All of the activities are free, and they will continue until the end of the summer, culminating on Sept. 21, when LATCP will present Nassau County Inclusion Day in Field 4, combining sports, arts and crafts and music, with programs hosted by an assortment of groups that advocate for people with disabilities, including Hofstra University’s Creative Arts Therapy program; the Miracle League of Long Island, a baseball program for the disabled; Autism Fitness; and the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County Singers.

LATCP, whose administrative offices are in Jericho, welcomes volunteers throughout the summer to run the programs. Gabrielle Caputo, 15, of Massapequa, who was overseeing a soccer game during the Herald’s visit, said she wanted to work with special-needs children for a living one day.

Another volunteer, Tianna Biscone, 16, of Garden City, said she enjoyed the inclusive nature of Let All The Children Play, explaining how children are largely unaware that others they’re playing with have disabilities. “[The kids] don’t realize it when they walk over here,” she said.

Nella Tchinnis, who has a 7-year-old son with special needs and 5-year-old able-bodied son, is a frequent visitor to the park. “I want them to be able to play together so they can form their own special bond as siblings,” said Tchinnis, who lives in Deer Park.

The playground isn’t just LATCP’s only one in Nassau County; it’s the only one in the U.S. Another one, in Ra’anana, Israel, developed by the organization’s founder, Michael Alon, opened in October 2005.

Shapiro said that the organization is weighing the options of opening another Long Island playground, or an indoor facility, in the near future.

According to a Nassau County spokesman, Brian Nevin, the $1.25 million playground was funded largely by a 2006 environmental bond fund. It has also received state funding, according to the LATCP website.