The park includes several pods each intended to develop specific skills for all people including:
The Playscape Pod includes slides, balance elements, and spinning elements. It is accessible to all with ramps, transfer points at ground level, and elevated play elements. This pod helps people develop physical fitness, motor skills, coordination, self-esteem, confidence, decision-making skills, and social skills.
The Retreat Pod gives people a place where they can practice sensory processing and regulation. This pod also provides independent play opportunities and aids in developing core strength, focus, and cognitive skills.
Race track where people can freely enjoy wheeled activities. This track will remove some of the fast-moving traffic in Brushy Creek Village, making it a safer environment for pedestrians. Themed as an F1 pit stop, the pit alley also includes a learning wall that features interactive mechanical components.
The Nature Pod provides a safe space for this important type of play. With a variety of natural elements (such as logs and boulders) and non-traditional play features, this pod invites people to explore and use their imagination.
Brushy Creek Village includes a miniature city, with buildings, roads, sidewalks, and more in which people can develop life skills. A car wash with misters allows park-goers to keep cool on hot days.
The Rock Band Pod provides opportunities for people to engage in musical play. The instruments are on a stage with lawn seating in order to create a performance-like setting. This facilitates social interaction, non-verbal communication, and confidence-building.
The Swing Pod is one of the most heavily used areas of the Play for All Abilities Park. This pod features several different swing bays which include a wheelchair swing, molded swivel swing, belt swings, bucket swings, saucer swing, and companion swing.
The Adventure Hill has been designed for thrills. This pod helps develop core and upper body strength, hand-eye coordination, confidence, gross motor development, and a healthy sense of competition among its users.
Visit the Play for All Park
The park is 140,000 square feet of outdoor fun for children of all abilities!
The park now features the all new Nyle Maxwell Family of Dealerships Speedway, a new Nolan Ryan Foundation Train Pod, an all-new Adventure Hill, an all-new Nature Pod featuring a Seton/Ascension all abilities Tree House, a zip line and Mason’s Monkey Ranch Nature free play area.
We’ve also expanded the Village Pod Section of the park featuring a Baker Realty Building, a new drive-thru Chick-Fil-A restaurant and a car wash with misters called Missy’s Car Wash and a new Hester’s Automotive Bike Parking Area. Additionally, the Swing Pod section of the park now includes additional all ability swings. Finally, the Rock Band Pod area sponsored by Smiles for Sammy, has expanded and a new restroom facility, additional parking for cars and busses and a new Picnic Grove has also been added.
The park has truly become a treasure and from opening day, millions have visited the park from Central Texas and across the nation. Throughout the year, children are bussed in from surrounding communities to enjoy this one of a kind park.
The park entrance is located under the railroad bridge. The site is heavily shaded and tucked away from busy streets. The Brushy Creek Regional Trail is accessible from the park.
The history of the Play for All Abilities Park started many years before the park was opened. In the late 1980’s, Virg and Nancy Rabb donated 9 acres of property to the City of Round Rock for use as a City park facility to be known as Rabb Park. The Parks and Recreation Department operated the park and rental venue for the next 20+ years before a flood damaged the former homesite in 2010.
A couple years prior to the 2010 flood, the City of Round Rock was approached by Round Rock citizens Kenneth and Dennis Seymore to consider applying for a Boundless Playground Outdoor Grant. Although the City was not awarded the grant, the City Council realized there was a great need for a universally accessible park and added the project as a high priority project in the Parks Master Plan. Two years later, the City was approached by Marge Tripp and the Rotary Club of Round Rock Sunrise about installing an adaptive swing for children with autism.
With these two requests in mind and the need to re-develop the park after the flood, the City began development of a park plan that would provide ALL children, regardless of ability, with an opportunity to play and develop skills in a fun, outdoor environment. With that in mind, the City Council approved using a portion of Rabb Park for the Play for All Park, as well as allocating $200,000 toward park construction to get the project started.
From there, the project grew to become a community wide effort. Members of local civic clubs joined forces and formed the Play for All committee and a 501 (c) (3) non-profit foundation (Play for All Foundation). The committee met regularly to fundraise and spread awareness throughout Central Texas.
