What You Should Know About Playgrounds and COVID-19

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Note: Post updated July 6, 2020 As the nation begins to reopen, parents are understandably concerned about the risks to their children of contracting COVID-19 in parks and playgrounds. It’s a reasonable fear. We know that the coronavirus spreads when people cough, sneeze or just talk. Does this mean children should stay away from playgrounds?… Read more »

Find a Hippo, Create a Yarn Monster and Other Creative Ideas For Kids and Parents

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With schools closed, parks and playgrounds off limits and group activities banned, parents everywhere are struggling to find new and creative ways to keep their children active. They’re turning to Facebook groups with names like Activities for Children During Isolation, Virtual Activities for Children and Youth and Best Ideas for Kids. Google tells us that… Read more »

Is Ping Pong Becoming the Coolest Sport in The Country?

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Hipsters have had their hands in dozens of comeback business trends: vinyl records, food trucks, boxing clubs, boutique cupcakes, arcade bars. The latest, it seems, is table tennis. Given a major lift when actress Susan Sarandon opened the ping pong bar and venue SPiN in New York, the Olympic sport is the new cool thing… Read more »

Teaching Children the Worth of Water

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They say one never knows the worth of water until the well runs dry. It was on the heels of the most severe drought in recorded history that my family and I recently moved from California to the Pacific Northwest. We’d taught the kids to treat water like gold. We’d kept our fruit trees alive… Read more »

The 7 Best Playgrounds of 2016

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The days of monkey bars suspended over pea gravel are far behind us. But the evolution of playgrounds is happening so fast, and in such varied ways, the change can seem dizzying. Certainly one of the biggest trends of 2016 is the growing popularity of fitness-focused playgrounds designed for older children and adults. Another is… Read more »

8 Must-Visit New Orleans Parks and Playgrounds

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With the 2016 ASLA Annual Meeting and Expo still fresh in our minds, it seems fitting to wish farewell to New Orleans with a look at some of its best parks, gardens, and playgrounds. What better judge than the people of New Orleans? In this week’s blog, we scour a compilation of Airbnb host-generated guidebooks,… Read more »

Wait, This Is Exercise? Playground Equipment for Fitness and Fun

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For the last few weeks, we’ve been talking about ways to get kids moving. While good options for fitness are nearly endless, playgrounds are still at the top of the list. Studies have shown that those who exercise outdoors tend to do so more often than those who primarily work out indoors. And it seems… Read more »

Designer Spotlight – Ilisa Goldman and the Power of Our Natural World

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Reclaiming Community Spaces Creates Healthier Environments for us All     This past November, Rooted in Place, the design firm founded by Ilisa Goldman,orchestrated a 4 day community build event to transform a parking lot just outside ARTS (a local arts based youth center) into an, ‘arts-dedicated community space for art-making, performing and exhibiting.’ Local residents were invited… Read more »

Our Top 5 Playground Related Blogs

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San Jose Rotary Playground, Adult Playgrounds, Intergenerational Playgrounds, Playground Equipment

A Small Collection of Resources on the Importance of Quality Playground Equipment and Design     One of the more wonderful aspects of play is how it can foster a sense of community. It is no accident that many of our first friendships were formed while using playground equipment. And just on the edges of that play… Read more »

The Many Benefits of Naturally Playful Playscapes

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Natural Elements that Include the Surrounding Area Set These Playscapes Apart     Play is a means by which we first form our understanding of the wider world. Most of our earliest interactions involve play and play-like behaviors. For example, peek-a-boo is an important milestone in cognitive development that demonstrates an emerging understanding of the concept of… Read more »

Play to Learn, The Importance of Recess in Education

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Pearls

As Children Return to School, A Reminder that Daily Play Makes a Measurable Difference     Since the early days of one-room school houses, recess has been an important part of education. In those early times, there was often an informal period of play before and after school, in addition to a regular mid-day break. Even… Read more »

Fun Came First: A Brief History of Playground Equipment in America

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"Playground Equipment", Playground, "Children's World Playground", "1939 World's Fair"

From Vacant Lots to Modern Marvels, Playgrounds Have Come a Long Ways     It is relatively easy to conjure memories of days spent following the lead of our own imagination as we played on the neighborhood playground equipment. We soared into the air, climbed our way to triumph, raced down the slide and then back… Read more »