to your calendar yet?

Twenty-four volunteers showed up this morning to help build the tower, the swings, the zip line and more. It took digging in the dirt, learning to work together with strangers and a lot of sweat, but the volunteers came away pleased with what they had accomplished. Many say they will return Thursday and/or Friday! A few more volunteers are needed to get the job done, ages 18+. At this point, forget signing up, just show up! Proceed to the playground (you can’t miss it!) at Sunset Beach. A pair of gloves, your water bottle and some sunscreen is all you need. Lunch from Zeek’s Pizza will be provided.

Mark your calendar for the October 15 ribbon cutting of the new playground!

OMG! What an exciting morning Monday was! The sun was already warming the perfectly calm lake, osprey were seen flying overhead, and early walkers with children or dogs in tow were out stretching their legs along the lakeshore paths. But the excitement was all at the new playground site as a giant crane lifted pre-formed concrete components of the playground from the truck trailers that had delivered them from Texas. The next big install dates will be next week, August 24,25, 26, when volunteers arrive to add the slides, the climbing net, the zip line, the twin towers and more!

More volunteers are still needed for ½ day or full-day shifts! Volunteers must be 18 or older. Lunch will be provided by Zeek’s pizza. Please sign up at this link:

www.signupgenius.com/go/4090c4faeaf2ca6f94-playground

Looking for a fun team building activity? Come to the park and help construct the equipment for the new all-access playground, due to open by October 1!

About 15 volunteers per day are needed for half-day or all-day shifts for Community Build Days, Aug. 24, 25, 26. Especially needed are volunteers comfortable working with power tools. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old. Lunch will be provided!

To volunteer, sign up at www.signupgenius.com/go/4090c4faeaf2ca6f94-playground

State Parks has decided to direct some of its department funds to poured-in-place rubber surfacing for the playground to make it the most accessible it can be. However, a few other cost overruns and change orders have put some of the finishing touches in funding jeopardy (e.g., landscaping, benches, etc.). Lakeside Industries to the rescue! Lakeside, based in Issaquah, has already donated 1,500 tons of fill dirt and gravel for the playground. But with the new surfacing, another 700 tons of aggregate is needed. Lakeside’s manager Jim Weidman said “We need to get to the finish line. Lakeside is in!”

Lakeside, this week you are the playground’s Super Hero! Shall we say Super Heron?

One of the most exciting aspects of the new all-access playground will be its zip line! It may not go across a canopy of treetops, but it is sure to be fun for all ages. Just bring the rope back to the top of the starting platform, climb on board the disk and hold on as you zip your way across the playground! Visit the playground site this week and you’ll see that the paved sidewalk around it is nearly complete. Irrigation lines and a few foundations for playground equipment will be done in the next couple weeks, then it’s time for volunteers to help construct the equipment.

If you have an interest in volunteering, email director@flssp.com to be notified of times and dates when they are known.

Playtime can be educational! Lake Sammamish State Park has a mission to be a living laboratory for environmental education — even on the new playground!

In addition to the salmon "stream," kids will learn from signage that will share fun facts about mushrooms and pond life. Did you know that frogs don't drink water, but absorb it through their skin? Now you do!

Another local connection at the playground will be the long-forgotten Issaquah Mining Company, named on the mountain and mine.

The site work on the playground is moving quickly! Be sure to come check it out at the park. Kids enjoy watching the earth movers and cement work during the weekdays!

Can you imagine the sound of music? The giant chimes and the outdoor xylophone-like instruments have arrived at the park, ready for installation in a few weeks! Add the giggles of children at play and Lake Sammamish State Park will have a new sweet tone carrying across the lawns and beach before we know it. This week some of the concrete foundations and sidewalks are being poured. Progress! If you would like to volunteer to help construct the playground equipment, email director@flssp.org to be notified as dates get firmed up in August and September. You can then register for your preferred time slot. Volunteers 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult.

Washington State Parks & Recreation is upgrading the surface of the playground to poured-in-place rubber, making it the most accessible possible for wheelchairs, strollers and walkers. The investment will not only put a great finishing touch on the playground, but will make it easier to keep clean by parks staff. Geese will not likely be attracted to the rubber surface and fall leaves can be blown off.

The surface will be colored to represent grass with a salmon stream meandering throughout the playground structures.

We are very close to reaching our goal and your donations are still very valued. To donate, visit Playground4All.com or mail a check with a clear designation for the playground to Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park, PO Box 605, Issaquah, WA 98027

Thank you!

Experience an amazing afternoon at Parkadilly at Lake Sammamish. Come to the FREE kids' concert, fair & fun!

July 24, noon to 5 p.m.!

Presented by Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park.

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Windermere Real Estate East

Volunteers still needed, contact director@flssp.org

June 1 – Ground breaking day! The state awarded the site prep contract to W.S. Contractors out of Buckley. They expect fill dirt, rocks, gravel etc., donated by Lakeside Industries, to begin arriving June 1.