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So there I was, hanging out with my 2 year old son JJ on his favorite railroad tracks down by the river. We’d been throwing rocks in the water, crossing the railroad bridge hand in hand, and gleefully running down the tracks hollering for the train. Then …

A week ago, knowing that I wanted to write this month’s column on Autism Awareness Month, I went to a few of my groups on LinkedIn and Facebook where parents who are raising children with autism hang out. I asked them this questions, “If there was one …

Written with special guest Dr. Craig Kelsey, Ph.D. Many parks and recreation departments across the United States develop an important planning tool referred to as The Park Classification Plan. This plan is an effort on the part of community planners to …

Malaysia has been in the news a lot this year and not for the best of reasons. I have had the opportunity to fly to Malaysia three years in a row to conduct the Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) course for the National Recreation and Park …

WILLISTON, N.D. – Shawn Egge didn’t expect to return to his hometown of Williston after he graduated from college in Missouri. But the town he knew as a small, quiet community is now home to the largest indoor recreation facility in North Dakota. Egge got …

In my last article I introduced the work of Alison Gopnik in The Philosophical Baby . This month I’ve been reading Buddha’s Brain by Rick Hanson and that has further deepened my understanding of the neuroscience of brain development. I won’t pretend to …

We have all heard that statement, and it’s never been more true when describing the best way to promote active behavior in our communities. People have different interests, abilities, skills, and talents. The more we can create outdoor spaces that beckon …

So there I was, minding my own business at the Open Spaces Preschool in Whangarei, New Zealand. I had just come back from spending a glorious three hours with eight preschoolers and two teachers in the “Wild Woods” — a nearby 4 acre plot of ancient forest …

Macomb County will soon have a recreational, educational and therapeutic facility for kids with autism and their families, which is set to open on Aug. 15, 2014 An innovative space for kids with autism and their families is opening in Sterling Heights on …

There are many reasons to like Hasbro’s Rich Mazel, but one that most inventors can appreciate is that he has suffered rejection as an inventor. It isn’t easy being an inventor!  Rejection aside, everyone loves Rich. You’ll enjoy reading his interview …

Steve King and his wife Barb founded Landscape Structures, Inc., a commercial playground equipment manufacturer headquartered in Delano, Minnesota in 1971. Steve is chairman of the board of the company and is also a Fellow of the American Society of …

Our kids deserve more. They deserve a play environment that grabs them when they walk by, makes their jaw drop, and shakes them silly instead of one that says, “Hey, I’m over here if you’re bored.”  Playground designers are up against some tough …

How vital are playgrounds in today’s society? For many people, unstructured outdoor play is viewed as a luxury, not a necessity. As a result, children don’t devote as much time in unstructured outdoor play as they did decades ago.  Multiple societal …

The longing to play is a natural desire in all children. Play is fueled by curiosity, and creative playgrounds spark spontaneous play for kids and provide wonderful opportunities for children to interact and actively learn. It is through the option of …

PlayGroundology www.playgroundology.wordpress.com “There is much art in the creation of vibrant public play spaces. Their aesthetic, their physicality and their spatial rendering push mind and body to new imaginative experiences. This presents a great …

Throughout my nearly five decades of designing play apparatus and spaces, I have been really gratified to see kids play on the results of my efforts. These days, however, I have begun to consider that perhaps design and play are antithetical to each …

Here I am at 37,000 feet on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner on route to Narita Tokyo International Airport. The Dreamliner is an impressive piece of modern technology that could not have even been imagined 40 or 50 years ago but that is another story. Today’s …

With Special Guest Nancy White Ph.D. In order to provide safe, quality services, facilities, and programs to your users, it is critical that staff and volunteers are well trained. Having the right people in the right positions with necessary experience …

There was something uncommon about the crumb rubber extracted from the football field being serviced last year by G9 Turf, an independent contractor that specializes in the maintenance of synthetic turf sports fields. Using a specialized machine that …

Have you ever run into these comments and observations when planning a playground? Why do we need to worry about inclusive design, isn’t inclusion just a fad? Do we really need to make our playground inclusive, we don’t have any children with disabilities …

So there I was, heading to the Hands-on-Nature Anarchy Zone at the Ithaca Children’s Garden. It was winter play camp week during the winter break and I was coming to hang with the kids and see what fun things were happening. I arrived mid-morning and was …