Last fall, Hearts for Hearing received the Mary Eddy Jones Signature Gift from The Fred Jones Family Foundation for a grant of $75,000 that was used to build a new playground at Hears for Hearing’s Oklahoma City facility. The Mary Eddy Jones Playground is now complete and open for children to use.
“Having an outdoor space where children can enjoy themselves will allow for better cooperation and participation in appointments and for assessing language and overall development,” Hearts for Hearing Founder and CEO Joanna Smith said. “By adding the Mary Eddy Jones Playground area through the Mary Eddy Jones Signature Gift, we can provide children who travel long distances an opportunity to expend energy and get fresh air before appointments where it is critical that they sit still.”’
The Mary Eddy Jones Playground at Hearts for Hearing features a story time area, workstations, an art area, a playhouse, swings and more. The playground gives the Listening and Spoken Language Specialists and speech-language pathologists the opportunity to extend group therapy to an outdoor learning space that focuses on enhancing gross motor skills, multi-sensory experiences, and cooperative and imaginative play for patients.
“We are looking forward to using the playground for our upcoming school year,” said Shanda Danielson, Early Childhood Educator at Hearts for Hearing. “The playground provides an environment for play and discovery, giving many opportunities for learning and social interactions to take place! We are so thankful to have such a wonderful space.”
