By Nancy Serrand
Code Enforcement Officer/Chairperson, Playful City USA Committee
City of Canton, Ga.

Nancy Serrand is leading a webinar on "Revitalizing Your Playspace on a Shoestring Budget" Dec. 16.

The first hurdle is timing. If you piggyback on another event where your audience will already be on location, you're good to go. We plan our Annual Play Day immediately following the city's Holiday Parade. The parade begins at 1:00 p.m. and usually ends around 2:30. The park is located within walking distance and conveniently visible by patrons leaving the parade. In trying to recruit business participation, we invite them to join the parade and carry signs that say, "Follow us to Family Fun at Heritage Park from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m." This gives families who are already out for the day with their children something to do with the remainder of the day.

Our invitation to businesses includes an opportunity for them to get free exposure. The fee for participation in our Play Day is providing a game, activity or demonstration in exchange for space. They can set up a booth or table with signs and/or displays promoting their business, but they must provide all the materials and volunteers for their activity. There are no opportunities for the sale of any product or service. As a parent, it is frustrating to go to an event to be hawked by your children asking you to buy trinkets, food and other items, especially as in our situation, with the holidays being so near...

America’s Promise Alliance, KOOL-AID & KaBOOM! Team Up
With City of St. Petersburg & Mayor Rick Baker to Build New
Playground in Just One Day for Children at Trailhead Park

Child-designed playground to be built by hundreds of volunteers on Dec. 6

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – A 2008 KaBOOM! Playful City USA community and one of the 2008 100 Best Communities for Young People by America’s Promise Alliance, the City of St. Petersburg was selected among more than a dozen other communities to receive a new community-built playground to be built on Saturday, Dec. 6 at Trailhead Park.

St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker, City Council Chair Jamie Bennett and District 6 City Councilman Wengay Newton will join more than 200 volunteers from America’s Promise Alliance, KOOL-AID, the City of St. Petersburg, organizers from KaBOOM! and residents of the local community to build a new playground at Trailhead Park. The new playground’s design is based on drawings provided by children who attended a Design Day. The playground build will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a kickoff ceremony and will conclude with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2:30 p.m.

St. Petersburg was selected as the winning community for its outstanding work to ensure that all children and youth in its community have a safe place to play. The city’s innovative “Play ‘N’ Close to Home” program utilizes public-private partnerships to build public playgrounds within a safe walking distance (1/2 mile) of every child in the city.

Andrew Edwards
San Bernardino County Sun
Nov. 24, 2008

SAN BERNARDINO - For those who didn't know, San Bernardino's need for improved parks maintenance is now in writing.

During work to develop a master plan for San Bernardino's parks, San Juan Capistrano-based RJM Design Group surveyed a dozen Southern California cities and found that among that group, San Bernardino spent the least on park maintenance.

San Bernardino, during the 2006-07 budget year, spent only $4,755 to maintain each acre of city parkland. That is compared with the $16,406 per acre investment made by Pasadena, which spent the most among the 12.

The second and third cities on that list, Moreno Valley and Ontario, spent $13,918 and $12,723 per acre on park maintenance, respectively.

Read the full article.

Looking for a change in attitude? Turn up the holiday gratitude
By Heidi Stevens
Chicago Tribune
Nov. 23, 2008

Excerpt:

'I want to include my kid(s)'
Try: Becoming an advocate for play by joining the KaBoom Playmakers Network, a group of adults and kids who work to build more play spaces. KaBoom is a national organization with the goal of building a place to play within walking distance of every kid in America. Kool-Aid sponsors the Playmakers Network, which instructs people on advocating for more and better play spots in their own communities.

Why? "Play is an old-fashioned solution to a host of modern problems," says Darell Hammond, CEO and co-founder of KaBoom. "KaBoom works with partners like Kool-Aid to rally everyone to get involved, build playgrounds, protect recess and work to ensure that every child has a chance to play every day."

What you'll do: Playmakers can adopt a variety of roles, from working with local elected officials to fundraising to cleaning and refurbishing a run-down playground. When the weather warms back up, volunteers gather to build new playgrounds in areas of need. In October, a group of around 100 volunteers gathered in Chicago's West Ridge to build an entire playground in one day.

Now what? Go to kaboom.org/koolaid and click on "advocate."

Read the full article.

Become a Playmaker!

By J.C. Boushh

We've all heard the saying "imitation is the greatest form of flattery," and now it may also be the greatest source of learning for the brain. Consider how infants begin to acquire specific motor skills. "If you stick out your tongue to an observant infant shortly after birth, the probability is high that he or she will reciprocate the behavior" (Sylwester, 2005). This behavior, triggered by "mirror neurons" in the brain, is the beginning of a lifelong quest to understand the world around us, especially in relationship to each other…a development process that thrives on the playground.

Today's playgrounds provide incredible opportunities for children to observe and practice their highly-sophisticated gross motor skills. Many times this process of advance motor skills involves an action that takes place in the brain prior to the physical domain. "Mirror neurons make it possible for people to learn complex motor skills simply by seeing others perform them" (Hamilton, 2005).

The ability of our mirror neurons to translate the complex motor skills we observe into the direct learning of motor skills is one of the many mysteries of the human brain...

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening,
In the lane, snow is glistening
We want to learn more,
What's KaBOOM! got in store?
Check out all their winter webinars!

Gone away is our playground,
We must build a fun-n'-games-ground,
But we don't know how,
So let's learn how to now,
Regist'ring for winter webinars!

In our city we can build a playground,
Then our kids will laugh and run around,
They'll say "Can we play more?
Love this playground!"
And we'll build it all thanks to
kaboom.org!

But for now, as we wander,
On these topics we must ponder.
To face unafraid,
The plans that we made,
Let's register for winter webinars!

Thank you!

Now that "Winter Wonderland" is stuck in your head, go register for our fantastic webinars, covering the following topics:

• Finding Play in Playful City USA Communities: The KaBOOM! Playspace Finder and Widget
• Extra! Extra! Extra! Read All About It! Working with the Media
• How to Rally Your City to Become a Playful City Part II: Developing an Action Plan for Play
• KaBOOM! Success Stories: Washington Mutual and McKinley Elementary
• Playgrounds, Mental Health and Brain Development
• Success Stories: Volunteer Recruitment with Mara Kaplan
• Grant Writing 101
• Incorporating Service Learning Into Your Build
• Success Stories: Revitalizing your Playspace on a Shoestring Budget
• Making Your Build Day Green
• Fundraising 101
• Volunteer Recruitment: Managing the Process
• The KaBOOM! Road Map
• Safety, Surfacing & Vendors...Oh My!

By Donna Jones
Santa Cruz (Calif.) Sentinel
Nov. 15, 2008

At Mintie White Elementary School, the playground was decades old. The steel slide was rusting. Metal rings broke on a climbing structure. Children were getting hurt, Principal Olga de Santa Anna said.

New playgrounds are big-ticket items, however, and typically are funded by parent groups. But de Santa Anna said her parents don't have the resources of those in wealthier communities so there was no money to replace the decrepit playground.

That's changed, though. By Christmas, the 80-year-old school on Palm Avenue will have three new playgrounds -- one for kindergartners, another for first- and second-graders and a third for the school's older students -- thanks to a class action lawsuit aimed at ensuring all California public school children have equal access to decent facilities, sufficient textbooks and quality teachers. [More]

Learn how to advocate for play in your community through the Playmaker Network.

There are numerous reasons for cities and towns across the country to apply for Playful City USA status and KaBOOM! just added another! Five communities honored with Playful City USA designation in 2009 will receive an Imagination Playground in a BOX – the innovative playground collaboration between KaBOOM! and architect David Rockwell!

