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Recently, I came under suspicion of being the pied piper of playground safety. Some people question that the rulemaking process has gone too far. Why does the playground industry continue to push playground rules? Some lament that “new rules and new …

What is our responsibility concerning play these days? Society has changed so much over the past decade even. Some of us don’t have kids, have a double income and spend our time looking for the next snow hill or lake to ski on, so we are responsible only …

In December of 2003, Physical Therapist Lisa Hamilton saw a need for a change for differently abled children in her area. After working with children who wouldn't be able to access a playground with a wheelchair or walker, she decided to spearhead an …

The first guideline for public playground safety was published in 1981 by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. The target audience for this guideline was children starting at age 5. This guideline was republished in 1991 with a target …

Are you looking for a skatepark that won't be a maintenance problem? The word problem doesn't really have to be part of the equation, but whether you have wooden modulars or plan on building a concrete park, you'll have maintenance.  It's part of the …

You might think you could just throw some bases down in a diamond form, slap up some two-by-sixes and throw a rope and swing over the top, plant a tree, run the garden hose from the neighbor's house for a drink, and say game on! and you ve got yourself a …

Ready to spice up your fundraising efforts? Consider a golf scramble. It's a great way to get the community involved It doesn't matter whether you're a scratch golfer or a beginner; it's all about the cause, and all can enjoy.  First, you'll want to talk …

The words echoed through the building as staff and children raced outside to see what was happening. Next to the monkey bars, they heard Caleb and Don calling each other ugly names and saw them throwing punches. As the two 10-year-olds were being …

Before we go over the receipt and care of equipment, we need to take a quick look at a prior article. Also written by Curtis Stoddard , it covers the pre-construction checklist. Here’s a quick review, as noted by Stoddard: PRE-INSTALLATION CHECKLIST - …

Since many children live in densely populated areas, the requirements for playtime have a much more rigid structure. Parents need to know where their children are, and how long they will be there, and in many cases, parents are still standing close by and …

"Existing American playgrounds are a disaster," begins the book American Playgrounds by Susan G Solomon . Since Webster describes disaster as any happening that causes great harm or damage, calamity. I doubt that America's existing playgrounds qualify as …

GameTime is a leading playground equipment manufacturer, but did you also know that it carries a line of safety surfacing? It also offers GT Impax, which includes five different kinds of IPEMA certified, ADA accessible surfacing, and that they also offer …

How can you participate in Playground Safety Week this year? There are a number of ways to join in. You’ll find the following Play S.A.F.E. Promise Activities on the National Program for Playground Safety website: Talk with children about the importance …

With playground safety on the tip of tongues these days, more attention is being directed toward surfacing concerns and installing the proper protective surface under play equipment. There have been several different options utilized to help cushion the …

It seems that most play equipment is geared toward children 12 and under, but there are actually some things out there that could apply to older children as well. Skateparks and climbing walls can both be an option in this case as well. It’s true, you’ll …

If you haven’t heard about it, it’s time you did. A VNP is a Very Nice Person, and it’s the latest help for bullying in schools and on the playground. Dan Potter and Bracken Johnson, the bully from Napoleon Dynamite, have been traveling the Western United …

This long-term support effort for Katrina’s kids will be supported by a network of nonprofit, corporate, and faith-based organizations to help support the children that were affected by this tragedy. “Katrina’s Kids” will use the abilities of these …

First stop: the Boll Family YMCA…in the heart of downtown Detroit! On December 5, 2005, the new John and Marlene Boll Family YMCA opened to great fanfare and acclaim from Detroit media and beyond. Deemed “one of the finest YMCAs in the world” by Ken …

In the grand scheme of things, there is one thought that just seems to resound in the mind of a child likely every day: to play. Maddie Rubio is no different, even though she has some unusual circumstances for a little girl of 6 and a half years old. …

Y­­ou have had bake sales, sold popcorn, washed cars, hit up all the local businesses for donations and seemingly exhausted all the resources your community has to offer for funds. What do you do next to pick up the slack and help the playground build …

Do playground safety standards make a difference in reducing injuries and enhancing child development? In an article published in the December 2005 issue of Today's Playground, the author of the present article reviewed complications in interpreting and …