Category Archives: News

Molly & John Gribb Contribute to Kids Castle

Improvements at Kids Castle continue with the addition of four new play pieces for children ages 2 to 5, made possible through a grant from the Timken Foundation and a generous donation from Molly and John Gribb who sponsored the Jet Spring Rider (pictured).

Volunteers continue to work with the community and the Township as part of Phase 2 improvements, which is called Build the Kingdom at Kids Castle.

The Kingdom is the entire play area that surrounds the Castle within the fence-line and the plan is to continue adding new play pieces until the entire kingdom is build.

“Our overall plan for the Kingdom at Kids Castle is to provide new opportunities for play to children of all ages and abilities at graduated levels of challenge to ensure that each child is actively engaged on our playground” said Joe Salvati, Chairman of the Friends of Kids Castle Committee – a volunteer group focused on these ongoing improvements.

“Kids Castle has always been a magical place where children come to play and explore and now through these improvements that magic will continue forward for children of all abilities including those with special needs,” said Salvati.

Kids Castle is a community funded playground located at Central Park in Doylestown Township. It was built in 1997 without the use of tax dollars. All major renovations of the Castle and the surrounding play areas over the past eighteen years have been accomplished through financial support from the community, grants, volunteer work & in-kind donations of goods & services.

“We are actively pursuing grants, ongoing donations and sponsorships to add these new play pieces,” said Salvati, “While we are making progress, it can only continue through financial contributions.”

To find out how you can support Kids Castle and the initiative to Build the Kingdom, visit the “Donate Your Way” section of their website at SaveKidsCastle.org

“The World’s Most Unbelievable Playgrounds”

Kids Castle Temporarily Close to Install New Play Structure for Children of All Abilities Read More >>

SKC slide knight-1_lg-doc-sized Our very own Kids Castle is listed as one of the world’s most unbelievable playgrounds in the online digital city guild for parents called the Red Tricycle.

We find ourselves notably mentioned among playgrounds located in London, Australia, Sweden, Japan, France and as far away as Istanbul.

What a valued treasure we have in Kids Castle; a place imagined back in 1996 that became a reality when the Castle gates first opened on Sunday, June 22, 1997.

Kids Castle is a prime example of what a community working together can accomplish.

We wish to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to the ongoing success of Kids Castle – the volunteers, Doylestown Township, people who have given their financial support, and in-kind donations of goods and services.

As we move forward on our journey to Build the Kingdom at Kids Castle, we are thankful knowing that we are not alone in our next steps forward with your ongoing support.

A playground is merely a plot of land if it does not include the laughter of children that bring it to life. Through your support – that laughter will continue for generations to come.

Thank You!

Kids Castle receives a $10,000 Grant

We are proud to announce that we have received a $10,000.00 grant from the Timken Foundation to help fund our initiative to Build the Kingdom at Kids Castle.

We are proud to have their support for this project which will provide new opportunities for play to children of all ages and abilities at graduated levels of challenge to ensure that each child is actively engaged on our playground.

Timken works towards strengthening communities through a combination of volunteer efforts, community leadership and financial support. They focus their corporate resources on programs and agencies that promote lifelong learning through education; work collaboratively to deliver health and human services; and foster innovative ways to build a strong community.

For many members of our community, Kids Castle has represented a staple in their lives and provided endless memories and experiences that will never be forgotten.

Thanks to the caring and supportive people like those from Timken, we can continue our move forward to reach our goal to Build the Kingdom and make sure that Kids Castle remains and continues to enrich the lives of all the children and families in our community.

Thank you Timken!

The new Pirate Ship is installed!

Kids Castle Pirate ribbon cut - by Chris Hill Our new Pirate Ship is installed and presenting wonderful adventures to all the children. Everyone had a wonderful time celebrating at the Pirate Party Ribbon Cutting ceremony that took place in September.

There was plenty of entertainment for all to enjoy starting with the wonderful music provided by DJ Lobie from Lobie Entertainment who set the festive mood for our event.

All our little pirates where running around with their faces painted by the talented Scott Stellwagon (215.595.6425) who donated his time and talent to help make this a celebration memorable.

Scott also works at FocusMX which is a large ongoing in-kind contributor to the Kids Castle cause – they completely redesigned our website and are helping Kids Castle in so many other ways.

CB Cares provided a fun free prize drawing with games for all the children to enjoy and also brought along a couple of volunteers who dressed as a pirate and tinkerbell – they helped make all the children feel very special.

