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Research into the link between play experiences and brain development shows that play provides important stimulus for the human brain. Play is absolutely vital to children's brain development in all domains. In this article, we focus on the interconnected …

The setting: America's schools- for kids ages seven or eight and older, with a limited recess time to play, the traditional playground may not keep their interest. Forget "slides, rides, and manipulatives." Kids with portable battery-powered GameBoy ® …

If you are reading Today's Playground, you probably have a vested interest in helping or educating children. You may recall a time when you were involved in a plan devised to provide something useful and good for the children in your community, and even …

I'm not sure when it happened. I certainly don 't think it happened overnight, although it almost seems as if it did. Somewhere between the time I left the halls of elementary school and the time I began working for Today's Playground magazine, it …

The premise behind the organization is simple. Children have a right to play. In fact, this idea is so fundamental to this group of concerned people that they included it in their name: the American Association for the Child 's Right to Play (IPN USA ). …

If only a representative from Wrigley's could see this. Like something out of a Doublemint gum commercial, 4-year-old twins Brian and Eric Matthews are shadowing each other around the playground. One minute Brian is sprinting towards the spring rider …

Every year in Butler County, Penn., there is a winner crowned. For a year the town that wins the county championship has the bragging rights. It is the top-dog. And this excitement alI comes from a sport that involves little more than a couple of …

One Florida official summed it up best when he said, they knew they had a problem, they just didn't know how big or serious it was. He was not, of course, referring to the Sunshine State's voting conundrum. He was talking about the discovery of high …

Playground planners working within the United States have a variety of in-depth resources, suggested guidelines and safety performance specifications from which to use when designing or constructing playground equipment. The general aim of these resources …

Annette Cottle, the director of Parks and Recreation for the city of Ogden, Utah, first was presented with the challenge of building a skatepark in her town at the request of the city council. Downtown businesses had been complaining about skateboarders …

Over the last several years a variety of products have become available for playground safety surfacing. These include poured-in-place rubber , tiles, mats, rubber mulch and the like. Though all of these products are well suited for their intended use, …

A play structure, properly maintained, should last for many years. A set routine of maintenance procedures must be established and carried out by staff qualified to inspect playgrounds. A maintenance program should be customized to fit each individual …

In 1988, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) conducted an in-depth study of playground-related injuries. Published in 1990, it provided the authoritative basis for safety guidelines in the Handbook for Public Playground Safety …

“Play" in many contexts has become a four-letter-word, particularly in educational settings. As a part of school life, which gives priority to academic development, the role of free movement and expression (a.k.a., "play") is increasingly neglected. …

In my travels, I often talk with people who have recently purchased a new playground and are confused as to their responsibility in maintaining their play equipment and play area. Sometimes I'm told they bought "maintenance-free equipment" and therefore …

As a small guy, I rarely have seen things from a big guy's perspective. Take dodgeball, for instance. When I look back upon my days of hucking and ducking big, red rubber balls, all I can see is Jimmy Peterson. Bigger and stronger than any other two kids …

Before 1995, there was little assurance to the consumer as to whether a playground equipment manufacturer was adhering to the safety guidelines and standards put in place by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the American Society for …

Bennett Jackson has the place all to himself and he's making the most of it. The 3-year-old rushes from Captain Hook's ship to Old King Cole's castle then dashes off for a trip down the dragon slide. With his tiny tongue piercing his lips, an extremely …

Over 30 years ago, Tom Lindhardt Wils and Hans Mogens Frederiksen started a company taken from an idea given to Lindhardt while engaging in a separate project. Lindhardt, an artist, was commissioned to construct colorful sculptures to break up the …

An activity that is governed by a professional organization enjoys the benefit of corporate sponsors and even has a hall of fame full of past participants may not seem to be a new market. However, in the world of parks and recreation disc golf is still a …

The formal history of playground safety in the United States goes back to 1974. The first efforts to do something about playground safety were initiated by the U.S. government through the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. It motivated the entire …