WakeMed’s PlayWELL Park
The world’s first health education playground
Built in 2004, the Poe Center’s PlayWELL Park is a community resource visited by over 30,000 school children and local families per year. Our 1.5-acre one-of-a-kind health education playground offers children the opportunity to learn about health and engage in imaginative educational play.
The Poe Center recently completed a $1.6 million renovation. Updates include new health-themed playground equipment, interactive sidewalk art, refreshed signage throughout the park, and increased safety and security features.
PlayWELL Park features include:
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- Physical Activity Tree House – Scale the rib rise, climb the nerve net, and slide through giant arteries.
- Nutri-Climb – Make healthy food choices to master the wall.
- Zip Line – Zip between two giant ears.
- Pedal Posts – Pedal your arms and legs for strong bones and muscles.
- Healthy Choices Maze – Make wise decisions with each twist and turn to reach the end.
- Lickety Split – Protect your peepers with giant sunglasses before taking a trip down the tongue slide.
- Adventure Climb – Work those bones and muscles as you make your way through the obstacle course.
- MindWELL Garden & Labyrinth - Rest and reset while exploring Poe's mental wellness themed sensory garden.
- Little Free Library – Take a book, leave a book, read a book.
Traffic Safety Course
Located outside the entrance to WakeMed’s PlayWELL Park at the Poe Center, the Traffic Safety Course educates and empowers participants to make healthier, safer choices while being more active as pedestrians, cyclists, scooter riders, and future drivers.
Poe’s Little Free Library
WakeMed is the lead sponsor of WakeMed’s PlayWELL Park at Poe and provides landscape maintenance as an in-kind donation.
Renovations to PlayWELL Park were made possible through partnerships with the Mead Family Foundation, Townebank, The Grange, Wake County and other individuals.
