TRAVELING DOWN A SNOW slicked county road toward Little Prairie United Methodist Church south of Dundas, I expected nothing out of the ordinary. Just a familiar country church with jolting red doors marking a rural intersection.
But then, to the left of the church, set back from the county road and next to the parking lot, I spotted a structure. Inaccessible unless I wanted to slog through snow. But visually accessible via the telephoto lens of my camera.
I noted a mini church facade marked as Little Prairie Playground, complete with those signature red double doors, stained glass and a bell tower. How clever. How fun. How cute.
Since I didn’t want to plow through snow for a close-up look, I checked out the church Facebook page, which reveals volunteers constructing this playground last spring with a June dedication.
Behind that mini church front and through those doors, kids will find a slide, mini climbing wall, swings and more, the more including an aged bell rung by the pull of a rope. The bell honors Anna Mae Little, whose farm family once lived nearest the church.
As I snapped a few photos, I considered that I need to return in the spring for another photo shoot and perhaps to bring my two-year-old granddaughter here to play in the quiet of the countryside in the holy presence of this place.
© Copyright 2018 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Note: All images are edited using an artistic filter.
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Love it! The red door and the cross in the stained glass are my favorite elements. I hope it is well constructed with lots of safety features.
Those rate as two of my favorite features also. I expect this playground was well-constructed by volunteers.
The best playground! I love that church! I can’t wait to see more of it when you go back to play in the spring!
I’ll be sure to report back with more photos.
Great find Audrey, this would be worth a trip to see. I really want to see the playground on the inside. It would be real fun for Izzy I’m sure.
If only I’d felt like tromping through the snow, I could have shown you all what was inside. But, yes, I can return.
What a clever idea and certainly a place worth stopping in the spring. It could become an Izzy favorite 🙂
I’ve never seen anything like this playground, one of the reasons I needed to share it.
What a clever idea- sure to be a Izzy favorite spot
I expect it may be.
How cute and fun is that! You have found some great playgrounds lately on your travels. Happy Day – Enjoy 🙂
That’s what I thought, too. Cute and fun. Plus creative.
Such a sweet idea!
Volunteers can do some pretty amazing things.
How wonderful! 🙂 I so miss life in a small town!!
This church isn’t even in a town, just in the middle of the country, which makes this playground even more unique.
What a beautiful idea for a welcoming playground.
You should have witnessed how excited I was when we came across this playground. For sure I’ll return in warmer weather. I’ve been inside the church and it’s lovely.
Wow, that is absolutely adorable! How fun for the kids and maybe some big kids too
It’s certainly unique. I’ll check it out once the snow melts, which could be awhile. Snow is falling here as I type.
It’s snowing pretty heavily here too. I think we will get more than expected. We’ve already got the one to two inches predicted and the weather advisory doesn’t expire until after midnight.
Stay safe. Spring will come eventually, won’t it?