Applications to become a Playful City USA community in 2009 are available. Communities who submit their application by the early deadline of April 1, 2009 will be eligible to receive an Imagination Playground in a BOX – a playground that features a system of loose parts children can put together in limitless combinations that allows for turning a playground into a space constantly built and re-built by their imagination.

Another benefit of being named a Playful City USA is national recognition. KaBOOM! honored 67 Playful City USA communities in 2008 and each will be honored in front of more than 4,000 individuals at the 2008 National League of Cities Congress of Cities and Exposition, which will be held Nov. 11-15 in Orlando. Representatives from communities will also participate in a KaBOOM! led Playful City USA themed playground build in Orlando courtesy of KOOL-AID on Friday, Nov. 14.

Learn how to apply for 2009 Playful City USA.

One side effect to being a Playful City USA community is great press coverage! Two more Playful City USA communities have made the news recently:

Kids, adults throw some time away at new Wapello disc golf course

New Lenox park district hosts Day of Play

Yorkville honored as a good place for kids

St. Pete's Baker Named Mayor Of Year By Magazine

By Todd Redenius and Deb Dyar
City of Ankeny

Residents of Ankeny, Iowa get a unique opportunity to contribute and become involved with the city’s decision-making process when it comes to new parks and playgrounds.

When planning a new park or playground, we first mail a conceptual plan and a letter announcing a park development neighborhood meeting to each property owner within a four to six block radius of the park that is being developed.

At the park development meeting, neighbors review the plan and give their input on the process, and we invite people to leave their name, address and email address, which provides a great volunteer base for landscaping and fundraising.

During the neighborhood meeting, we discuss people’s desired amenities for the park playground, including play equipment, colors and styles...

Is your city a playful city?

Prove it!

Submit an application to get your city declared a Playful City USA community. Make your community a national role model, leading the way for play and growing the next generation of healthy and productive adults!

Playful City USA is a national recognition program honoring cities and towns across the nation committed to taking action for play. Those communities who apply and meet five commitments will:

Learn more and get your application today.

Awesome video from Norfolk playground build posted on YouTube

Dothan community comes together build playground

Coolidge named 'Playful City'

Play's the thing (Henderson)

Nampa hosts ‘Play Day,’ plans activities

Learn more about Playful City USA!

by Amanda M. Straub
Nation’s Cities Weekly

In preparation for the playground build, which will take place on Friday, November, 15 during NLC’s Congress of Cities in Orlando, Fla., KaBOOM! and the City of Orlando held a design day at the Dr. James R. Smith Neighborhood Center in Orlando on September 17.

KaBOOM! is a national nonprofit dedicated to bringing play back into children’s lives. NLC and KaBOOM! are partnering on a series of playground builds, including one in New Orleans at last year’s Congress of Cities where nearly 400 conference delegates helped build a new play facility at Joe Brown Park. [More]

Learn how to hold a Design Day.

New Lenox stays playful

St. Petersburg named 'One of the Best Communities for Young People'

St. Pete Receives Playground Grant, Youth Accolades

Want to see the whole list of 2008 Playful City USA communities? You can find it here - along with links to e-cards where you can post your congratulations! The e-cards for Brentwood, Calif.; Creedmoor, N.C.; Grand Prairie, Texas; Ankeny, Iowa and Findlay, Ohio currently have the most comments.

Saturday, Sept. 27 is the Worldwide Day of Play. If you live in one of the following cities, you've got a Play Day to attend on Saturday!

Albany, N.Y.
Atlanta, Ga.
Encinitas, Calif.
Lamoni, Iowa
Murray, Ky.
Nampa, Idaho
New Lenox, Ill.
Phoenix, Ariz.
San Jose, Calif.
Shirley, Mass.
Wapello, Iowa
White, Ga.
Bloomington, Ind. (Sept. 28)

(See other upcoming Play Days and register your community's Play Day here.)

If your community isn't hosting a Play Day, that doesn't mean you can't celebrate! We've got a great list of outdoor games and ideas for nature play. The important thing is to just get outside and have fun!

And while you're out playing this weekend, why not snap a few photos of your local playspaces to add to the new KaBOOM! Playspace Finder? Don't forget, every entry you add before 11:59 p.m. EST Monday enters you to win a Kodak EasyShare camera!

City celebrates designation as 'Playful City U.S.A.' on Saturday (Nampa)

Skaters flipping about new park (Palm Bay)

The City of Atlanta Wins its Second Playful City USA Award

City shows its 'Playful' side (Grand Prairie)

Palm Bay named Playful City

Want to play? Come to Irvine

Fine time for playtime in Greenbelt

Want to see the whole list of 2008 Playful City USA communities? You can find it here - along with links to e-cards where you can post your congratulations! The e-cards for Brentwood, Calif.; Creedmoor, N.C.; Grand Prairie, Texas; Ankeny, Iowa and Findlay, Ohio currently have the most comments.

KaBOOM! and America’s Promise Alliance Award New Playground to St. Petersburg
Announcement made at National Forum on Youth in Washington, DC

WASHINGTON, DC—KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated to bringing play back into the lives of children and America’s Promise Alliance today announced that the city of St. Petersburg, FL has been selected to receive a brand new community-built playground. This project is made possible by KOOL-AID as part of its partnership with KaBOOM! to build playgrounds across the country. The formal announcement of the city’s selection will take place this evening at the 100 Best Communities for Young People celebration in Washington, DC. The award will be accepted by Mayor Rick Baker.

St. Petersburg was selected as the winning community for its outstanding work to ensure that all children and youth in its community have a safe place to play. The city’s innovative “Play 'N' Close to Home” program utilizes public-private partnerships to build public playgrounds within a safe walking distance (1/2 mile) of every child in the city. Since 2004, the program has increased the total access to playspaces by 20 percent in residential areas across the city, in partnership with schools and houses of worship.

3 Virginia cities cited for encouraging play

Canton recognized for parks services

Gilbert earns 'Playful' praise

DeRidder named 'Playful City USA'

Is your city playful?

Springdale is among playful cities

City recognized for play initiatives (Riverside)

Thumbs Up and Down (Neenah)

Landfall / This tiny town knows how to play

Guaranteed fun: Hernando values playtime, has the award to prove it

Play pays for Green River

Our city likes to play (Huntsville)

Murray named one of 67 ‘Playful Cities' in US

Arlington and Grand Prairie receive Playful City USA Awards

AT PLAY: Group names York 'playful'

Neenah earns Playful City award

Getting "Playful" in Palm Beach County

Yuma earns 'Playful City' honor for second time

New Lenox named one of country's most playful areas

Murray hopes that praise turns into park funding

Six Arizona cities cited for good parks, playgrounds

Group honors city for its playfulness (Atlanta)

Play pays off for Green River

City honored by Playful City USA (Portsmouth)

Chandler Named "2008 Playful City USA"

Grand Prairie named a "Playful City USA" community

Brentwood Named 'Playful City'

Brentwood named 'Playful City'

Cities named as recreational leaders (Grand Prairie and Arlington)

KaBOOM! names Playful City USA communities

Joe Olenick
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, N.Y.
Aug. 4, 2008

QUESTION: What happened to the playground?

ANSWER: Well the problem was it's 18 years old, and weather has taken its toll. The safety report said the decks, the horizontal surfaces, basically, had to be replaced. The slides needed to be replaced, and there was some rust that needed to be fixed. Basically, age issues.

Q: How did this group come together? It seemed to come about pretty quickly.

