Palatine indoor kids gym offers inclusive space to play

PALATINE, Ill. (WLS) -- We Rock The Spectrum Kid's Gym in Palatine is an inclusive place for kids.

Opening just over a year ago, the indoor kid's gym provides a safe space to learn and explore for all children.

"As a Speech Therapist I was looking online, you know it's all about social media, and I happen to see a post from a friend that is at the one in Staten Island NY and I was like, 'that's amazing we need one in our community,'" said We Rock the Spectrum Chicago co-owner Mary Alice Gilgunn.

The inclusive play space offers something for everyone from swings, to zip lines, sensory walls and trampolines.

If the main space isn't for you, there is also an arts and craft space and a calming area to take a break.

"A lot of our equipment is sensory based, so what that means is the equipment itself is going to feed into the sensory system for all of our bodies," Gilgunn said.

We Rock the Spectrum has also become a popular inclusive space in the community for parties and field trips.

"We really did it for the kids and the support from the community has been just unimaginable," Gilgunn said. "The field trips, the school districts, the families - people travel to us."

"It's amazing because they are able to have a little more independence here that they wouldn't have at other places in the community," said Miner School teacher Dana Healy said. "We started coming here on a community based instruction, just kind of exploring the gym. It helps with their sensory needs, gross motor needs. It's very inviting and lets them be who they are all the time."