V Sports isit Play at the NRPA E Booth xpo #1924
How to get children of ALL abilities to play TOGETHER side by side! Introducing SportsPlay Equipment’s NEW Wheelchair Accessible Merry Go Round. Kids love to play. Playgrounds give kids a place to play in groups. But up until now, some children may not have been included in the group due to their physical limitations or handicap. The Wheelchair Accessible Merry Go Round from SportsPlay allows all children to play in the same group, regardless of their physical abilities.
Merry Go Rounds are a Timeless Playground Event
A Great Choice for Inclusive Play
SportsPlay’s Wheelchair Accessible Merry Go Round sits flush with the required poured in place rubber safety surface, which allows wheelchairs to roll easily onto the 8’ diameter deck. There’s room for two wheelchairs and up to 10-12 children ages 5–12 years. Once children in wheelchairs are secured in place with wheelchair brakes in a locked position and the merry go round swing gates closed, handrails give kids a place to hold on. And the merry go round is equipped with a governor for speed control.
The Wheelchair Accessible Merry Go Round, SportsPlay product #301-147, comes in your choice of purple with white handrails, red with yellow, or green with tan. It is available exclusively through SportsPlay Equipment distributors. They can assist you with any questions you may have—and may also help with installation.
Contact Us Today! Call 1-800-727-8180 for the name of a distributor in your area. Be sure to visit SportsPlay at www.sportsplayinc.com to learn more. SportsPlay makes many other ADA playground products including our wheelchair platform swing, an industry favorite!
PLAYGROUND MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN TRAINING The two-day Playground Maintenance Technician Training focuses on practical playground maintenance activities, inspection principles and best practices in making repairs. This program does not focus on play theory or memorizing standards.
Participant Benefits • Learn about materials! Learn how to maintain playground equipment made of metal, plastic, wood and concrete • Learn about safety! Understand how to take damaged equipment out of service safely, keep proper records, and identify potential legal issues related to playground maintenance • Learn about surfaces! Learn how best to maintain unitary and loose-fill surfaces as well as fasteners and connectors • Cost effective! Train front-line maintenance staff at an affordable price • Ensure your equipment lasts through its useful life! Improve playground user safety and prolong the useful life of equipment
Upcoming Playground Maintenance Technician Programs • Sept 19-20, 2018 - Sept 19-20, 2018 • Oct 4-5, 2018 - Wilsonville, OR • Oct 23-24, 2018 - Renton, WA • Nov 14-15, 2018 - Antioch, TN • Dec 5-6, 2018 - Austin, TX • Dec 12-13, 2018 - West Chicago, IL
Want to host a PMT program in your area? Contact the Program Coordinator at the Eppley Institute pmt@eppley.org Find out more at
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FALL 2018 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 3
Contents
Play and Playground Magazine | Volume 18 No. 3 | Fall 2018
8
Features 8
Outdoor Musical Instruments Accessible, Inclusive Play by Robin Ashfield
12 How Playgrounds Affect Child Development by Emily Watts
16 Inclusive Play Design Why, How and Who? by Sara Lisiecki
16
20 Exploring the Latest Trends for Outdoor Play Structures by Kasey Mya
22 Great Playground Games for the Children with Disabilities by Lucy Benton
24 Let’s Play America’s Interns and Volunteers Help Bring Play to Everyone by Pat Rumbaugh
20
DEPARTMENTS 23 Happening Today in Play 23 CPSI Course Calendar On the Cover: The Genesis XXL Mast net was designed and built to take the title as the world’s tallest mast net/ pyramid net – that was our mandate from the City of Mesa – and to our knowledge no one has equaled let alone beaten that achievement yet. The engineering to build that net was incredible! For instance, the post is 18” diameter of inch-thick steel and weighs 3 tons all by itself. That net has just 5 foundations (4 corners and the center) but required 13 trucks of concrete.
