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The economic, political and social changes confronting our nation are enormous and will challenge us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. They will require citizens to have the capacity and the determination to face up to the task at hand …

When it comes to designing the kind of playground that inspires kids, the hallmark of truly blissful child’s play will naturally encourage social and developmental play. If your goal is to create an ideal playground, keeping on top of the newest trends in …

Kids love to play on grass. It’s soft, inviting, and just plain fun. But if an ASTM 1292-certified safety surface is required, natural grass is not an option. That’s where synthetic grass comes in. With its lush, green, natural appearance, synthetic grass …

Critical issues today include the economy, environment, jobs, global conflicts, crime, and play. When one stops to think about all that is weighing on us all, it is devastating. The crushing load of attention paid to the negatives seems to have caused us …

There is a lot of talk in our society about “going green.” Going green covers a pretty broad spectrum when you think about it. It ranges from preserving green space in our cities, which the  parks and recreation departments  are commissioned to protect, …

Don’t let their signature slacker style and sneakers throw you off. Skaters are a passionate breed and their penchant for pushing themselves to greater feats of skateboarding prowess won’t let them settle for just any skatepark. Whether publicly or …

Forty-four percent of the injuries on playgrounds can be attributed to improper use or lack of proper  supervision . Everyone who takes the CPSI course learns that, but we really don’t spend a lot of time defining proper supervision. Public park agencies …

Lately, there have been a lot of customer inquiries about the safety of PVC on playground equipment. As playground safety has been analyzed every which way in the past 20 years, it is expected that the materials used in the manufacture of playgrounds …

Girard Street Park was being loved almost literally to death. There is no doubt that the park and playground, located just off Washington, D.C.’s Girard Street, is a popular place for the neighborhood children to play, hang out and gather. But they were …

The word SAFETY is used 27 times in this article not because we believe everything is SAFE but because the protection of our children from harm is paramount to our culture and personal belief system. We must be conscious of the use of the word SAFETY not …

The Consumer Product Safety Commission Public Playground Safety Handbook tells us that nine inches of sand protects to a fall height of four feet. That is what is presented in the CPSI course and we believe it. Well, I did, until recently. I took the …

If a young boy or girl were describing Play Planet, he or she just might say, “This playground has the most.” Indeed, Play Planet might have the most of any playground in the world. Playground giant GameTime claims Play Planet, located in Westland, MI , …

In 1996, the National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS) developed a National Action Plan (NAP) that was intended to be a blueprint to help local public entities (schools, childcare centers, and parks) create safe play environments for children …

Playground installers must protect the public from potential safety hazards at a construction site. Accident prevention is a No. 1 priority. Maintaining a safe work environment requires the continuous cooperation of all of those involved in the …

Playground safety begins when you start the process of obtaining playground equipment. Safety must be included in your playground from design through construction and throughout its life. This means that design, manufacturing, construction, daily use of …

Standard of Care There are three components to a successful playground safety program. The first component is the standard of care that an agency uses in maintaining its playgrounds . The agency may have reduced liability if it is following an established …

CVS Caremark, Boundless Playgrounds    and the City of Los Angeles created a playground at the Rosecrans Recreation Center in Los Angeles that provides access for children of all abilities to play together. Construction of the playground was funded in …

The current trend to exclude playground play that involves risk —physical contact between players, being hit with balls, or even running on the playground—is a historically unique restriction that exacts damaging consequences for the health and fitness of …

There is a need to shed some light on a common problem: displacement of loose-fill surfacing in high-traffic areas of a playground like under swings and slides. To illustrate the multiplicity of the language used to describe the problem as well as the …

For playground owners, choosing a quality playground construction company for your next playground project can be an ominous task. Whether you are a director of a large city or county park system or a one-time playground purchaser, knowing the …

Nature deficit disorder is a term coined by author Richard Louv in his book " Last Child in the Woods " to describe the modern phenomenon of children and adults spending less time outdoors, resulting in a range of behavioral and psychological issues. It …