A: Yeah it did. It's a small community, and pretty much everybody that does stuff knows each other. The school board received a safety report from the BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services) wanted it closed until it was fixed. I happened to be at that meeting, and they asked me if the PTA had any input. It basically grew out of there. We put out a call for anyone interested. At the first meeting, we had a good group, a lot of parents. We also had the original chairman of the committee that built it in the first place. She had her original binder with copies of every fundraiser. It had a layout of the gym and who was at each station. [More]

Learn how to form a play committee.

The human brain is wired with an inborn teacher. Soon after children learn to walk, the developing brain urges toddlers and preschoolers to climb. Climbing develops the brain in a variety of ways. When children climb, both sides of their brain work together to tell the right hand and the left foot to move together and the left hand and the right foot to move together. Climbing builds pathways in the brain that teach the muscles and brain to work together and especially how to use both sides of the body at the same time. When children climb, their eyes and brain work together to learn where to grab and hold, where to place knees and feet, important skills for developing spatial awareness skills (Readdick & Park, 1998).

Playgrounds are among the most important environments for children outside the home that allows children the opportunities to experience climbing. Play environments provide valuable opportunities for experiencing the joy of movement and developing fitness and motor skills (Gabbard, 2008).

Loss of recess in schools hurts children’s growth, ability to learn
Buffalo News
June 4, 2008

If there were a way to scientifically measure which child had the most fun on the playground, then recess would be a federal mandate. But because the need for elementary-age students to get out of the building and blow off some youthful steam is better known to common sense than to scientific inquiry, the old-fashioned practice has sadly fallen out of favor in far too many American schools.

The national Parent Teacher Association has noticed, with appropriate alarm, that a nefarious combination of factors has knocked recess out of as many as 40 percent of elementary schools nationwide. Those factors include budget cuts, worries about injuries or bullying on the playground and the growing emphasis on core academic subjects and frequent high-stress tests. [More]

Learn how to write an op/ed!

Throw a party

The best way to convince people of the importance of play is to get them in on the act. Have a play day for everybody – kids, parents, and other members of the community!

It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. You don’t even have to invite the whole town. Just find a day to celebrate play, pick some games and activities, see if you can get some donated snacks, and be sure to tell everyone who comes about why play matters.

Learn how.

See more actions.

Get recognized!
If you took action, tell us about it so we can recognize you as the star you are!
Post in the Forums or email KaBOOM! to let us know about the great stuff you're doing.

Shreveport native is one of NBA's most giving
By Jason Pugh
Shreveport Times 
July 23, 2008

Ditto for his community service resume, something that will grow with respect to Shreveport in the next month.

Jamison, a Shreveport native and two-time NBA All-Star, was in Bossier City on Tuesday to announce the building of a KaBOOM playground on St. Charles Street in the Barksdale Annex neighborhood.

"I was in the All-Star Game this past year and we did a lot for the community of New Orleans," Jamison said. "The most important thing for me is giving back to kids. KaBOOM does a lot for the community and kids. I recall as a kid, just having the opportunity to have that one place where I could go and be a kid — just enjoy myself and play. I still have those memories. There's a lot of kids in dire need of that opportunity." [More]

Learn more about Antawn Jamison, All-Star Playmaker.

We've got WE Play! Yes we do!
We've got WE Play! How 'bout you?

KaBOOM! is holding four - count 'em - FOUR playground training events in August all around the country.

Denver, Colo. - Aug. 6
Cleveland, Ohio - Aug. 7*
New York City, N.Y. - Aug. 13
Atlanta, Ga. - Aug. 21*

They're free to attend, thanks to the generous support of KOOL-AID and The Home Depot. But you need to register in advance. [Learn more and register]

* At each of the Cleveland, and Atlanta WE Play! trainings, five attendees will receive $7,500 grants (sponsored by KOOL-AID) toward building a playground in their community!

KTBS
July 22, 2008

A professional athlete from Shreveport is giving back to his hometown.

Antawn Jamison is teaming up with Community Renewal International, Bellaire Baptist Church and Kaboom, to design a dream playground for children.

"For me, it's about giving back, putting smiles on kid's faces.  Let them know that I'm from the same situation you're from and that if you continue to work hard and dream, anything is possible," said Jamison. [More]

Learn more about Antawn Jamison, All-Star Playmaker!

Rockwell Group Takes It To The Playground
by Dave Pinter
July 21, 2008

Excerpt:

The play parts have already been field tested earlier this year at the East Village Community School. Rockwell is beginning to work with playground producer Kaboom on a portable version. He is intending to locate a portable version within each of the five boroughs. Kaboom is looking to expand the concept on a national scale. Those who have seen it including Cynthia J. Gentry, chairwoman of the Atlanta Taskforce on Play are already impressed. [More]

Learn more about Imagination Playground.

By Kyle Jones
Cherokee Tribune Staff Writer
July 20, 2008

Watch Canton's video

The temperature is on the rise. Baseball games monopolize the TV channels. Outside, the air is warm and humid while burgers and hot dogs roast on the hot grill by the pool.

Everywhere in Cherokee County, summer is in full bloom. But for a Canton neighborhood, one of the season's most joyful trademarks has been incomplete for several years.

"In the summertime, kids love playing outside," said Sharon Jones, who lives near the city's Burge Park on Burge Street. "But around here, they have no place outside where they can play. That's why I think redoing the park is a smart thing to do." [More]

Learn more about Playful City USA.

ANKENY, Iowa (July 9, 2008) — Nearly 600 residents of all ages ventured out to Hawkeye and Wagner Parks on Tuesday night for Ankeny’s first annual All-City Play Day, an event designed to encourage free and unstructured play.

“This is a great way to showcase our parks and to encourage healthy lifestyles through active play,” said Ankeny Mayor Steve Van Oort.

Twenty activity stations were set up throughout the city’s two most prominent community parks and included a wide range of sports, arts and fun. Each of the activity stations were staffed by volunteers, including the mayor and city council, park board members and city staff. Many of the stations were “mini” with small versions of practice play in kicking a soccer or football, throwing basketballs or hitting tennis balls over the net. The Iowa National Guard brought a portable climbing wall and Polk County Conservation provided canoes that were sailed in Hawkeye Pond. The Lakeside Center hosted a “Salty & Sweat” event for older residents that included indoor games like Dominos and UNO. Canine Craze, a local dog training organization, showcased the skills of several local dogs. Artists young and old could chalk the sidewalk. One of the evening’s hot spots featured a Home Depot Workshop where amateur craftsmen could try their hand at assembling small wood projects. Participants were rewarded with prizes including bright red Frisbees, Playful City USA kazoos and plenty of refreshments.

East Cleveland, Ohio - a 2007 Playful City USA community - was featured in a multi-page article in Cities and Villages, the journal of the Ohio Municipal League.

Download the article here (reprinted with permission)

By Babs Johnson
Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
June 20, 2008

FEMA's slow response to the restoration of New Orleans' public ball fields and playgrounds shows a sweeping disregard for those who have been affected most: our children. My jaw dropped reading a recent statement from FEMA that the expense of sod vs. seed "required review from high authority," an astounding comment after the recent revelation that $85 million in supplies for Katrina victims languished unknown and unused for two years.

Many of the trailers that housed displaced people on city playgrounds have been vacant for six months; some for eight. Why couldn't FEMA and the city reach agreements on how to restore the play areas before the trailers were removed, since both agencies were aware that would happen months prior to the actual removal dates?

Many children in these neighborhoods relied on these ball fields and playgrounds. They were the only places providing them safe, wholesome places to play -- that is, to do the important work of childhood. Without those, many are finding the street corners and all the ills that lifestyle holds. [More]

Learn how KaBOOM! is bringing play back to the Gulf Coast through Operation Playground.

