New play feature headed to Rainbow Lake Playground

This week, we’re making some small changes to Rainbow Lake Playground in order to add another unique feature. The two sliding poles on The Maze (the large wooden play structure in the center of the playground) are being removed to make way for a new interactive set of listening tubes designed by Tylur French and his crew at Youngblood Studio.

Like the mushroom-shaped sound sculpture they installed a few years ago, the listening tubes are totally unique creations, and the team has been having fun testing out configurations. The tubes will spread over a large area of The Maze, so kids will be able to talk to each other from multiple locations around the structure. Tylur and his team have been setting up the tubes in their studio to see how far the sound waves will stretch and bend.

The listening tubes have several advantages over the sliding poles: they are a more modern and inclusive feature than the sliding poles, and like many of the other features on The Maze, they are ADA-compliant so that all children can enjoy them. They also have a higher play value for kids ages 2-5 than the poles did, but they’ll be perfect for older kids too.

Interested in bringing this new feature to the playground? The listening tubes are available for sponsorship, and your name will appear on a plaque on the structure. Get in touch with Overton Park Conservancy at 901-214-5450 or [email protected] to learn more.