Washington, D.C.– KABOOM!, the national nonprofit dedicated to ending playspace inequity, applauds Representatives Don Bacon (R-NE) and Nikema Williams (D-GA) for introducing the Prioritizing Lifestyle and Activity for Youth (PLAY) Act. This bipartisan legislation establishes a federal interagency task force to identify and reduce barriers to creating and improving playspaces, ensuring a more efficient and community-focused use of federal resources to promote children’s health and well-being.
Crucially, the PLAY Act directs the task force to identify barriers to “close-to-home, community-driven” outdoor spaces and promote “scalable models, such as public-private partnerships” —the community-led model KABOOM! has championed for nearly 30 years.
Lysa Ratliff, CEO of KABOOM!, said, “Kids are facing multiple crises on many different fronts, from higher risks of diet related diseases due to poor nutrition and lack of physical exercise to higher feelings of anxiety and social isolation contributing to the youth mental health epidemic. Play – especially on inclusive, kid and community-designed, high-quality, and safe playspaces – has been proven to help address many of these issues. Unfortunately, not enough kids have access to these kinds of playspaces and that is why we support the PLAY Act. This legislation will help bring all of the federal agencies involved in building outdoor recreational facilities together to help eliminate bureaucratic barriers and streamline funding processes to make it easier to access and braid public resources with private ones. Thank you Representatives Bacon and Williams for introducing this critical legislation.”
When only 1 in 4 kids in the U.S. gets the 60 minutes of recommended daily physical activity by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is a crisis that demands whole-government collaborative action. And one of those areas needing urgent action is the amount and quality of our playspaces. According to the Physical Activity Alliance’s 2024 Report Card, the United States received a D+ score for children’s physical activity, due in large part to inadequate access to outdoor recreation.
“As a mama, I know how important it is for children to have somewhere safe to play outside for their health and well-being. Those spaces are far too few in communities — both in the Fighting Fifth and across the country — that are reeling from decades of systemic disadvantages and inequality. That’s why I’m introducing the PLAY Act, which would start breaking down the barriers to building the parks, playgrounds, and recreation spaces that all children deserve,” said Congresswoman Nikema Williams.
“Only 25% of children in the United States get the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity they need for healthy development,” said Represenative Don Bacon. “I’m pleased to co-lead the Prioritizing Lifestyle and Activity for Youth (PLAY) Act to create a federal task force that will break down bureaucratic barriers and improve coordination among agencies responsible for youth recreation infrastructure. Our bipartisan legislation will help local governments, schools, and nonprofits access the federal resources they need to give our children safe places to play and be active outdoors.”
The PLAY Act directly addresses this by creating a federal “Task Force on Child Wellness and Physical Activity Infrastructure,” to formalize the needed coordinated federal response. It will be co-chaired by the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and the Interior and include the following agencies:
- Department of Health and Human Services (Co-Chair)
- Department of the Interior (Co-Chair)
- Department of Education
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Department of Transportation
- Council on Environmental Quality
- Department of Defense
- Army Corps of Engineers
- Corporation for National and Community Service
The task force will submit final recommendations to Congress within one year of its initial meeting on how to streamline funding, foster cooperation across agencies, and encourage public-private partnerships which help local municipalities and school districts leverage additional resources and help stretch existing federal funding to help communities build the playspaces kids need.
Over the course of KABOOM!’s history, we have partnered with communities to build or improve thousands of playspaces across the nation. In the past year alone, we built or renovated nearly 70 new playgrounds in over a dozen different states. But that is not enough.
KABOOM! strongly urges Congress to pass this legislation. The PLAY Act will help unlock the resources and coordination needed to address the playspace inequity crisis and build the infrastructure kids and families need to lead healthier, more active lives.
“Main Street America is grateful to Representatives Williams and Bacon for their leadership of the PLAY Act. Recreational infrastructure for all ages supports local civic infrastructure where children and communities can thrive. 90% of all Main Street districts are within a 10-minute walk of a public park, and increasing access to green space and social connection is essential to vibrant local economies,” said Hannah White, Chief Impact Officer, Main Street America.
“Every child deserves a safe place to play and every family deserves access to nearby green space. The PLAY Act helps break down the barriers that have kept too many communities from the parks and playgrounds they need to thrive,” said Catherine Nagel, Executive Director, City Parks Alliance.
“Screen time and the pressures of technology continue to limit our children’s ability to play, particularly in the outdoors. The benefits of playing and immersing in nature are clear. Collaboration and alignment to create safer spaces for children is critical, always and especially now,” said David Beard, Director of Policy & Government Affairs, Children & Nature Network.
“Play is important for children’s wellbeing at every age, as it contributes to a happy childhood, brings children joy and relaxation in their school day, relieves stress, engages curiosity, helps them build social and physical skills and promotes friendships,” explains Sharon Danks, CEO of Green Schoolyards America. “The PLAY ACT will help address the critical physical and mental health issues facing children today,” said Sharon Danks, CEO, Green Schoolyards America.
“At Parks & People, we believe every child deserves access to vibrant outdoor spaces that spark wonder, inspire discovery, and invoke awe. We believe such spaces encourage healthy and active lives holistically. The PLAY Act is a critical step toward removing barriers and ensuring communities—especially those historically underserved—can create and sustain these spaces. We applaud Representatives Bacon and Williams for championing legislation that prioritizes play as a cornerstone of child wellness and community health,” said Dr. Franklin Lance, President and CEO of Parks & People.
“Play is what helps kids feel safe and connected. Communities like ours know the transformational power of a simple playground. The PLAY Act recognizes that power and provides the federal coordination needed to help communities build more of it. We are honored to support legislation that brings more play, more belonging, and more opportunity to children and families everywhere,” said Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country.
About KABOOM!
KABOOM! is the national nonprofit committed to ending playspace inequity – the reality that quality places to play are not available to every child, especially in communities of color. Since 1996, KABOOM! has partnered with kids and communities to create or transform 17,000+ playspaces and ensure that more than 12 million kids have equitable access to the critical benefits and opportunities that playspaces offer. KABOOM! continues to make progress on its 25 in 5 Initiative to End Playspace Inequity through new partnerships with a goal of accelerating efforts in 25 municipal systems toward achieving their mission at scale across the United States. Learn more at kaboom.org or join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.