BY DEBORAH MEDENBACH
Middletown (N.Y.) Times Herald-Record
June 18, 2008

NEW PALTZ — A "candy mint" crab apple tree was planted Tuesday morning near the new Lenape Elementary School playground. The tree honors a group of 23 students who complained two years ago that there wasn't enough play equipment or shade on the playground.

"It was a pea-gravel lot with two slides, some basketball hoops, benches and cracked macadam. The kids would just run in the field and come back during recess. There was no shade," third-grade teacher Jim Longbotham recalled.

Rather than dismissing the students' complaints, teachers encouraged them to take action and write letters about what they needed.

"There was $16,000 left over from building Duzine Elementary School's playground (also in the New Paltz School District) and we thought we could buy a little equipment with that, but then we started looking at the bigger picture," Longbotham said. The teachers held an assembly and showed the students potential playground equipment. [More]

Learn how to take action for play by becoming a Playmaker!

Toddlers and nannies rely on Grant Park playground doomed by museum
BY MARK J. KONKOL
Chicago Sun-Times
June 13, 2008

Before naptime Thursday morning, a bunch of New Eastside nannies lugged local rugrats to the Grant Park playground that Mayor Daley bullied the City Council into letting his wealthy friends replace with their pet project -- the relocated Chicago Children's Museum.

Nanny Emily pushed little Keira on the swings. Nanny Marta fed raspberries to a boy who likes to be called "Super Spy Man." And Nanny Ashley watched tiny Ines ride the horsey.

This is where New Eastside nannies let the little ones run around like maniacs until they're too exhausted to holler anymore.

There are swings and slides and monkey bars on a bouncy rubber mat ringed by shade trees.

"We come here every day, sometimes twice a day -- before and after naps," Nanny Ashley says. "It's perfect. Ines gets to interact with other kids. She's an only child. We know all the other kids. They come every day, too. It's like a big playgroup over here. Lots of nannies."

In September, New Eastside moms were miffed at Daley for accusing their high-rise neighborhood of protesting the kids' museum in Grant Park because they're elitist bigots who hate kids. [More]

Help save play in your community by becoming a Playmaker!

By Joe Byrnes
Ocala (Fla.) Star-Banner
June 11, 2008

Ocala's decision to raze All Children's Playground came as a shock to me because I was used to seeing it during walks at Tuscawilla Park.

Often I'd see kids climbing in its towers and walks, always, it seemed, under the watchful eye of an adult.

I don't doubt the demolition was necessary. Ocala Public Works Director John Zobler said that - after 18 years - the elaborate wooden playground had become unsafe. The supports had rotted and, sooner or later, a child was going to fall or get hurt by a collapsing piece of the structure.

It disappeared quickly and with little advance notice, almost as if the community could care less. [More]

Does your neighborhood need a new playground? Check out our Roadmap to guide you through the process!

Make your playspace dreams come true with the help of our webinars! From ideas for promoting play in your community to fundraising to working with the media, we've got you covered.

We've just announced some great new (free!) webinars. All you need is a phone and an Internet connection to participate!

Webinar topics for this summer include:

• Revitalizing Playspaces, Becoming Part of the Urban Parks Movement
• FUNdraising 101
• Becoming a KaBOOM! Community Partner
• Making the Ask: Getting Business Sponsorships
• EXTRA! EXTRA! Read All About It! Working with the Media during Your Playground Project
• Grant Writing 101

Register today!

York's ready to play to get city grant funds
Being a 'Playful City' could lead to grant money for playgrounds.
By ANGIE MASON
York (Pa.) Daily Record/Sunday News
May 29, 2008

York could receive grant money by showing the city is serious about playtime.

A new task force is aimed at making York a "Playful City," a designation that could lead to grant funding for playground improvements.

The recognition is offered through the nonprofit KaBOOM!, a group aimed at making sure every child has a playground within walking distance.

York Mayor John Brenner learned about the organization when he helped the group build a playground in New Orleans last year.

His wife, Adrienne, is leading York's effort.

She remembered watching with their son, Sam, 4, as workers removed the seesaw from Lincoln Park a few years ago.

"It was so sad," she said. [More]

Learn more about Playful City USA

Kid ends skateboard shortage in Oakland park
By Meredith May
San Francisco Chronicle
May 29, 2008

East Oakland kids have found refuge at a new skateboard park behind Rainbow Recreation Center.

But they've also found a severe skateboard shortage.

They must wait their turn for one of six skateboards, and skate in 30-minute shifts so everyone gets a turn.

"We're trying to give them alternatives, because these neighborhoods can be rough around here, but it would be better if we had more boards," said center Director Horace Houston.

When 12-year-old skater Quentin Favia of San Francisco read about their situation in The Chronicle, he felt an incredible sense of injustice. [More]

View photos from the Oakland skate park build

The end of recess: Schools continue cutbacks in unstructured play
By Mark Sommer
The Buffalo News
May 27, 2008

Valerie Wales often has energy to spare at home. That’s because the first-grader doesn’t burn enough of it in school.

“My daughter sometimes gets to the end of the day, and she’s not ready for bed until she wrestles with her dad or gets chased around the house. She hasn’t run out of energy yet,” said Beth Elkins, an Allentown resident whose daughter attends Bennett Park Montessori Center.

The reason?

“Limited playing time” at school, Elkins said.

It’s a common complaint. Recess — considered unstructured play time, as opposed to physical instruction — is on the wane for large numbers of children, at least compared with when Elkins, 36, was growing up, according to researchers who have studied trends in play.

The decline in school recess slowly began about 30 years ago, researchers say, when one or two 15-or 20- minute recesses plus an hour lunch break were still the norm. And the decline continues to occur despite research showing unstructured play promotes learning while releasing energy and stress and minimizing disruptive behaviors.

A significant factor in more recent years has been an increased emphasis on standardized testing in response to demands for greater academic accountability. [More]

Learn more about how unstructured playtime aids academic performance and more.

Become a Playmaker and advocate against recess cutbacks.

On Apr. 19, 2008, the San Francisco Neighborhood Parks Council hosted their 2008 Playground Day event at West Sunset Playground. Community members gathered at West Sunset to learn about the Playground Initiative, and many also signed up to assess their neighborhood playgrounds.

The playground assessment event was launched in February 2006, to raise awareness of and bring attention to the needs of San Francisco’s playgrounds. The assessment is based on a survey created by the National Program for Playground Safety.

In 2007, NPC and RPD kicked-off a series of playground workdays, to resolve maintenance issues at the 30 city playgrounds that received a “D” or “F” grade in 2006. The kick-off event took place at Balboa Playground in April 2007, and the playground renovation was recently completed on March 4, 2008.

Watch an interview with NPC Program Manager Meredith Thomas at West Sunset Playground, discussing the results of the 2008 Playground Report Card survey here.

Learn more about Playful City USA

Dothan’s First Community Build Held at Pine Park
May 19, 2008
Rhiana Huckins, WTVY News, Dothan (Ala.)

Watch Dothan's Playful City USA grant application video

Funding for the materials used in building the new park came from the city's budget, but the labor force was donated by neighbors, city officials, Dothan police and fire, and leadership from Dothan.

Saturday, a massive group effort was made to restore Pine Hills Park.

"This was a park that was due some attention. The neighbors know it, the city knows it, and they had special requests- on of those were to build a playground," said Kim Meeker of Dothan leisure services.

Thanks to “Kaboom!”-- an organization that helps build playgrounds for children-- the city was able to come up with creative ideas for a modern playground.

"We were named a Playful City U.S.A. and they gave materials on how they've built one thousand playgrounds across their country to use to organize their own playground builds." said Meeker.

