Cherokee Nation Wellness Center Custom Play Space

TAHLEQUAH, OK — This June 2026, Action Based Learning is incredibly proud to have contributed to the Cherokee Nation’s new Tahlequah Wellness Center—a next-generation investment dedicated to the physical, emotional, and cultural wellness of its people. Aligned with Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.’s inspiring vision to “meet the moment,” the facility's Cherokee Active Kids Club is designed to be a space where movement, language, and identity come together for the next several generations.

The ABL mission has always been to activate health from the start by engaging children in purposeful movement that develops both the body and the brain. To support this goal at the Tahlequah Wellness Center, we provided a dynamic climbing wall and custom-designed kids' playhouses featuring interactive sensory panels.

Bringing 'The Magic Lake' to Life

When designing this custom play space, the Cherokee Nation requested that we capture the enchanting spirit of the legend of "The Magic Lake."  The story follows a great hunter who tracks a wounded bear into the Great Smoky Mountains. Falling asleep during his pursuit, he awakens to find a shimmering lake where sick and wounded animals go to bathe and magically heal their injuries. The Great Spirit commands hunters to avoid wounded animals as they make their way to the sacred waters so the lake can stay alive. 

To bring this folklore to the wellness center, we created an "outdoors-in" design— utilizing earthy greens, browns, and tree imagery to reflect a natural landscape. We worked with Cherokee to ensure that the symbols and images we used accurately depicted long-standing folklore and traditions.




As children explore the playhouse and climbing areas, they start at the bottom of a ramp with bear claw prints, climbing their way up and through the bear den, then led to a tree and a cave via custom paths. One path features rabbit footprints (an
animal that represents cleverness and adaptability), and the other depicts stones over a flowing river. By intertwining these symbols with the overarching theme of the book, we worked to create a space where movement, language, and Cherokee identity 


Each playhouse also includes multiple sensory panels for a safe way for kids to explore and learn. By targeting these critical movement milestones, the equipment helps enhance cognitive development and learning readiness in a way that feels like pure fun to the kids.

Our structure at the Cherokee Wellness Center allows parents to focus on their own fitness and wellness programming with the peace of mind that their children are safe, engaged, and thriving. We are honored to be a part of a facility that promotes movement-based play and builds habits that will ripple through the Cherokee community for generations to come.

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