4 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE FALL 2018
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Let’s Play
NRPA Booth 1541
www.percussionplay.com 866 882-9170
Magazine Publisher | Webmaster Jake Amen Editor Sara Bowersox Sara O'Neill Design Jake Amen Hannah Steele Angela Torres
Accounting Brad Smith
Contributing Authors Robin Ashfield Lucy Benton Sara Lisiecki Kasey Mya Pat Rumbaugh Emily Watts
Copyright, 2018 published by Playground Professionals, LLC, 4 issues per year, sub rates, back copies, foreign, reproduction prohibitions, all rights reserved, not responsible for content of ads and submitted materials, mail permits.
CORPORATE OFFICE Playground Professionals LLC P.O. Box 595 Ashton, Idaho 83420
www.playgroundprofessionals.com
Message From the Editor
Sara Bowersox
FALL IS MY FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR. The crisp air just smells different than any other time. The cool mornings and evenings are welcome after a long hot summer, but the warm afternoons still encourage me to spend time outdoors. I hope that you are also enjoying the outdoors this fall. Perhaps you are playing on some great play structures with your kids or grandkids or supervising a group in a park. Maybe you are touring the NRPA’s new park build in Indianapolis. Whatever you’re doing, soak in the wonderfulness that is fall. The articles in this issue focus on playgrounds and play structures. You will read about making play available to people of all abilities and how play helps in childhood development. You will see several fabulous structures created by some of our partners. The cover photo is the Genesis XXL Mast net in Mesa, Arizona. It was designed and built by Dynamo Playgrounds to take the title as the world’s tallest mast net/ pyramid net. If you are reading our magazine on your phone as you participate in the NRPA conference, be sure to drop by the booths of several of our advertisers, which are noted in this issue. We appreciate all that our partners do for us. Without both advertisers and contributors, we wouldn’t have this magazine
6 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE FALL 2018
and website. These partnerships mean alot to us. The Play Lady feels the same way about her volunteers and interns, and she recognizes their importance in this quarter’s column. Everytime I get a message or call asking for suggestions on who can build or inspect a playground, I am reminded of the service that we bring to the industry and to the public in general. These messages give me the chance to point people to our Professional Spotlight Directory to help them with their park and playground needs. I received an email a month or so ago from someone whose child had used our resources for a school project. These are the reasons that we all do what we do. In the next month, we will be putting together our 2019 media guide. If you have any suggestions for themes you would like to see us highlight, please send them to me. We’ve been evolving our weekly newsletters to focus on themes as well as our quarterly magazine. We will continue this evolution next year, bringing even more valuable information to your inbox every week. We look forward to continuing our partnership with all of you - readers, contributors and advertisers.
Thank you! www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
Now recruiting Representative firms!
Join our movement - Come and join a different kind of playground company where our work moves us to create the best park, playground and fitness products in the industry! We have territories available for Representatives with a passion to bring a higher level of play to the communities they serve.
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Outdoor Musical Instruments:
Accessible, Inclusive Play
by Robin Ashfield
8 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE FALL 2018
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Music is universal; it doesn’t differentiate between language or abilities or age. HOWEVER, PLAYGROUNDS and outdoor spaces for children might. Many are designed for active kids who are jumping, running, and climbing. This can make it difficult for kids of other abilities to join in the fun. Musical instruments provide an alternative solution. They are for everyone, everywhere. Musical instruments are a leveler between different abilities. They enable children with a disability to participate with those who are able bodied. In fact, music therapy has proven effective in helping children with conditions such as autism, Asperger’s syndrome and those who have diminished social skills to participate in play and be more engaged.