Read the whole story
Learn more about Dothan

After Years of Debate, Parks Board Votes in Favor of Poolesville Skate Park
6,600-Square-Foot Facility Awaits Commissioners Board Approval
By Meghan Tierney
Montgomery County Gazette
May 15, 2008

After more than two years of debate, Poolesville's Parks Board has recommended building a skate park in the upcounty town.

If approved by the Commissioners Board, the skate park would be the first recreational facility other than traditional parks built by the town, Town Manager Wade Yost said.

The seven-member Parks Board's 4 to 0 vote in favor of a skate park was greeted with applause from about 60 people who gathered at a meeting last week to show support for the facility. Chairman George Deyo, Vice Chairman Doug McKenney and board member Kurt Behrend abstained.

"We just had a huge crowd," McKenney said after the room had mostly cleared and the board was deciding the details of its recommendation. "Clearly, there are people who want this."

...

The May 7 meeting began with a presentation from Peter D'Amelio, a Poolesville resident and chairman of KaBoom, a District-based nonprofit that helps communities plan, design, build and raise money for play spaces, including skate parks.

"You can have a city that builds a skate park or you can have a city that becomes a skate park," D'Amelio told the board. "I think Poolesville's a great city, it's a city that deserves a skate park, and as a citizen of Poolesville, I'm here to make it happen."

...

Read the full article

Learn how to advocate for playspaces in your community

Playground to be work of full community
May 13, 2008
By Laurel Walker
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Governmental gobbledygook aside, something special is under way in Oconomowoc.

Gov. Jim Doyle proclaimed last Thursday "Oconomowoc Community Built Playground Design Day" - huh? - and not to be outdone, Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas followed suit.

Cathy Schreiber doesn't mind a politician bringing that "sense of importance" to a grass-roots project she cares about, so she brushed off my mockery of one more proclamation from the gubernatorial assembly line that bring us such gems as Root Canal Appreciation Day.

"Obviously, it got your attention," she noted. Touché.

What really gets my attention, though, is not a politician's pomp but a bottom-up effort of community volunteers to build a playground for children, fully accessible to those with disabilities right alongside those without.

This one looks like it will be a doozy.

...

Read the full article

Learn how to make play a priority with your elected officials

Engineering a playground
By Jodi Blasé
Burlington (Mass.) Union
May 08, 2008

Mary Sweeney is an engineer who took time off to raise her family, only to discover her former occupation could provide a much-needed service to Francis Wyman School. Sweeney’s involvement began almost two years ago when she started attending PTO meetings.

“There were discussions about renovations in the playground, especially around the Burlington LABBB program. The safety of the playground had deteriorated so much that they could no longer bring the children out to play. There was even one section of the playground that was near the school windows that created dust in the classroom and the teachers wanted it paved over,” she said.

By the last PTO meeting in May of ’07, the board learned that both money and plans weren’t approved. Sweeny, who had been voted secretary, along with other officers of the PTO, thought they should take matters into their own hands to help initiate a new play area.

“We thought it would help the school if the PTO formed a playground committee so that there would be another group of advocates to promote the cause,” she said.

...

Read the full article

Become a Playmaker to advocate for play in your community!

What's been happening in the KaBOOM! online community?

Show us your play face!
In April, we asked you to post add the number of playgrounds you've helped build to your profile and many of you did! See the top builders on kaboom.org here.

This month, we want to see your "Play face"! Go to your profile page and upload a picture of yourself showing off the exhilaration that can only come from the joy of play. At the end of May, we'll post our favorites in the Forums. This is your chance to show off how fun and playful you can be.

Edit your profile now to show off your play face! 

New videos
We added some cool new videos, including our new public service announcements. Be the first one in your neighborhood to watch them!
 
Worst. Playground. Ever.
Think your playground is bad? Jackthecat found a picture of a playground that can really put things in perspective!

Delve into the Forum archives to find hidden gems!
Having just celebrated Earth Day, many people want to know how to make their Build Day a little more eco-friendly. Check out this thread from last year with lots of tips for keeping your waste down. Don't forget to post your own ideas!

Warning: Approaching deadline!
The deadline to turn in your Playful City USA application is looming! The manager of the KaBOOM! National campaign for Play has been answering your questions and posting best practices in the Playful City USA Forums. Playspace audit woes? Committee spreadsheet quandaries? Play Day mysteries? You have questions, the KaBOOM! community has answers.

Clearwater's playgrounds are disappearing
By Mike Donila
St. Petersburg Times
April 29, 2008

CLEARWATER — Astra Dialinakis used to walk her 2-year-old daughter, Fotini, to the Country Hollow Park playground almost every day.

But on a recent morning, they were greeted by a wrecking crew in the midst of taking down the youngster's favorite swing set.

Dialinakis consoled the teary toddler, telling her the city would build a new one.

Not true.

The small playground was coming down for good.

And as more playgrounds in Clearwater age, they will follow.

"I had to lie to her and say we'll get another one," said Dialinakis, 31. "With the little vocabulary she knew, she tried to tell her dad that they took away the swings. It was devastating."

Now the family drives to a playground behind the Countryside branch library. But that, too, is set to close.

...

Read the full article

Discuss play advocacy in our Forums

Become a Playmaker: Raise your voice for play!

'You're It!' May Again Be Heard at Va. School
Michael Alison Chandler
The Washington Post
April 24, 2008

Students at Kent Gardens Elementary School in McLean are refining their dodging skills and polishing their recess etiquette this week in preparation for a game of tag.

Three weeks ago, Principal Robyn Hooker halted the pastime, saying that it had become too aggressive. Her decision set off debate among parents -- some appreciative of her caution and others wary that the restriction was excessive. Now, a committee of administrators and teachers has devised a plan to reinstate the game.

After a week of "reorientation lessons on playground safety" in physical education classes, classroom discussions of safe recess behavior and monitoring by teachers on the blacktop, students are likely to be yelling "You're it!" by tomorrow.

Read the full article

Discuss this article in the Forums

A playground pastime is getting a timeout this spring at a McLean elementary school.

Robyn Hooker, principal of Kent Gardens Elementary School, has told students they may no longer play tag during recess after determining that the game of chasing, dodging and yelling "You're it!" had gotten out of hand. Hooker explained to parents in a letter this month that tag had become a game "of intense aggression."

The principal said that her goal is to keep students safe and that she hopes to restore tag (as well as touch football, also now on hold) after teachers and administrators review recess policies.

The decision has touched off a debate among parents. Some call the restriction an example of overzealous rulemaking that fails to address root problems and undermines children's development; others say it's best to err on the side of caution.

"We are regulating the fun out of normal childhood activity," said Jan van Tol, father of a Kent Gardens sixth-grader. "In our effort to be so overprotective, we are not letting children be children."

Gerri Swarm, secretary of the school's Parent-Teacher Association, said she was glad the principal was taking seriously student concerns about being pushed or shoved. "In this day and age, you can't dismiss this as something not to worry about," she said.

Read the full article

Discuss this article in our Forums

Year-Round, All-Ages Play Highlights Yuma's 'Playful City USA' Status

By Larry Nelson
Mayor, City of Yuma, Ariz.

U.S. Mayor magazine - Apr. 7, 2008
Reprinted with permission

Yuma Mayor Larry Nelson

Yuma’s participation in KaBOOM’s Playful City USA initiative, which is a national recognition program that honors cities and towns across the nation for “creating an agenda for play,” not only placed the city in elite company across the nation, but provided many other benefits as well. Those include improvements in planning and public participation and increasing awareness for Parks and Recreation and its role in how citizens play.

But perhaps most important is that this campaign allowed Yuma residents—and the world—to learn that the “we” in “We Play the Yuma Way” is everybody—from the very young to the very old. And the “way” is every day—365 days a year.

