Grants

Playground grants to help communities build safe places for kids to play

Responding to Communities' Playspace Needs

Our priority and focus is always on the safety and well-being of kids. While many playgrounds across the United States remain closed, our work to ensure that communities facing disinvestment have access to the resources to build playgrounds for kids and communities continues.

With feedback from our communities and public health experts, we've developed a responsive approach to continue playspace projects, and award playground resources. With a few changes to our applications and playspace project processes, we can continue to amplify the power of communities to put an end to playspace inequity.

How Our Programs and Processes are Changing

Shortened Application

We understand that time and capacity is limited for completing in-depth grant applications. We also don’t want the technical quirks of a grant application to discourage community leaders like you from applying.

We’ve transformed our standard application into an abbreviated, single-page Playspace Interest Form so you can give us the essential information we need to determine your viability for a KABOOM! community-build.

Budget Flexibility

We understand that the pandemic has left some communities with fewer resources than before. We are creating new policies to work with your community to understand the assets you can devote to a project and working together to creatively develop the ways we can fill in the gaps.

Virtual Design Days

Design Days are at the heart of how we co-define community-builds with our community partners. It’s where we let the playspace experts, the kids, and envision the best playspace for themselves.

When possible, we are co-facilitating Design Days with communities on video conference calls. We’ve created a facilitation guide, the Kids’ Design Workbook, that will allow kids to design their dream playspace. When video conference calls aren’t the best option, the same workbook is sent, digitally or shipped, directly to our community partners, with guidance on how to safely distribute hard copies.

Reimagined Build Days

For the foreseeable future, all of our playspace projects will be installed by professional installers from the equipment manufacturer, in order to protect and ensure the health and safety of community members, KABOOM! staff, and and volunteers.

While volunteers will not be gathering for the Build Day, KABOOM! staff will work directly with our partners to plan for post-build engagement opportunities to celebrate the playspace.

Open Grant Opportunities

Build it with KABOOM!

Plan and build a new playground in your community by working with KABOOM! and our corporate partners.

Play Everywhere Design Challenge

The Play Everywhere Design Challenge will award $1 million to Play Everywhere ideas to be built in Southeast Michigan and Western New York.

Let’s Play Community Construction

Kick-off a new, self-guided playground project with $15,000 to be used toward playground equipment.

Creative Play grants

With their custom built loose parts, Imagination Playground™ and Rigamajig® encourage creativity, communication, and collaboration in play.

Adventure Courses

Introducing our newest playspace innovation: Adventure Courses! Through our signature community-build model, communities will design and build an amazing playspace aimed at kids aged 10 and older.

Multi-Sport Courts

Developed in response to the demands of kids, KABOOM! is introducing our newest playspace innovation: Multi-Sport Courts!

Previous Grants and Programs

Colorado Health Foundation

The Colorado Health Foundation is partnering with KABOOM! to build 8 state-of-the-art playspaces in rural communities across Colorado.

Play Everywhere Philly

Play Everywhere Philly is exciting city-wide competition to support child development and literacy skills through Play Everywhere installations in everyday locations across Philadelphia.

Rebuild Texas

KABOOM! and the Rebuild Texas Fund will bring play to kids impacted by Hurricane Harvey to build resiliency and cope with the stress associated with natural disasters.