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On July 1, 2008, the Texas Education Agency released the results of a groundbreaking physical fitness assessment of 2.6 million Texas public school students in grades 2-12, using six Cooper Institute FitnessGram tests. Only 32 percent of 3rd grade girls …

Do you remember playing Candy Land as a child? The game seemed to nearly be a staple in most homes, and children have loved it for decades. Give Kids The World Village , Hasbro, and Boundless Playgrounds have teamed up to create a life-sized version of …

Each year in the United States, the number of children with obesity problems grows. This condition doesn’t seem to improve and hasn’t for quite some time. There has been plenty of information published identifying the culprits of this epidemic. In this …

Before access to a newly installed playground is granted, installers should pull final inspections , do a walk-through with the owner, and give the owner all the documentation provided by the product manufacturer; including the maintenance kit and …

IPEMA is the acronym for International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association . There may be some differing opinions about the original intention for starting this exclusive group of play equipment manufacturers, but in a general sense, IPEMA was …

Recently, I was reflecting with a customer about a playground project we constructed for them in the early ‘80s. I remember I came to the daycare to consult with them about the installation of their newly purchased play equipment. The daycare location was …

When a playground installer arrives at a new job site, he immediately looks at the play area to see if it is level. Even before an installer gets out a measuring tape, he has a pretty good idea about whether or not a site has a slope. Because modern …

The ideal recess time on the school playground seems to include children laughing, playing in the jungle gym, or participating in a game of hopscotch. It should be a nice break for students to spend some time outdoors, get some exercise, and have some …

Here is how it all started. A few summers ago, I went out on-site to talk with the local Parks and Recreation director, Dave Christiansen, and shoot some photos of a playground the city was resurfacing. We talked about the state of the playgrounds in the …

We’d all like to think that when our time on this earth comes to an end, we’ll be given a chance to die with our boots on, or at least that’s what the old saying would have us hoping for. When our friend and long-time contributor Dan McKain passed away on …

When the first settlers came to America, they met Native Americans who had mastered the art of growing kids using a combination of play , work, and tutorial, hands-on guidance from extended families and older children. From early childhood, Indian …

The Imagination Playground at Burling Slip , Rockwell Group, and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation collaborated to create a new play space at Burling Slip in lower Manhattan. A unique child-centric downtown oasis, Imagination Playground …

The history of children’s play warns against both excessive adult interference and no involvement, yet shows that supervision, assistance, play leadership, or play work-- whatever the label--is a necessary element in play, learning, and development. Even …

When you take the National Recreation and Park Association's Certified Playground Safety Inspector course you are asked to agree to the CPSI Code of Professional Conduct. One of the directives of the code is... The CPSI should never conduct a safety audit …

It’s the heat of the summer now, and hopefully, you’ve spent a little time thinking about sun protection as you send children out to play. Even on those overcast days, you should be conscious of the effects of the sun. It may be behind a cloud, but clouds …

During the late twentieth century, children began to lose their historic rights and opportunities for free, outdoor play, and in the span of a few decades, the adverse consequences multiplied. The flood of information from many disciplines makes it …

The original Wildcat Park was built by volunteers in 1989 at Wilson Elementary School, where the elaborate wooden structure did double duty as a playground for the school and the community. The Leathers & Associates playground served the community well in …

What would a modern playground be without the invention of plastic? I would challenge anyone to find a commercial playground that isn’t fabricated, in part, out of plastic. The range of components made with plastic is never-ending: slides, play panels, …

As a playground advocate, I spend a lot of time working with playground owners. On a daily basis, I am in contact with people who purchase and maintain playgrounds, public and private. A large part of our communication is about playground rules. People …

There are some who leave an indelible footprint on your heart, and in doing so, your life. All who knew Barb King, co-founder and president of Landscape Structures, Inc., will miss her dearly. Barb passed away on March 4, 2008, at home with her family, …