Mark Zerrer, director of the Tonganoxie Recreation Commission, said four new pieces of playground equipment were installed last week at the park, located across from the high school football field on Main Street.

That means the children who play in the park now can enjoy:

A rock climber a two-paneled device that lets children climb up one side and down the other.

A tower in which children can throw balls. The balls come out of different openings.

A free-standing horseshoe climber, which is a series of chains that go up and down, similar to a mesh net.

Three spring riders, including a two-seater spaceship.Friday afternoon as city workers finished spreading a semi-truck load of wood chips across the play area, about two dozen children were already using the new equipment.

Haley Jewell, 7, climbed to the top of the climbing tower and peeked over the edge.

“It’s good to climb on,” Haley said. “I can go up both sides really fast.”

Haley’s mother, Loretta Jewell, had been looking over the playground equipment, new and old.

“I think it’s wonderful,” Jewell said. “I was going around checking and things seem to be sturdy and put together well.”

Christine Janssen especially enjoyed seeing the new equipment in action as she took her children to play Friday afternoon. An eight-year member of the recreation commission who stepped down last week because of family responsibilities, Janssen said her children helped select the playground equipment. Her daughter, Gabby, now 7, had a hand in the first round installed in1999, and all three of her children, Gabby, Cameron, 5, and Derek, 4, helped select the new equipment from a toy catalog. The recreation commission members used their advice in ordering, Janssen said.

The equipment, which cost about $9,000, was professionally installed last week. At this point, Zerrer said, this completes plans for this area of the park.

However, he hopes that by the end of summer a sidewalk circling the playground area will have been built.