Yuma’s a ‘Playful City’ for everybody, all year round. Playing in Yuma starts at a very young age—virtually all ages can play in Yuma, from young kids to senior citizens: from the ‘tot lot’ at our Stewart Vincent Wolfe Creative Playground and our recreation programs for toddlers all the way up to the seniors who run and walk on our paths and in our 5K/10K’s...

Playful City USA: El Paso

Watch El Paso's video

From the March 2008 issue of Texas Town & City magazine
Reprinted with permission

Play among children is on the decline throughout the United States. Childhood obesity rates have more than doubled in the last 20 years. Increasingly, children lack a safe and enjoyable playground within walking distance in their neighborhood.

In an effort to improve the state of play, the national non-profit organization KaBOOM! launched its Playful City USA initiative in 2007 as part of its National Campaign for Play. In October, KaBOOM! announced the 31 founding Playful City USA communities. Cities like Atlanta and San Francisco made the cut. But so did communities like Wapello, Iowa (population 2,200) and Shirley, Mass. (population 7,600).

The lone representative from the Lone Star State was El Paso.

And the city is extremely proud.

“After this designation, and being the only city in Texas that was honored, El Pasoans are very proud and joyful that the city has received such recognition and that this will help lead the way on other future promotional and tourism related opportunities,” El Paso Recreation Services Manager Joe Rodriguez said.

To Rodriguez, who was instrumental in the application process, it was common sense that El Paso should apply to be recognized for the city’s efforts. El Paso had previously made a commitment to providing a substantial amount of open space to its residents and the Playful City USA program matched the city’s ideals.

“Here in El Paso, we have always known that we are a playful city due to our wonderful year-round sunny weather and our friendly and easy-going citizens,” Rodriguez said. “We have over 200 parks, 24 recreation centers and 14 swimming pools and when these facilities are open they are used to their fullest potential.”

PDF	Read the whole article

Learn more about Playful City USA

Wondering why you should attend a Workshop Entirely on Play (WE Play!)?

Here are just a sampling of what you'll take away from the experience:

1. Practical tools and resources for building playgrounds and advocating for play
2. Kazoo-playing skills
3. Tons of helpful information to take home
4. An in-depth knowledge of the importance of play
5. Connections to others in your region who are passionate about play
6. The opportunity to help build a playground in just one day
7. Sandpails full of inspiration!

At the Washington, D.C. WE Play! event Apr. 10, many participants came for the practical how-tos regarding playground building and play advocacy, and left feeling inspired and energized.

"I came because I wanted to find out more about how to plan and make an exciting playground for kids," said Inez Edwards, who runs the youth wellness program for the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington. "I'm motivated by the passion people have already put into playgrounds and parks. It's a community effort!"

Birju Patel, a senior at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, has been working with his university to build a playground. "One thing that inspired [my team] is we did a site visit and saw kids running around in an open field, playing with sticks and throwing rocks at each other. Knowing you have the resources to change that...you know the result will be spectacular," he said. "Learning the process — the Roadmap — was really important for me as a person who's trying to organize a playground project."

Participants heard from Steve Coleman, executive director for Washington Parks & People, who shared his the story of organizing a project that has brought a Washington, D.C. park back to life. The project has involved over 40,000 volunteers so far, who have cleaned up and restored a park that was once a haven for drug dealers. The project has created new jobs and made the park into a community gathering space, which includes a youth-tended garden. The youth sell the produce they grow in a Farmer's Market in the park.

"One day the drug dealers were there, selling heroin and PCP, and the next day the kids got there before the drug dealers and were selling peas and carrots," said Coleman. "The looks on the drug dealer's faces..."

This year's WE Play! events feature not just information on building playgrounds, but also lots of great tips and discussions on how to make play a priority in people's communities. Participants can choose between a playspace builder's track and a play advocacy track.

"At the play advocacy track at the D.C. WE Play!, we had great discussions about combating childhood obesity and ensuring safe play environments for all kids, especially those in at-risk communities," said Brooke Bennett, national advocacy manager for KaBOOM!. "Participants shared best practices, discussed how to engage other citizens, and learned how the KaBOOM! tools and resources could help them be catalysts for change in their communities."

The day following the Washington, D.C. WE Play!, participants had the opportunity to participate in a playground build with So Others Might Eat (SOME) Zagami House in Southeastern Washington, D.C., home to 12 formerly homeless and extremely low income families.

You can participate in an upcoming WE Play! event, too! Dates for upcoming events are below.

Upcoming WE Play! dates & locations

Learn more about WE Play!

April 8, 2008 
By Dan Geringer, Philadelphia Daily News

Apr. 8--ON MOST NIGHTS, Anthony "Ant" Washington leaves his wife and children sleeping at home and goes over to his mother's house on Orianna Street near Dauphin, across from the baseball field, so he can wake up often in the wee hours, walk the field and make sure no one is messing with the miracle.

Responding to a Daily News report on how 10 years of city neglect ruined a youth baseball field at 4th and Dauphin streets, urban and suburban angels rushed to the rescue last week and saved the summer for 300 neighborhood children.

"This is amazing," said Washington, longtime Nelson Playground rec leader, standing on the resurrected field in the historically underserved Fairhill section of North Philadelphia, which has always been his home. "This looks like a completely different ball field."

It is. Only two weeks ago, the field was a dangerous mess.

A deeply rutted footpath ran across the outfield from Leithgow Street to Orianna Street, carved into the turf by residents who removed bolts in the chain-link security gates and used the field as a short cut -- walking, biking, pushing strollers.

The danger of a child breaking a leg while chasing a fly ball across that trenchlike footpath made the field unplayable.

Because the infield was built over the foundations of abandoned rowhouses on a demolished block of 4th Street, sinkholes sometimes develop, threatening to swallow base paths and the pitcher's mound.

Drug users discarded dozens of used syringes around the benches where the boys and girls, ages 4 to 14, will sit while waiting to bat.

All that changed dramatically after the Daily News story.

...

Read the full story.

Discuss playspace renovation and play advocacy in our Forums.

Jamison to help build playground in Shreveport, promote importance of play among children

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  As part of his ongoing efforts to provide “A Better Tomorrow” for children, NBA All-Star Antawn Jamison and national non-profit KaBOOM! announced a new partnership to encourage and promote play among children across the country.

KaBOOM!, an organization that empowers communities to build playgrounds, will team with Jamison to sponsor a playground build in his hometown of Shreveport in September of 2008 with the potential to build playgrounds in other areas in the future. Additionally, Jamison will serve as a KaBOOM! All-Star Playmaker – an extension of the Playmaker Network consisting of national leaders and celebrities who take action for play on behalf of KaBOOM!, while promoting the importance of play.

Jamison, whose “A Better Tomorrow” campaign has helped countless individuals across the country via scholarships, clothing and food donations and financial contributions, participated alongside hundreds of volunteers to build a KaBOOM! playground in just one day in New Orleans on Feb. 15 at the Mahalia Jackson Early Childhood and Family Learning Center in conjunction with the 2008 NBA All-Star Game. Inspired by the massive community involvement and the tangible result of a playground that will serve thousands of children, Jamison contacted KaBOOM! to facilitate building a playground in his childhood home of Shreveport.

“Encouraging children to play by building playgrounds is important to me because it not only allows a kid to be a kid, but it also helps bring entire communities together,” Jamison said. “Those are two of my biggest charitable goals. It seems that television and video games are making so many children grow up too quickly these days. Playing video games is fun but playing outside and interacting with other kids is where friendships are built and dreams are created.” 

... 