We also had three wonderful pirates from the Village Players dressed in full regalia interacting with the crowd – they came to us straight from the The Village Renaissance Faire.

Many wonderful volunteers from SoferWare helped set up everything for the event and hosted the Kids Castle table all day. SofterWare is a long time in-kind supporter of Kids Castle – they’ve been with us helping since the beginning of Phase 1.

And it was so very special when Dr. Kahley, Principal of Kutz Elementary School handed over so many hand written thank-you notes that were made by all the Kutz kids to our Pirate Ship sponsorship . Then they all gathered together, pulled out the pirate eye patches from their back pockets and proceeded to sing a wonderful ‘piratey’ song that they all learned in just four days. The crowd went wild with applause.

Then the big moment when the Pirate Party gave way to the ceremonial red ribbon being cut and all our little pirates rushed aboard the new Pirate Ship and had lots of fun.

A Big Thank You to Andrew’s Friends Fund our sponsor who fully funding the purchase of Kids Castle’s new Pirate Ship. Thank You for making all of this happen!

View More About the Pirate Ship

The Commemorative Brick Walkway Opens

Work on the Commemorative Brick walkway at Kids Castle has been completed and it is now open to the public. As you walk along this path you will see all of the beautiful Murals, which were graciously painted and donated by local artists.

The subjects of this artwork are the beautiful scenic areas in and around Bucks County. The kids will also have fun with a little hide-and-seek game when trying to find our Kids Castle Dragon, Devlin hidden in each Mural.

You can also create a lasting memory and help Build the Kingdom at Kids Castle at the same time by purchase Commemorative Brick engraved with your loved one name. It will by placed on this beautiful walkway.

To find out more information click on this Kids Castle link now: www.bit.ly/BricksSKC

Make your memory last forever with an engraved brick place along this beautiful walkway and Help Build the Kingdom at Kids Castle at the same time!

Please get your Commemorative Brink now by clicking here: www.bit.ly/BricksSKC

Jump Rope for Kids Castle at Kutz a Success!

Thank you to The Cornerstone Clubs, Doylestown Township Parks and Recreation, Adrienn Banhegyi (“Jump Rope Girl”), and everyone who came out on January 18 to Paul W. Kutz Elementary School to participate in the jump rope event. A fun time was had by all!

More than fifty children participated in the jump rope class led by Banhegyi, a native Hungarian, who has been jumping rope competively for fifteen years. She holds two world records and has several world and European championships. Besides competing, Banhegyi has appeared on television shows in both the United States and Canada, and has performed with Cirque du Soleil. She is passionate about sharing her love of jumping rope and physical exercise through her work as a certified personal trainer and a physical education teacher.

Saving Stories of Kids Castle

pen_to-paper To celebrate the history of Kids Castle and the efforts of the Save Kids Castle project, we are building an accessible online database of photos and memories for everyone to enjoy.

We need YOUR voice! To do this, send us a handwritten letter of your memories of Kids Castle and why it’s significant to you and your family. If you’d like, you can also submit photos and drawings too. We will then scan the materials and add it to our library!

This is an activity the entire family can participate in! Sit down with your children and ask them what they love most about the castle and their favorite memories of playing there.

Maybe their favorite part was the twisty slide, or racing their friends to the very top, having a birthday party at the castle, or learning how to swing on the swings. Allow them to be creative. Encourage them to write the letter themselves, or if they can’t yet write, ask them to create a sketch!

Or maybe your children have grown up and they’ve gotten too tall to roam the castle as they did in elementary school. Maybe you’re an adult reminiscing on all the wonderful times you had playing at Kids Castle. Tell us about a favorite memory.

Why handwritten letters?

We believe that handwritten letters capture feelings in the most sincere and tangible way possible. Instead of type on a computer screen, these memories will be forever kept on paper and unable to be deleted. They will be a reflection of all the hard work volunteers have put into Save Kids Castle even after all the construction and revitalization work is done.

The Saving Stories project is an opportunity to preserve our community’s memories about Kids Castle, and forever lock our love for this special place into Bucks County’s identity. Years and years later, you can go back on the site and find your letter again to show your kids. It will truly be something special. Let’s make history.

Want to participate? It’s easy:

1. Write a letter, find a photo, or draw a picture

2. Mail it to us with your name and contact information

Mailing Address:

Saving Stories of Kids Castle

728 Marcus Circle

Warrington, PA 18976

Questions? Email Katy Ma at katyma96@gmail.com.