The design for the park also became a community wide effort. The Parks and Recreation Department included professionals and parents familiar with working with children with special needs in the design process.
A Design Task Force of 30+ people was formed which included several parents of children with special needs along with professionals from different disciplines in medical, educational, and design fields. As a result of their input, the City was able to fine tune the design to ensure the diverse needs of all children.
On March 3, 2012 the 140,000 sf Play for All Park opened with a community-wide celebration. After 5 years in the making, Central Texas children of all abilities had a one-of-a-kind park to play side by side without limitations. Making the $1,300,000 park a reality truly was a community-wide effort as over $700,000 in grants, in-kind donations and sponsorships from local business was raised by the Play for All Foundation.
The Play for All Park immediately became the most used playground in Round Rock and one of the most attended playgrounds in all of Texas. Daily attendance averaged 900+ visitors per day and never slowed down during the first 2 years. This attendance led to the Parks and Recreation Department and the Play for All Foundation to quickly start planning for an expansion of the park. In 2016, the City officially kicked off the Play for All Expansion Project with a community input process and fundraising efforts. The public-private partnership continued during the Expansion Project with close to $1,000,000 in grants, in-kind donations and sponsorships from local business being raised by the Play for All Foundation. On November 17, 2017 the $2.25 million Play for All Expansion opened to the community and nearly tripled the size of the original park adding more play equipment, a nature play area, a tree house, a race track, parking and restroom facilities.
The mission of the Play for All Park is to provide a safe, fun place to play and develop new skills for children of all abilities. That mission continues to drive the operation of the Play for All Park; a park that has welcomed over 3,000,000 visitors of all abilities from all over Texas since it opened in 2012.
Play for All Park Rules
The Park is intended for all to play as well as for therapy and learning. Please be courteous to those around you as they may be using the park for therapy or life skills. For your safety and others, please obey the following rules:
- Use playground equipment at your own risk, as City shall not be liable for personal injury and/or property damage resulting from voluntary participation in activities at the Park. All playground equipment is designed for ages 5 years and older.
- Children under the age of 10 must be accompanied by an adult.
- Alcohol is prohibited.
- Tobacco products are prohibited.
- No glass.
- No littering; all garbage must be disposed of using the receptacles provided.
- While service animals are allowed, pets are not permitted. All service animals must be on a leash or restrained in an appropriate manner.
- No rollerblades or skateboards.
- No bicycles, tricycles and power wheels except on the Round Rock Village streets.
Current Board Members
- Lee Buckland, CEO, Compliance in the Cloud and PFA Foundation President
- Kris Whitfield, former Round Rock Council Member and PFA Foundation Chair
- Shannon Andre, CPA, CFE, Brown, Graham & Company, P.C. and PFA Foundation Secretary
- Jan Sartain, Emeritus Lead Teacher, Round Rock ISD Adapted Physical Education and PFA Foundation Vice-President
- Rachel Birkhead, Communications Manager, St. Davids Round Rock Medical Center and PFA Foundation Treasurer
- Kenneth Seymore, Round Rock Parent Advisor and one of the original founders of the Play for All Park
- Chuck Glase, President, Chasco Constructors
- Cary Rabb, President, Wag-A-Bag Convenience Stores
- Kevin Hull, President, Texas Custom Signs
- Gregg Miller, Miller and Associates
- Julie Donohue, Pediatric Occupational Therapist for past 35 years
- Stephanie Loving-Walker
Former Board Members
- Joe Scurlock, Principal, Joe R. Scurlock, CPA, P.C.
- Jason Ramel, City Attorney, City of Bulverde
- Nancy Rabb, Wag-A-Bag
- Marge Tripp, Community Advocate
For more information about the Play for All Park or Play for All Foundation, please contact us at: playforall@roundrocktexas.gov.
Play for All Park Sponsors
Donate to the Play for All Park
Your donation to Play for All Abilities Park provides an opportunity for ongoing maintenance and growth for the park, where all individuals can continue to play and learn.