Music and children with autism Autism is a condition defined by an individual’s inability to communicate www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
and interact with others. Playing musical instruments stimulates the autistic brain to make new connections and strengthen existing ones resulting in improved mental health and cognitive ability. Music is well-suited to the needs of autistic children because it captures and maintains their attention in ways that other mediums do not. Playing musical instruments assists the child to participate in socially acceptable ways and helps to reinforce desired responses. For children with autism, exposure to music and musical instruments helps: • Improve communication • Develop social skills (such as greeting, taking turns and eye contact) • Develop both fine and gross motor skills • Sensory regulation (the use of rhythm and instrument play can help a child feel organized and grounded) FALL 2018 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 9
Children’s Healing Center, Grand Rapids, MI,
close physical proximity. Children can interact with each other in a safe space without the need for direct eye contact.
Music and children with developmental disabilities Developmental disabilities are “severe, long-term problems” and can be physical or mental, sometimes both. Pentatonic instruments are particularly suited to those with developmental delays as the notes of the pentatonic scale all sound good together. This makes it easy to improvise and create music that is pleasing to the ear. The satisfaction this brings means that those who may struggle to succeed in other areas of their life find they can succeed with music.
...is a year-round recreational center for children who have weakened immune systems. The Center built an outdoor garden to give children who may not otherwise have the opportunity to go outside and play a place to interact, form friendships and bond. Percussion Play musical instruments, including the Babel drum, Duo and Tubular Bells, were chosen because they enabled multiple children the chance to play together at the same time adding to the garden’s accessibility and interactivity. Easy to clean and maintain stainless steel and aluminum musical instruments provide safe, clean play for children with compromised immune systems – and the children love them, too.
Music and children with Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Percussion Play’s Duo, for example, is particularly beneficial for those with autism because the instrument allows for close social interaction without forcing 10 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE FALL 2018
For children with SEN, music teaches a whole range of skills and social behaviors in a natural and non-threatening way. It gives children a safe way to experiment with self-expression, the ability to express emotions, develop a sense of rhythm, develop communication skills and benefit from auditory and tactile stimulation. www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
Musical instruments, which are often visually varied with different shapes and forms, can be invaluable for those with difficulties in hearing, seeing, moving, thinking or responding; each can experience the music in his or her own unique way.
Music and children using mobility devices Outdoor musical instruments can be set up to be easily accessible. For instance, the musical gardens we create are spread out within the setting so that a child in a wheelchair has plenty of space to maneuver. Some of the outdoor musical instruments we produce, such as the Akadinda, have been designed specifically to accommodate wheelchair users and those who have reduced mobility. Ergonomically designed percussion instruments can motivate a child with mobility problems to expand the range of his or her movements to attain more sounds. Because the instruments are accessible, they can be played with very simple movements and are specially designed to have angles that maximize the ease of play for those in wheelchairs.
Outdoor musical instruments for accessibility
Outdoor musical instruments facilitate social interaction because they are colorful, visually stimulating, and encourage spontaneity in those who play them. There are no difficult movements required to play them and they can be easily accessed by those with physical impairments. Because the beaters are attached to the Percussion Play instruments, they can be played instantly so there is no delayed gratification. This means that those with sensory processing disorder, developmental disabilities and SEN do not feel frustrated when making music. About the author Robin Ashfield, Sales & Marketing Director, is the co-founder of Percussion Play, the world's leading outdoor musical instrument manufacturer. Robin is passionate in creating engaging spaces for children, teenagers, adults and the elderly, for special needs and for those living with dementia, that challenge traditional design and implement Outdoor Music areas for everybody in the changing face of play.
Maintaining your parks and playgrounds just got a lot easier.
877.984.0418 www.playgroundguardian.com info@playgroundguardian.com
How Outdoor Playgrounds Affect Child Development
by Emily Watts
12 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE FALL 2018
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LOOK AROUND. How do modern kids spend their free time? You usually won't see them in the streets playing in the summer sun, or running around with some toys and screams of joy and vitality. Most children these days seem to prefer staying in their houses, dedicating their time and energy to the wide variety of the digital devices. They prefer to explore the vast Internet space instead of their surrounding environment. Some people strongly oppose this tendency, deeming it harmful. Other people claim it to be a natural progression that goes along with the rapid technology develwww.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
opment. Whatever your opinion, read on as we try to figure out what effects outdoor leisure has over children development and see why so many adults insist on keeping their kids playing outside games instead of the computer ones.