The playground as a place for some serious fun
A growing body of research suggests play helps kids build social skills, aids their intellectual development and is strongly linked to early literacy

Chad Skelton, Vancouver Sun
Saturday, April 05, 2008

In 2003, officials at the Central Okanagan school district put forward a proposal to get rid of recess at its elementary schools. The idea was supported by all the district's principals, who were convinced the plan would reduce misbehaviour by kids and leave teachers more time for instruction.

Parents, however, rebelled.

And after a survey found 98 per cent of parents opposed to the idea, the district backed down and recess was saved.

To many parents, the importance of play is obvious -- children, especially young children, need unstructured time to pretend, interact with their peers and explore the world around them.

Yet, at the same time, play is increasingly under attack: from schools trying to cram more into the day and, often, from parents themselves, who see it as an expendable luxury when compared to more "productive" activities like tutoring, organized sports or piano lessons.

Indeed, time-use surveys conducted by the University of Michigan suggest that, since the early 1980s, the amount of time U.S. children devote to free play has dropped considerably -- in the case of outdoor play, by 50 per cent -- with a corresponding increase in organized sports, music lessons and studying.

"We have this culture of fear. Everybody wants their children to be a success story. And they think the best way to do that is to shove more information at them," said Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, director of the Infant Language Laboratory at Temple University in Philadelphia and an expert on play.

However, a growing body of research suggests that play is more than just fun and games -- that it serves a real purpose in children's social and intellectual development.

"A lot of what we learn in the sandbox and in free play actually builds the skills of working together and figuring out how to negotiate with one another," said Hirsh-Pasek. "Sometimes as adults we get so far away from their world, we forget how rich it can be."

...

Read the full article

Discuss play in our Forums

Merrick (N.Y.) Herald

The room was filled to capacity and many residents stood in the doorway at a recent South Merrick Community Civic Association meeting that was held to discuss proposed upgrades to Julian Lane Park.

Robert Ward, the district supervisor for the Town of Hempstead Department of Parks & Recreation, was invited to the meeting to answer residents' questions about the town park.

Jodi Turk, one of the chairs of the civic group's park committee, opened the meeting by expressing the community's concerns about the park. "I'm a mom like everyone else here, and I sit at the park and complain like we all do," Turk said. "The sandbox hasn't been cleaned in 30 years, there's glass in it [and] the playground isn't safe."

Turk and several other residents said they'd like two climbing structures, one for younger children and one for older children, to ensure that children play safely. Right now, there is one climbing structure for younger children.

Turk also pointed out that the fence was in disrepair, with holes with rusty metal. She and several residents were upset by an anti-Semitic symbol that they said hadn't been removed from the jungle gym since the summer.

"I'm going to get the JDL [Jewish Defense League] and Newsday down here if it's not cleaned up by this weekend," said Bill Vilkas. "There is no excuse; whatever it costs, it has to be taken off."

Visibly upset, Ward told Vilkas that he didn't know of the swastika and promised to have it removed immediately.

"Some other repairs need to be fixed now," Sarah Greenstein said. "How about if I go there with my tool box and send my bill to the town."

Ward suggested that she not do that, adding that certain issues could be dealt with now by the town -- those that presented dangerous conditions. "I can take care of the emergency repairs, like cleaning the sandbox and fixing the fence," Ward said. "But we can't make major changes without approval of town hall."

...

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On Saturday, April 5, a new playground will be built in Macon, Ga. thanks to the efforts of KaBOOM!, the Junior League of Macon, the Bibb County Medical Society, NewTown Macon, lots of great donors and volunteers...and Dr. Frank B. Kelly, M.D., an orthopaedic surgeon who has worked with virtually every aspect of his community's playground build. He's been involved in everything from volunteer recruitment to fundraising to construction to safety to spearheading the involvement of the Medical Society with his colleague, Dr. Seth Bush.

This is Dr. Kelly's sixth playground build with KaBOOM! He's built other playgrounds with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, which has built a playground in association with their annual meetings each year since 2000. Those builds inspired him to do a build in his hometown. This unique project has an interesting history. Read on for a Q&A with Dr. Kelly, where you can learn the story that led to this build.

How did your project get started?

Dr. Frank Kelly

When we got back home we had several organizational meetings between the Medical Society and the representatives from the Junior League, we decided on our budget, we identified key personnel to help and also started working to identify individuals, businesses, and foundations within our community which we thought would be supportive of our project. A logo for our playground was designed, and we were off and running.

Why is this new playspace particularly important to Macon? 
This playground will not only be the largest playground in our community, but it will be centrally located and easily accessible from all areas. In addition, it will be a central feature of a larger park...a park which will offer numerous outdoor activities, including bike trails, hiking trails, fishing, and access to water sports, such as canoeing on the Ocmulgee River – the Water Works Park will include two miles of river frontage – an incredibly beautiful piece of property.

Above all, the playspace is important because it will be an accessible playground – affording all the children of our community, even those with different abilities, an opportunity to experience the joys and benefits of play and physical activity. Before now, children with disabilities have had to go as far away as Atlanta (an hour and a half drive) to enjoy the experience of being with their friends on a playground. I think this playground will be a tremendous service to our community, and I think it is one of the very best things to happen to Macon in my lifetime.

What inspires you to continue building playgrounds?
Playground builds are such a lasting tribute to the community and afford our children the opportunities to enjoy the many benefits of play and physical activity. Being a medical doctor, I am well aware of the growing epidemic of childhood and juvenile obesity and also well aware that many of our children do not participate in physical activity as much as did those of other generations. Why not provide them with this opportunity?

And the special part about our project is the fact that we have gone to great efforts to make our playground accessible, so it can be enjoyed by all children. We will have a rubberized surface that is easily negotiated by wheelchairs. We will have wheelchair useable ramps to access the equipment. We will have special swings and other equipment that kids with disabilities might use.

We will probably have 250-300 participants on our Build Day and I look forward to seeing the energy that will be exhibited on that day!

ANKENY, Iowa -- On March 25, neighbors of Somersby Park were invited to cast a vote for their favorite park playground design. With three designs to choose from, over 50 votes were cast, including votes from a number of kids that had the opportunity to select what amenities will be in their new playground.

The three designs, provided by Boland Recreation, Inc., varied by the types of swings, slides, climbing walls and teeter totters, as well as the shape of the playground area. A company representative was also on hand during the voting to answer questions and explain how each piece of equipment worked.

The winning design features a large tower structure, a set of swings and unique equipment from the Xccent playground company called the Gyro and the X-Wave 2.

One young man, participating in the democratic process for the first time, cast his vote and then excitedly asked, “Can we go play there now?”

Playground voting is one way Ankeny engages its citizens in projects and activities and advances the city council’s goal to promote active lifestyles and community involvement. The process begins with a series of neighborhood meetings in which city staff work with residents to determine the types of amenities that will be included in the park and what the playground will look like. Staff then begins work with a design team in developing three different playground designs. Neighborhood residents are invited back a month or so later to vote on which one of the three designs they like best. The design with the most votes is the one that is installed in the park. All are eligible to vote – especially the kids, as they will be the primary users of the playground!

The winning playground will be installed in June as part of the initial development phase of the park. Other improvements include landscaping, a trail loop and the Fallen Soldier Memorial Plaza, in honor of an Ankeny soldier and resident of the Somersby neighborhood, recently killed in the war. The seven acre park will eventually grow to nearly 14 acres, through future land acquisition.

Ankeny was selected as one of 31 Playful City USA communities in the inaugural year of the national recognition program administered by the KaBOOM! National Campaign for Play. KaBOOM! is a national non-profit that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Applications for 2008 Playful City USA status can be downloaded at www.playfulcityusa.org and are due by May 15, 2008.

