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A lot has been written in recent years about play value. Trends towards eliminating recess from elementary schools and the steep rise of obesity in children are cause for concern and extreme measures by scientists, educators, and parents. With traditional …

If you build it, they will come." This movie quote seems to fit today's playgrounds better than baseball diamonds. If you wonder what I mean, observe a typical new playground construction project and watch the children come... in hordes. Keeping the …

Award-winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins describes himself as once being an antisocial child who did not want to interact with other children. He disliked school and grappled with why he had to attend at all. Hopkins described himself as a misfit and a …

The child in the wheelchair was gently and tenderly lifted into the special swing set seat. Once there, several sets of willing hands lovingly and safely secured him in. It was then "up, up, and away," along with his non-challenged compatriots. The …

Children in Wooster, Ohio have it. Children in Grenchen, Switzerland have it too. As do children in New Zealand, Poland, Brazil, Australia, and China. In fact, children all over the world have it. What is "it?" The urge to play. Right now, on …

When I took my son to his first day of kindergarten in August of 1990, I knew the public school's playground was not as safe as it should be. What was I to do? Since I worked for the local park district I had experience and knowledge from which to form an …

Whenever anything goes wrong during a construction project, "It's the contractor's fault." We all hear this and we may even be the ones who say it, but it is not always the case. It is just easy to blame the contractor because he is the last one on site. …

Every summer all Jonas wants to do is stay home, visit with his neighborhood friends and play computer games. And every summer he is made to go to day camp. His parents give him no choice. They both have to work. Jonas begins camp with a sense of dread. …

It's a classic example of letting the little things slip by some - intentionally; others because of lack of appreciation of what it means - until they pile up into significant problems. Remember the funny song about an ant that moved a rubber tree plant? …

Meet Billy, a spunky ten-year-old with reddish hair and freckles. His wisecracks keep friends, young and old, in stitches constantly. A few years ago, before his accident, his friends declared him the fastest kid in the local play yard. Now, confined to a …

The safety of our children is of paramount importance to the City of Ormond Beach, Fla., and especially so to its Parks and Recreation Department. It is for that reason we have taken the initiative to install a not-so-inexpensive  Thor Guard Lightning …

In the best environments and under the best of circumstances accidents and injuries will still occur, unfortunately. While the aftermath of an accident may be a stressful event it may produce great value for the agency and your customers as a whole. Your …

Picture this: it's day camp during spring break for children k-6th grade at the playground in Fox Lake. While not exactly an astounding sight, and it certainly wasn't winter in upstate New York, but it raised more than a few eyebrows. Kids playing was …

Cozy Spaces Are Important Young children are constantly gathering the input needed to build an internalized system for sorting, processing, storing, and recalling information. The diligent pursuit of this input leads to the next necessary building block …

Planning your new playground effectively will include a play area evaluation process. Various evaluations will need to be taken into account to determine what products, situations, and details will best serve the children in your play area. Play Site …

Q:  A recent question from a CPSI asks," Can we get your opinion on a situation involving a playground that a developer built and we are in the process of accepting? I am holding this process up with concerns about modifications to the playground. A unit …

A complete understanding of the play equipment purchasing process is the best way to ensure a successful new playground project. Following the process, most play equipment manufacturers recommendations allow a playground purchaser to get design, safety, …

The students didn't seem to notice as Professor Raymond T. LeBlanc entered the classroom from its back door. Coming up the center aisle, he half limped, and half ran to the front of the room. The students glanced at him nonchalantly. It was the first day …

Most adults can reflect back on their childhood experiences and recall joyful memories involving vigorous and non-vigorous  outdoor play  activities. Some of these thoughts involve active childhood games and creative problem-solving with friends during …