Forming a closer bond with parents
When children play outside with their parents, it actually improves their relationships tremendously. Trust forms during different games and fun activities. The mutual excitement kids and parents get while hanging out in nature can be very positive play in child development
and in overall family dynamics.
Improving social skills
Encountering other children is essential for little kids. It is their first meeting of the “other�, their first step in the complex world of human interaction. Boundaries are learned and rules are set on the playground. Getting to know how to deal with other people starts with outdoor leisure. You cannot teach kids communication at home or in the presence of a computer game; the only way to do so is to interact with fellow youngsters. It is as simple as writing a good essay with
FALL 2018 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 13
AustralianWritings.com.au, for example.
Getting in touch with the material world
Children’s playgrounds are very tactile spaces. By exploring the area around them, kids increase their motor skills and the general sense of their own movements as well as the properties of the surrounding objects. Children learn about speed, direction, and coordination through engaging in such physical activities as swinging, running, playing in sandboxes, etc. This is actually quite an important aspect that is often overlooked by parents. Children have to learn about the objective world around them, and virtual space is not a good place to do so.
Develop flexible thinking
The ability to adapt to a changing situation is one of the vital skills for any
successful person. Being able to think outside the box, plan your next step according to the situation are learnable skills gained while children play outdoors. In order to adjust to our contemporary ever-changing reality, we have to be flexible and seek solutions without any complications. Playgrounds are a great help in the advancement of such skills.
cisely what we learn while playing active team games. Of course, you could argue that some video games teach similar values. However, nothing beats the actual physical experience of being in a group, helping your mates succeed, and facing (literal) conflicts. Outdoor playgrounds help kids evolve into curious and active social beings.
Team spirit
It's never too early to promote a healthy lifestyle and active leisure. While so many people struggle with obesity these days, giving children an opportunity to take up active outdoor pastimes is essential. Being physically active while having a great time is a much better habit than spending a significant amount of time at home staring at the blue screens. Playgrounds are a great way to let your
Spending time at the playground often means playing some ball games. In turn, that means trying to function in a group environment and be a part of the team. This is also a very important part of children’s mental development, as humans are social animals and our general wellbeing very much depends on our abilities to interact with one another. That’s pre-
14 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE FALL 2018
Physical health
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child learn how fun and interesting the world is, not just the virtual model of it, but the in-real-life world that surrounds us. Getting kids to be active these days is a challenging, yet necessary task. Overall, the point is not to say that technology is bad for your child, but rather to emphasize that the social, physical, and mental development of a young generation cannot rely solely on virtual activities. It may seem like an easy way to make it through the tough workdays without having to spend too much time on your child's activities while he or she is in the safe environment of your home, exploring the world online. However, we do not function entirely in the virtual world, and some things can only be discovered by going outside and playing with other kids, building friendships, bonds, and some sand castles. www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
FALL 2018 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 15
Inclusive Play Design – Why, How and Who? by Sara Lisiecki
THE VALUE OF A COMMUNITY SPACE ranges from a place to gather and connect to a place to learn and develop skills that transcend the playground. One of the keys to designing a functional and enjoyable place for everyone in the community is creating something everyone can enjoy. In order to do this, we need to make certain it isn’t only accessible but that it’s fully useable for people of all ages and abilities. Getting children – and adults – outdoors offers benefits from Vitamin D to a stronger vestibular system to a greater self-reliance and better mood. Bringing everyone together outdoors can be accomplished by creating spaces such as Embrace Park in Norfolk, NE. When designing Embrace, it was important to consider the full range of children and caregivers who would be visiting and using this play environment. The idea for Embrace Park was born because Emily Afrank, a pediatric physical therapist at a local hospital, began bringing her clients to parks to assess their needs. After realizing the existing parks weren’t meeting the needs of the children she was working with, she began researching what would work. Following applicable standards for