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Tightropes taut between telephone poles; belay and repel lines; 30-foot platforms: it looks more like a military obstacle course than physical education equipment. But these obstacle courses are part of physical education at schools nationwide.  …

People may picture life on a military base as a structured, sterile environment. Or, perhaps the shenanigans of Hawkeye Pierce or Gomer Pyle come to mind. More than likely, life on base consists of both rigid structure and hilarious antics, providing …

Over the past few decades, organizations such as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the National Playground Safety Institute, the Consumer Federation of America and the National Program for Playground Safety have helped bring playground …

As William descends from the very top of the play structure to the bike path for the first time, he grins from ear to ear and exclaims, “I did it all by myself!”    This might sound like a typical experience for a 6-year-old child, but it was a very …

The growing healthcare crisis of obesity has been a common topic recently in the media.  One area receiving increased attention is the impact this crisis is having on working-class children and adults in urban areas. When compared to their white …

The headline read: Come one, come all, grab them while they last! It’s the world’s Super Duper, Triple-Quad-ripple, Tons of Fun, Maintenance free playground.  “Maintenance free?” It was too good to be true—a playground owner’s dream. I bought four of …

I was driving home from a weekend trip when my wife asked me a bizarre question, “You do playgrounds right?” I responded with a, “Yeah babe, I do playgrounds, why?” She began to tell me about an article that she was reading in Family Circle magazine …

One of the major advantages offered by a unitary surfacing product is its ability to incorporate aesthetically pleasing colors and designs into your overall playground concept.  Progressive playground designers have long realized that a creatively …

Water is often seen as being abundant and renewable. But as demand for freshwater continues to rise, with water quality issues adding to the concern, municipalities across the country are looking for innovative ways to help manage and conserve this …

he cheerful cries of children at play can be heard at yet another location across the globe. Children in Trinidad and Tobago were thrilled with the new playgrounds that were installed in three local neighborhoods, thanks to the efforts of Kids Around the …

In 1997, the National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS) began sponsoring the National Playground Safety Day every April. Its purpose was to raise awareness of playground safety across the nation. After two years, the event became so successful, that it …

Most Americans know the little town of Bethlehem as the birthplace of Jesus. But for the children who live there, it is a high stakes battleground. Most of these children have spent the last two years under constant curfew. They’ve seen their schools and …

My brother called me the other day with the most interesting of predicaments. “John, I installed my new operating system and now my printer won’t work.” I told him to get a new printer. Three day’s later he called to tell me that my 10-year-old niece had …

Fall Guy n. (slang) – 1. One who takes ‘the rap’ for others; one who is easy to take advantage of. 2. A scapegoat.  [synonyms: chump, fool, gull, mark, patsy, sucker, schlemiel, soft touch] here are we after over a decade of playground safety standards in …

Extreme sports among teens and even young adults are growing in popularity. High-risk activities such as bicycling, skating, skateboarding and scooter riding are part of a trend that is moving away from traditional sports and toward those that are more …

Depending on your relationship to the children in your life, an outdoor playground can mean different things. For adults without children, playgrounds may just be big pieces of plastic and metal set in the park they drive by on their way to work each day. …

My children are young--three and six, to be exact. They shouldn't know the entire cast of "Ed, Edd, & Eddy" by name, but they do.  They shouldn't know that Thursday night is Must See NBC night, but they do. They shouldn't think about pinning for …

In recent years the desire for aquatic facilities has continued to grow. Families are spending more time together and limiting some of the long-range vacationing so common just a few years ago. With this in mind, and because the majority of municipal …

We all know the story: In September 2002, an unidentified assailant or assailants began the first of apparently random killings in Greater Washington, D.C. As a chilling postscript to a rambling letter left at a shooting site, the unknown serial sniper …

This school year when the kids at Drew Elementary School in West Philadelphia, PA play on their new playground, they’ll recall a day over the summer when some of their sports heroes took a personal interest in them and in their school.  Until recently, …

The city of Pittsburgh, PA, has what almost every community in the United States only wishes they had: a concerned mayor, a committed city council and involved state representatives—all dedicated to investing the dollars, time, and effort necessary to …