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All around the country, playgrounds offer children health benefits that promote active lifestyles and overall fitness. Play develops a variety of fitness skills that help children develop into well-rounded adults and can instill a love of active behavior …

Everyone knows that spending time outdoors is better for you than vegging out on the couch. Kids and adults who spend more time outside see benefits to both their physical and mental health.  With spring right around the corner, there’s no reason to be …

Recess is not just a break for kids in school. It’s important to take a break and engage in fun activity in any environment in order to stay energized and engaged. Yet the concept of recess seems to suggest giving people permission to slack off and be …

A single bead of sweat rolls off my cheek and I watch it as it drops to the well-padded safety mat 20 feet below. An inner voice guides my decision of which movement should follow. Where should I place my hand next? Can I reach that hold? Will my toes …

If you want to get your own offspring outdoors for any reason — including simply allowing you some peace at your computer — here are some wise tips from Angela Hanscom, founder of  TimberNook and author of the new book: “Balanced and Barefoot: How …

Inclusive play. Ask 10 people what it means and it’s quite possible you’ll get 10 different answers. Adhering to ADA Standards for Accessible Design. Creating access to the playground. Including products for children with disabilities. Ensuring …

Use artificial grass to create dedicated gaming and playing areas so that you can keep everyone entertained outdoors. With artificial turf, you can transform your yard into a maintenance-free entertaining space that works for adults, kids and pets . As …

Now that Christmas is behind us and we approach a new year, it’s a good time to reflect upon what it is all of the ‘stuff’ we accumulate over the festive period is trying to help us achieve. The toys we gift to our small ones are an attempt to invoke joy …

Imagine an infant lying on their back on the floor. In your mind’s eye watch as she works to roll over onto her stomach. Over the course of a month or so she will eventually accomplish her goal. In so doing she will have made countless attempts. Now …

We believe that play is the sign of a healthy community. When children spend time outside, climbing trees or on their bikes, we know several things: adults feel comfortable letting their children roam, children know their neighbors, and everyone feels …

Unstructured, outdoor play is a form of exercise that doesn’t take much effort for kids. Play is second-nature and often children’s favorite activity. Playing outside allows children to explore their environment, learn about nature, foster fine and gross …

Google “inclusive play” or “inclusive playgrounds” and you will find pages of entries – what it is, where you can find such playgrounds, who offers “inclusive playground equipment” and more. Delve into this more and you will also find that many …

Most neighborhood families had a dinner bell. Each child knew the specific tone for their bell and would begrudgingly stop playing and head for home. We had a horn we had acquired at a baseball game. When the horn blew, we too would finish the last …

When was the last time you: 1) found a set of swings that invited two people to play cooperatively? Not any fancy, computer-enhanced anything. Just a set of swings. 2) found a set of swings that was fun enough to invite almost anyone of any age to play …

The claim that play leads to peace may seem to be an outrageous assertion but I am confident that by the end of this essay you will not only agree but also come to believe that it may be the best means of creating a more peaceful planet. First, let’s be …

ROCHESTER, New York—The Strong is pleased to announce that it will publish  Play for Life: Play Theory and Play as Emotional Survival  (January 2017), an edited compilation that contains, among other features, the final book-length manuscript of Brian …

The IAAPA Brass Ring Awards’ Best New Product Awards annually recognize the best new products or services in the amusement parks and attractions industry. This year, they have acknowledged WhiteWater’s Mat Blaster, a first-of-its-kind slide, in the …

EDMOND, OKLAHOMA-  St. Luke’s United Methodist Church chose Edmond-based, Noah’s Park & Playgrounds , to design and install four new indoor and outdoor playground structures for their new Edmond campus building located at 900 N. Sooner Road (west side of …

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Kids Preferred is proud to introduce the Bioserie collection, an award-winning brand that has raised the bar in what new parents can expect from toy safety. These stylish toys appear and perform like everyday plastic toys but, remarkably, they are made …

Unyielding compliance with the requirements and procedures detailed in ASTM F1292-13 is essential to accurate measurement of impact attenuation of playground surfaces. In limited cases a short cut procedure, while not strictly compliant, can be used for …