accessible routes, ground and elevated play components and for surfacing is a start but there are many more design considerations! Integrating play components that everyone can access and use, versus simply grouping all ground-level components together, is important for interaction and engagement of children of ALL abilities. Placing all components that a certain group can use in the same space limits interaction and perpetuates stigmas that we wish to minimize within the playspace. In addition, placing play components of different levels of difficulty near each other gives children of differing ages and abilities the opportunity to play in the same space resulting in growth, empathy and learning for each child. Play variety is another important factor to consider when designing any playspace. Each category of play components brings a different developmental benefit and, with variety, children never run out of exciting things to do! Climbing builds confidence and develops a child’s upper, lower and core strength while teaching them to solve problems www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
FALL 2018 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 17
and evaluate situations. Spinning helps all children develop their inner ears and proprioception, the awareness of their bodies in space. Spinners that are designed for a variety of abilities provide an added bonus of emotional growth through cooperation and interaction. From the upper body strength and resiliency gained from overhead events and the balance and coordination from slides to the communication and imagination from rockers and the refuge and pretend play from play houses and counters, it’s easy to see why play variety is one of the most important elements. Having support from a community brings it all together. It could be teachers, parents, or, like in Afrank’s case at Embrace Park, someone who lives and works in the community and noticed a way to improve the lives of children. Creating a space for all children is more than worth the planning and it has the ability to bring the community together in a whole new way. 18 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE FALL 2018
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SARAH LISIECKI, CPSI MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST – BCI BURKE Sarah combines a passion for play, the outdoors and movement with years of marketing and speaking experience. Having studied play professionally for more than five years, she is currently working on a research study to further understand the way children play and interact in different environments. Sarah studied Communications and Political Science at University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and has a variety of fitness certifications, including Indoor Cycling and Group Fitness Instruction. www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
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Image courtesy of Dynamo Playgrounds
Exploring the Latest Trends for Outdoor Play Structures by Kasey Mya AS CHILDREN grow up, they need many things they wouldn’t consider on their own. They need to face challenges to help them develop social and interactive skills, as well as book smarts and the ability to be creative. These all lead to how they build their sense of self and where they go in life, and it starts in the simplest places. The playground is one place where almost every kid gets to spend time because it’s an easy place for parents to build a community while their kids have fun. Kids' interactions at the playground or even in their own backyard are essential for helping them form a solid foundation for their personal growth. To make sure children are learning and developing the right skills at an early age, it’s important to note the latest trends for outdoor play structures. These trends will transform how a child experiences outdoor play and how it molds their childhood into something they can learn from.
Outdoor Tech Equipment
The rise of technology has made it easier to introduce children to educational materials, and now tech is expanding into their outdoor playtime. In a world where kids are growing up with technology at every turn, it’s important to incorporate it into the playground to get more interaction. On average, today’s children get 50 percent less unstructured outdoor play time than kids in the 1970s, so playground technology will help draw them back outside. Interactive games and challenges will encourage them to run around and have fun, inspiring their imagination. Getting outside also decreases the energy and negative emotions that build up after they’ve been cooped up inside all day.
Family Play Structures
It has always been important for families to get time to spend together, but nowadays it’s more common for both parents to work full-time jobs. Families are typically getting 34 minutes each day to spend time together, likely through
20 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE FALL 2018
family dinners or bedtime routines on the weekdays. When families can spend time outside together, it benefits everyone for outdoor play equipment to be family-focused. Larger playsets and more settings that introduce games or challenges for kids to complete with their parents will be more popular and prevent parents from having to wait on the sidelines for their kids to get done playing.
