On a quarter acre of open space, tucked away in the northwest corner of Mount Saint Vincent’s 16-acre property in North Denver, sits a new outdoor challenge course.
Five permanent wooden structures, each designed to foster specific skills, are nestled amid tall elm trees and soft grass. The course is the first of its kind for Mount Saint Vincent, a residential treatment center that cares for abused and neglected children.
“Whale Watch” is a 6- by 10-foot teeter-totter; it can accommodate as many as 20 children as they work together to balance it. “All Aboard” is a wooden platform made of concentric removable frames. As the outer frames are removed, the platform becomes smaller and smaller, making it more and more difficult for the children to remain standing on it.
In “The Web,” children guide their blindfolded partners from one side of the web to the other, helping them step over webbing stretched 6 inches above the ground. A balance beam is used for various ice-breaking activities, and “Acid River” is a giant maze that is navigated with the help of a partner. Semi-portable games like an oversized, six-person ball-and-baffle maze round out the offerings.
The creation of the course began in spring 2012, when several groups of volunteers cleared the area, removing brush and debris. Thompson Reuters donated $500 to purchase the bulk of the building materials. In May 2013, a group from Big O Tires donated more than 40,000 pounds of rubber mulch, which was spread around the course to make for a safe landing if a child should fall.
By July 2013, the course was officially ready for use.
The challenge course is the brainchild of Mount Saint Vincent mental-health worker Chris Van Sickel, who not only designed the course but built it. He estimates that he has spent more than 200 hours on the project to date.
“The main goal of the course is to provide the abused and neglected children in treatment here with a fun way to learn new skills in an outdoor setting,” Van Sickel said. “The various activities develop trust, cooperation, communication, critical thinking and problem solving.”
Why did he decide to tackle such a large and complex project?
“I wanted to find a way to combine my interests in construction, the outdoors, and working with kids,” he said. “This project perfectly combined all three.”
He foresees the children using it on a weekly basis during spring, summer and fall. Volunteer groups will be encouraged to participate as well.
Although the project involved hours of backbreaking work and several hundred dollars out of his own pocket, it was a labor of love for Van Sickel.
“Everything I donated is in the memory of my father,” he said. “He was the inspiration for much of my construction and woodworking.”
Elizabeth Roberts is marketing and communications specialist for Mount Saint Vincent.
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