Nashville is a booming southern city. But even before she became the “It” city, the downtown core had a bustling metropolitan presence. Downtown commerce meant the need for downtown child care for working parents. In 1990, McKendree United Methodist Church opened a center to meet this need. But, there was a catch. The building’s footprint didn’t allow for a traditional playground. For active play, the children had daily use of a gymnasium and were allowed to use the buil

I’ve always been interested in outdoor opportunities for children. I enjoyed outdoor play so much as a child, from the swing set to climbing trees, riding my bike to swimming, walking in the woods to rowing a boat across the lake. When I was 5 years old my family began camping every weekend all summer long at a primitive campground - you know, the kind where you pump the water out of a well, utilize the outhouse, scavenge for firewood to cook your food. All these experiences