Cognitive-Focused Interactions
Children find themselves surrounded by materials and activities that challenge their cognitive thinking to grow these skills, even before they start their first year of school. Some kids won’t prefer these activities to be on paper or a screen, which is when they’ll look to their outdoor play structures. Things like interactive sounds or puzzles built into their playground equipment will make kids think while they explore and create. Any structure that has tactile experiences, rotating features, or even water play will ensure hours of fun and learning at the same time. www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
Image courtesy of Dynamo Playgrounds
Covered Play Structures
When trying to brainstorm what outdoor play structures will benefit kids the most, what you’re looking for might come down to the simple things. A soft foundation they can’t hurt themselves on if they fall down and access to a place of rest like a bench will be good, but what will they need most on a hot, sunny day? Kids will need shade when they go out to play, as the heat and direct sunlight will cause them to overheat and potentially get sunburns. Shaded park structures will protect parents and children from UV rays while providing a visually appealing play space in any shape or design.
Rope Adventures
Common playground designs will feature things like plastic slides, spinning wheels and metal swings, but there are other materials kids can benefit from as well. A rising trend is using rope in outdoor play structures to give kids a new setting to interact with and learn from. It’s a material that isn’t common indoors or in toys, so they’ll look forward to playing with it outside. Whether a play structure has a rope bridge or rope netting, the rope material will allow children of varying abilities to find something fun to do. Rope play increases balance and muscle development, as the kids try to walk, climb or jump around the rope. It’s also a great way to have fun in the highest or lowest temperatures, unlike metal or plastic, which can overheat and cause burns when touched. www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
Endless Climbing Walls
Climbing walls are another structure that are gaining popularity in parks, mostly those intended for older children. They present an opportunity to fine-tune problem-solving skills, as kids will learn how to climb them and how to get down. Most communities are looking for rock walls or even boulders to be around 10 feet tall with fall zones, but they can be altered for smaller children as well. Adding a climbing wall up to the top of a slide or to monkey bars will allow young ones to enjoy the experience of climbing without needing to be watched or harnessed. Every generation is born into a world with new opportunities, which means they’ll all need something a little different while they grow up. The world of outdoor play structures is constantly adapting to these needs, causing trends in the play structure business to evolve. These trends aren’t focused on profitability, but instead how consumer needs can match the current market. Consider what kids use daily, and what they’ll look for when they go outside to play. Integrating technology and playground equipment will bring their indoor and outdoor worlds together, while keeping them under safe and creative shelters. Having equipment that allows parents to play with their kids at the same time, instead of waiting on a nearby bench, is another trend that’s taking off. Anything that pulls parents off the sidelines while encouraging kids to learn and grow is going to be a successful structure in parks and backyards everywhere.
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Great Playground Games for the Children with Disabilities by Lucy Benton CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS often feel excluded from participating in outdoor activities. Moreover, they require some inclusive playground equipment to adequately develop gross motor skills, social skills, sensory skills, and also to improve muscle response time. Physical activity is a foundation of the healthy lifestyle, and children with disabilities should not be excluded from it. Fortunately, most of the beloved playground games can be adapted to the needs of children with disabilities to help them develop both physically and socially. Often, when it comes to organizing playground activities and games, teachers don’t know where to start. Indeed, there are a lot of concerns regarding the physical/mental issues a child will struggle with. So before you do anything, it’s highly recommended to speak to the parents and make necessary precautions. From our part, we would like to get you acquainted with the following playground activities that will help you get the kids with special needs engaged and excited.
1. Wheelchair Basketball
If some of the children are using a wheelchair, it doesn’t mean that they cannot enjoy playing basketball. Wheelchair basketball has been included into the Paralympic Games and is a professional sport your children will really enjoy. By introducing the kids to this sport, you might get them excited about becoming a professional IWBF player and participate in the championships. Of course, professional wheelchair basketball requires specific wheelchair design to help players roll around faster. But you can slow down the game and ad-
just the rules to help the children keep up with the pace of the game. The basket goal should be lowered for children, who’re using wheelchairs, as throwing a ball requires significant arm strength. Bankshots basketballs courts are an excellent example.
