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SOLDOTNA - One suggested it should have a hot tub. Another said a jacuzzi.

One wants it to glow ... like the northern lights.

Though they might sound like the dreams and wishes of adults, the ideas were streaming from Soldotna Elementary School pupils contributing to the creative air enveloping a commercial artist working to design the ideal Soldotna community playground.

"Me and my friend were talking about having a big maze and a cage with a bear coming out," said 10-year-old Jaden Reid Wright.

"Shouldn't that be, 'my friend and I?'" asked Leathers and Associates professional playground designer Barry Segal.

The question drifted softly away, unanswered.

Segal spent a good portion of his morning Thursday absorbing suggestions from central Kenai Peninsula users most likely to reap the rewards of his labor - school children from Kalifornsky Beach, Redoubt, Soldotna and Sterling elementary schools, Kaleidoscope and Soldotna Montessori charter schools and Boys and Girls Club members who meet at Redoubt.

He was in town to proffer the design for a destination playground to be built in Soldotna Creek Park, an effort championed by a group of mostly moms organized as Soldotna Community Playground.

The group has successfully lobbied the Soldotna City Council to donate land for the playground and is now in the process of raising funds to pay for the design and purchase building materials for the playground. Community volunteers will actually do the construction.

"You should have kids help build it too, not just parents," said Caitlin Sturman, also 10.

Elena Bramante, another 10-year-old, told Segal she would like to see a rope swing and a jungle gym for kids to climb on.

Segal said among ideas from kids are something in the shape of moose antlers or a snowflake to climb on. He also said a climbing wall has been mentioned by several youngsters.

After meeting with students for about two hours at Soldotna Elementary on Thursday, Segal positioned himself and his drawing table inside the entrance lobby of the school and continued to take more input from willing contributors. Some kids simply paraded past for a scrutinizing look at what was going on.

Describing his conceptual drawing to the children as being the way they would see the playground from the air if they were flying over in an airplane, Segal said the playground would be U-shaped with a snowflake or antler mountain to climb on.

A wavy slide, a tree house, a rope ladder and a circular slide are also considered in the design.

"There should be a three-way water slide," said Brandon Crowder, 8. "You slide down and you can either go right or left or straight ahead."

When asked how he came up with that idea, Crowder said, "I saw it in Disney World ... in Florida ... about three months ago."

With the facial expression of some Dr. Seuss-like creator brimming with a vision, the middle-aged Segal also mentioned a fire pole that looks like the Alaska state flower. Soldotna Community Playground officials said they may steer him toward something sturdier like the fireweed, considering the forget-me-not is a pretty delicate flower.

Based at the company headquarters in Ithaca, N.Y., Segal said he did the design for a Leathers and Associates playground in Anchorage, the first Leathers' project in Alaska.

"I think it's at (Elmendorf) air base," he said.

Designing playgrounds for the past 25 years, Segal said, "These kids (in Soldotna) are some of the best, most articulate kids I've met in my career."

After spending the day at the grade school, the designer unveiled his conceptual plan during a celebration at Soldotna High School Thursday evening.

Some estimated the crowd at between 150 and 175, but Dana McDonald, general coordinator for the playground, said, judging from the number of hot dogs served, 250 attended.

• Phil Hermanek can be reached at phillip.hermanek@peninsulaclarion.com.