By Mayor Shirley Franklin
Appearing in the March 24th edition of Nation Cities Weekly
Published by the National League of Cities

In 2007, Atlanta was named an inaugural Playful City USA community by KaBOOM!, a national non-profit that empowers communities to build playgrounds. It wasn’t just because we worked hard on trails that link our parks and communities; it wasn’t just because we had thousands of great places for kids to play — it was also because of the efforts of the many Atlantans devoted to making our city the best city in which to raise children.

Our great city will always step up when it comes to creating a better life for our children. The tangible evidence of this spurred Cynthia Gentry, founder and chairperson of the Atlanta Taskforce on Play (ATOP). This public/private partnership applied to KaBOOM! for Playful City USA recognition and went on to receive a $25,000 grant to help train community leaders on how to build playgrounds so that there will be a playground near every child in Atlanta by the end of 2010. With hundreds of community leaders like Cynthia out there, all of Atlanta’s children will be healthier, happier and smarter because they have great places to play.

When the people of Atlanta elected me to be their mayor in 2001, I knew I had my work cut out for me. Atlanta was facing a multitude of problems. With a neglected infrastructure, struggling schools, and communities failing to address basic quality of life issues, I knew I needed to unite Atlantans to work together for big positive changes in order to establish the city as a beacon of progress, hope and opportunity. Experience has taught me that a government can’t do this on its own. I knew we needed to find people and empower them to make a difference.

Every community has a next-door neighbor like Cynthia who is willing to step up. Find yours. Everyone has the power to give back and make their community better. Get started! Every community has people who can organize projects and volunteer their time. Get yours moving. Create your own task force on play to work with your City and your Parks Department and do what you can to become a Playful City USA.

Details: Atlanta was selected as one of 31 Playful City USA communities in the inaugural year of the national recognition program administered by the KaBOOM! National Campaign for Play. KaBOOM! is a national non-profit that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Applications for 2008 Playful City USA status can be downloaded at www.playfulcityusa.org and are due by May 15, 2008.

Shirley Franklin is mayor of Atlanta.

Learn how to fundraise, build and advocate for great places to play in your community! Led by KaBOOM! presenters, KaBOOM! Workshops Entirely on Play are one-day, FREE regional trainings packed with interactive sessions, networking opportunities and first-hand success stories. From planning a playground project to involving your local government in the cause of play, WE Play! sessions give all participants the tools to take action.

This year, two workshop tracks will be available: one for playground builders and one for play advocates. The playground builders workshop sessions will focus on the nuts and bolts of the community-build process, from volunteer recruitment to fundraising. Play advocacy sessions will focus on specific ways you can advocate for play in your community, from auditing the safety and maintenance of playspaces in your area to making your city a Playful City USA.

Designed for parents, PTA leaders, teachers, community leaders, business professionals, parks and recreation departments, school districts, and individuals who want to make play a priority for their community, WE Play! will be coming to Washington, D.C.; Boston, Mass.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Chicago, Ill.; Houston, Texas; Cleveland, Ohio; New Orleans, La.; Denver, Colo.; Atlanta, Ga.; New York, N.Y.; Phoenix, Ariz.; and San Francisco, Calif. in 2008.

Most WE Play!s also allow participants to take part in a KaBOOM! playground Build Day the day following, where they can witness how 150 volunteers can transform an empty lot into a dream playground in six hours!

Learn more about WE Play!

A state bond commission enthusiastically supports play as a priority at a local school in this article.

Excerpt:

"We want to create outstanding learning environments and that includes providing facilities for exercise and sports," Rell said in a statement. "I am pleased that the state can help fund these improvements at Springdale Elementary School."

State Rep. Gerald Fox III, D-Stamford, who represents Springdale, said the money will give students a safe, state-of-the-art playground.

"It's a tremendous asset to the neighborhood and I'm very excited about it," Fox said in Rell's statement.

State Rep. James Shapiro, D-Stamford, said in the statement, "A philosopher once said that a sound mind in a sound body is a short but full description of a happy state in this world. I am extremely pleased to help Springdale students achieve that goal."

State Rep. Christel Truglia, D-Stamford, agreed.

"It is very important for our students to be able to excel inside and outside the classroom, but we need to give them the tools to do so," Truglia said in the statement.

Athletics and recreation "are just as crucial to the development of a child as the education that they will receive," said state Rep. Carlo Leone, D-Stamford. "I know that everyone involved in the eventual passage of this bond item recognizes its importance."

ODESSA, NY -- Children will have lots of choices at the Catharine Park Play Day on Saturday.

Presented by the Friends of Catharine Park in conjunction with the KaBOOM! Playful City, USA program, Play Day will be from 1 to 4 p.m. at the town of Catharine park on Grant Road, just outside Odessa.

The wide range of activities is designed for children in pre-school through fifth-grade. All are welcome, and it's free.

Among the activities: face painting, pumpkin decorating, games, crafts, scavenger hunt, storytelling, hay rides and a "ghoul walk."

The Odessa Fire Department, Schuyler Ambulance, Schuyler County Sheriff's Department and the DARE program will have displays.

Hernando wants to be known as a city that cares about its children -- a Playful City USA.

City officials voted Tuesday night to declare Sept. 29 as Hernando's annual Play Day, as a step toward perhaps gaining a Playful City designation.

Play Day, aimed at children under 13, will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Conger Park, which contains the city's biggest playground.

The city has applied to KaBOOM!, a national advocate of children's playgrounds, to become one of 30 cities to be named a Playful City USA.

RALLYing for a new BellaVistaPark in  Oakland, California

There are two ways to look at the situation in our local parks and playgrounds. Compared to 13 years ago, at the beginning of Rudy Giuliani’s mayoralty, our parks and playgrounds are in far, far better shape. A majority have undergone major renovation, and several more are slated for renovation in the next year or two. This is in large part due to the funding efforts of Tom Duane, when he was on the City Council, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Councilmember Alan Gerson.

We have seen major new park space added as a result of the construction of Hudson River Park, including the water playground at Pier 51 (at Horatio St.) and the green spaces at Pier 46 (Charles St.) and Pier 45 (Christopher St.). We have seen ball fields created first on top of Pier 40 and then in the Pier 40 courtyard, adding over 225,000 square feet of much-needed recreational space for thousands of children and teenagers, and even adults. J. J. Walker Park, which many remember as either a dusty or muddy clay pit, has been covered in FieldTurf, an artificial-grass surface.

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) has introduced legislation to help promote increased physical activity to kids, families and communities across the country. The Promoting Lifelong Active Youth (PLAY) Every Day Act, which is co-sponsored by Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), supports the development of a well-validated community assessment tool — known as a "community play index" — to measure the barriers in communities to youth participating in physical activity. The legislation also assists coalitions to craft plans to promote physical activity and wellness in communities.

Want more information about kids being active? Visit the Partnership for Play Every Day, a national partnership whose mission is to ensure all American youth have at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 15, 2007
Contact Information:
Krista Conger, Stanford University: (650) 725-5371
Jennifer Hoyer, NRPA: (703) 858-2160
Kelly Kennai, YMCA of the USA: (202) 835-9043
Paula Kun, NASPE: (703) 476-3461

PARTNERSHIP FOR PLAY CALLS ON NATION TO INCREASE
THE VOICES, SPACES AND QUALITY OF PLAY
Senator Harkin Proposes Community Play Bill; Recent Stanford Findings Highlight Barriers
To Physical Activity in Children

WASHINGTON, DC—The Partnership for Play Every Day, a newly-founded public-private-non-profit sector collaboration, calls on all sectors of our communities to work together toward a comprehensive, action oriented response to ensure all American children engage in at least 60 minutes of play every day.