2. Word Games
You can use different playground activities to help the kids learn words. For example, you can take any ball game, like soccer (or if the children are using wheelchairs – use wheelchair basketball), and make it accessible. Let the children score a goal, and each time they do it, give them a letter of a word HORSE, for example. When they collect all the letters, they can make a word out of them. Combining physical and verbal activities is a great way to engage kids with special needs on the playground. Professionals say that these activities serve as a kind of an assignment help for children, as they learn how to spell words, which will help them during the future writing activities.
3. Treasure Hunt
This playground activity is wrongfully considered to be for those children who do not have disabilities and affect their physical abilities, but it’s not. You can adjust the treasure hunt game for all children with special needs, whether they have autism or quadriplegia. The best advantage of this game is that it involves both physical and mental activity, contributing to the development of gross motor skills and sensory skills. Jon-
22 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE FALL 2018
athan Riverstone, a special needs teacher and a professional essay writing service contributor, claims that treasure hunt is a great activity to help children follow instructions and work as a team. How can you do a treasure hunt on a playground? 1. Use the space of the playground to turn it into a treasure island; 2. Pick a theme, whether it’s a pirate treasure hunt or a princess castle; 3. Get the kids to perform several kinds of physical activities, following a certain sequence. By performing these activities, they will be able to move forward with the game; 4. Don’t make the game too long. At first, use a few steps the children need to follow, and then you can expand the activity more and make the game longer. There are many health advantages of the treasure hunt game, including better navigational skills, decreased stress, and better social interaction skills. Moreover, it’s a rewarding experience the kids will definitely be excited about. A playground can serve as both a setting and a tool for children to play and do the tasks to win the game. It’s a great team building activity all the kids will enjoy. When talking about playground games for children with disabilities, it’s hard to describe them in detail, as all the activities for children with special needs require adjustments and necessary additions. As a teacher, make sure that you base all playground activities on the preferences of the children for maximum engagement. www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
You Were Meant to THRIVE! Improve community wellness with THRIVE outdoor fitness systems. THRIVE accommodates multiple users at once, provides adaptive training options and encourages people of all fitness levels to spend more time training outdoors. Learn more at gametime.com/thrive.
CPSI Course Calendar
Happening Today in play
Tr a i n i n g Co u r s e s - A n n u a l E v e n t s - Co n f e r e n c e s - M o r e
September 17-19
Griggin, GA
770-229-9900
19-21
Dublin, OH
614-895-2222
22-24
Indianapolis, IN
317-219-5272
October 2-4
Indio, CA
916-665-2777
16-18
Bolingbrook, IL
708-588-2280
17-19
Spokane, WA
208-442-9350
17-19
Clark, NJ
609-356-0480
24-26
New City, NY
518-584-0321
31-2
Lexington, SC
www.scrpa.org
November 6-8
North Kansas City, MI
573-636-3828
6-8
Statesville, NC
www.ncrpa.net
7-9
North Salt Lake, UT
www.urpa.org
14-16
San Angelo, TX
512-267-5550
14-16
South Portland, ME
www.merpa.org
27-29
Bremerton, WA
888-459-0009
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Sept.
National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
Sept. 22
10th Annual Takoma Park Play Day
Sept. 24-26
Child in the City World Conference
Sept. 25-27
NRPA Conference
Oct.
National Bullying Prevention Month
Oct. 22-24
Synthetic Turf Council Annual Membership Mtg
Oct. 23-26
World Waterpark Association Show
Nov. 7-10
Athletic Business Show FALL 2018 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 23
Let’s Play America’s
Interns and Volunteers Help Bring Play to Everyone
DO YOU FEEL everyone deserves to play? Well, I sure do and so do all the interns and volunteers that help Let’s Play America. In 2009 when seven of us gathered in Takoma Park, Maryland for the first play committee meeting one thing we were 100% clear on is that we wanted to bring fun, free play programs to everyone.
