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Before a spray park is even installed, certain measures can be taken to encourage a long and healthy life for components. Drainage is one consideration that should be evaluated in the early stages of planning. Ample drainage can help prevent the …

The Jonesboro Parks and Recreation Department utilized members from throughout the community to complete its “Hands on Jonesboro” project.  The parks and recreation department for the city of Jonesboro, Ark., had a dilemma not uncommon in other cities …

Bullying, intimidation, and interpersonal conflict have been a part of playground management for generations. Children struggle with being called names, being picked on, being excluded, not knowing how to make friends, or being the ones acting unkindly or …

It’s been an eventful 14 months for Frances Wallach. Her office is located one block away from the site of the World Trade Center attacks in Lower Manhattan. She was out of her office and in a hotel for four months after the attacks—all the while doing …

Loose-fill safety surfacing, such as woodchips, require routine maintenance. It would, however, be a mistake to assume that replacing loose-fill materials with unitary safety surfacing (i.e., poured-in-place surfacing, mats, tile, etc.) will eliminate …

Despite this knowledge, opportunities for free play are decreasing for elementary school children, and have already been eliminated from the curriculum for middle and high school students in the United States. Reasons for this include an emphasis on …

The goal of every playground installation should be to build according to manufacturer’s specifications. These are outlined in an installation manual supplied with each commercial playground sold. The success of a playground installation is directly …

I am in no way what I would consider a playground safety expert. Luckily, there are numerous people that have the experience, training, and desire to be certified playground safety inspectors. The work each of them does for the safety of our children is …

It's one thing to have a set of core values written down on a piece of paper somewhere, and it's a completely different thing to consider those core values every day and on every project. At BCI Burke, based in Fond du Lac, Wis., the core values that were …

The choices of recreational facilities a municipality can select to make part of their recreational plans are almost as numerous as the number of municipalities. Also, there are a number of old-fashioned favorites that seem to be part of every city. …

In a unique mixture of Olympic celebration and athlete memorial, Florence Joyner Olympiad Park in Mission Viejo, Calif., is a constant reminder of the importance of living life to the fullest and of the power of a goal. In 1984 the Summer Olympics came to …

A new report from Great Britain entitled "Playgrounds- Risks, Benefits, and Choices" describes the first detailed strategic assessment of outdoor playgrounds in the United Kingdom for over a decade. The report, written under the direction of noted …

Hey Mister! Tell Miss ... not to put the swings back. They just get in the way." This was the excited proclamation of five young boys, breakdancing on Playmatta surfacing. As a result of the pleadings from the boys, the school did extend the area covered …

When bullying occurs, the most likely venue, especially in primary schools, is the school playground. This illustrates the darker side of recess." Whitney and Smith (1993) Outdoor play environments are social places. Children take advantage of the free …

Building playgrounds and constructing playground equipment is a satisfying undertaking. For those of us who install playgrounds professionally, watching the children who finally get cut loose to play on their new equipment, is the most gratifying moment …

I believe that most people who enjoy their work in the playground industry have a reason for taking an interest in the safe, free play of children. It may be mostly for the money, although there are other professions that are more lucrative than most play …

You can find them at the local used car lot or the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. You can use them for corporate retreats or family reunions. The inflatable industry includes more than the backyard bouncer that you rent on a Saturday afternoon for your …

In fact, in one way or another, it has been around from the time the first person walked on dry ground, was hot and saw some water. I personally started playing in the sprinklers at my house about the time I could run as fast as I could through the …

"Hey Mom, please sit over there, I want to play and can do it myself." That's our little friend Matthew telling his mother, Sue, that he wants to play with his friends without her by his side. That has to be tough for Sue, because Matthew has, until now, …

There is far more to the St. Louis Zoo than polar bears, lions, tigers, and zebras. There is an interactive lifetime learning experience for children of all ages. In addition to being one of the foremost animal zoos in the world, the St. Louis Zoo has an …