FiDi’s New Indoor Play Space for Kids Will Emphasize Therapeutic Benefits
An indoor activity gym for kids, focused on therapeutic play for children with autism, is coming to the Financial District. The nonprofit CompletePlayground will open its first location at 30 Broad Street in September 2023, in the space currently occupied by New York Sports Club, which is closing at the end of January.
Founder Alex Reznik (who also owns the CompleteBody chain of gyms) began to develop the idea for CompletePlayground when his son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). “For years our family detested going to his therapy appointments, due to their remote location and often-clinical atmosphere,” Mr. Reznik says. “And therapy instructors often seemed unable to properly attend to my son’s needs, leaving us all frustrated and reluctant to return.”
Mr. Reznik (right) visited multiple indoor playgrounds in Europe, many of which included “sensory gyms.” These are facilities designed to provide both “vestibular” and “proprioceptive” stimulation for the children who use them. The first refers to the perception of balance, movement, and gravity (rooted primarily in the inner ear), while the second denotes awareness of the body’s position in three-dimensional space (and is mediated by specialized cells in the muscles and joints). Both are candidates for designation as sixth and seventh senses, if elementary school curricula are someday revised to acknowledge more than the traditional quintet of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch.
Autism researchers have long recognized that engaging the vestibular and proprioceptive systems (through activities such as bouncing on a trampoline, or swaying in a hammock or swing) appears to have beneficial effects on children diagnosed with ASD, although the reasons why are still a matter of debate.
When Mr. Reznik went searching for sensory gyms in New York, he found few options. This galvanized his resolve to create one, with the goal of helping his son and other children. Along the way, he also discovered that the benefits of sensory gym play are not limited to children with ASD, but have also been shown to have a salutary effect on kids diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and sensory processing disorder. For all of these cohorts, time spent in a sensory gym can help foster independence, sharpen fine motor skills, and facilitate communication and social skills, while also building muscle strength, coordination, and balance. Such facilities can also function something like an indoor amusement park for any child simply seeking to burn off excess energy.
Plans for the facility include a Little Village complete with self-propelled scooter cars, an obstacle and maze course, and a rock-climbing wall.
The space that Mr. Reznik has leased at 30 Broad Street (near the corner of Exchange Place) encompasses 40,000 square feet on multiple levels, where he plans to build a Little Village complete with self-propelled scooter cars, an obstacle and maze course, and a rock-climbing wall, along with “ultimate ninja” and gymnastics areas. There will also be specialized play spaces, such as a faux-beauty salon and Lego Room.
Mr. Reznik notes that kids with special needs (one in 44 American children is now estimated to be on the autism spectrum) are not the only population he aims to serve. “The Centers for Disease control says that children between the ages of eight and 18 spend an average of seven and a half hours each day in front of a screen,” he says. “This means that New York City’s two million-plus children under the age of 18 are spending more than 114 full days each year in this isolated way.”
He adds, “multiple studies show that integrating children diagnosed with ASD with neuro-normative children has long-lasting mutual benefits. Children in these environments develop stronger problem-solving skills, strengthen social bonds, and increase acceptance and tolerance of others.”