Let’s Play America continues to believe that people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds deserve to play. Funk & Wagnalls New International Dictionary of the English Language defines inclusion as the act of including. Just imagine a world where we included everyone. Since you are reading this article I can only guess you care about peo-
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by Pat Rumbaugh
ple getting the opportunity to play. I bet you love to play. Readers, ask yourself: am I giving myself time to play? If you are an adult I would be willing to bet that you enjoyed playing as a child. I hope you still give yourself time to play. Are you making play possible for people in your community that may not be as privileged as www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine
yourself? Do you join people to play in your community? Do you share your play space? Do you share your play talents?
INTERNS FIND WAYS TO PLAY
This is the third summer my nonprofit, Let’s Play America has worked with the city’s Summer Youth Internship Program. The past two summers I worked and played with two young volunteers, Cinnamon and Mikentha. Cinnamon enjoyed printing and drawing, so she created a Pinterest account and looked up jump rope songs. She then went on to create posters with words and drawings to help children and adults sing along when people were jump roping. Mikentha loves to make videos. On the homepage of our website is a video Mikentha created. This summer Jason and Nick are interning with LPA. What I absolutely love about these guys is they always remember to play. We could be organizing the play equipment in my garage and next thing you know they are bouncing a ball, playing badminton or shooting a basket-
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ball at the hoop attached to my garage. The fellows worked super hard preparing for the annual Playful Yard Sale. If they needed a break they tried out a donated game or played catch in the street. These guys are reminders of the importance to save play, give people play days, close streets for play and join already organized events by adding play. Several teens interning with LPA to receive community service hours this summer have been a great help. At a play event we held indoors, LPA brought out the dress-up clothes, puppet theatre, and board games. All of these teens showed why LPA strives to include everyone. They invited kids and adults to put on hats, beads and dress-up clothing, play with the puppets, and join in on board games. Nutt, a student at the University of Virginia, is also interning with LPA this summer. He has joined several play events and programs. Nutt is a quiet leader. This is what Nutt shared with me about his experiences, “I was really impressed by how play brings people together. I see this pan out in multiple
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Let’s Play America has benefitted immensely from having interns involved with our mission to bring play to everyone. I dream of the day when LPA launches our Let’s Play America Internship Program. To read about this program click on our website and then tap announcements. LPA is looking for ways to raise funds so we can make this program possible.
VOLUNTEERS ROCK
events that I was fortunate enough to attend while I was interning for Let’s Play America. It doesn’t matter what age, skin color, or who you are. You can enjoy playing with others. In one of the events, I saw children range from primary school to high school playing hockey together. I can see that they are having fun and more importantly they care about
each other. When one of the boys got hurt from an accident, everyone in the field stopped and tried to be helpful in giving him the first aid that he needed. I am really impressed by these scenes. Not only can play bring us together to enjoy the good time playing, but it also brings out empathy in us and bonds us together with other human beings.”
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Volunteers have been an integral part of LPA from the beginning. I believe we are born to play. I also believe those of us who give ourselves time to play are happier, healthier and more content with life. LPA’s volunteers come in a wide range of ages. Lucy, who is 9 years old and has been one of our youngest volunteers, is a neighbor and friend. I know I can count on Lucy joining us when she can. Cherwanda, known as our Mud Pie Lady invites people of all ages to make mud pies at our Annual Play Day in September. Cherwanda always offers valuable suggestions at our monthly planning meetings and is always willing to join in on the fun. Just recently, Cher-
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MAKE A
SPLASH wanda joined 91-year young Colleen line dancing with her walker and several others at a play program at Victory Tower, an apartment building for elders. Phil is a computer specialist for the city by day, but when given the chance he can bring out his playful personality. Phil recently bought LPA a Wind Tunnel for play events and programs anticipating how much fun people of all ages and abilities would have with it. Several play volunteers like Lynn, Roberta and others work tirelessly behind the scenes to bring play to everyone. Roberta helped LPA receive a grant to bring play to children and adults living in low to moderate income apartment buildings. The four play programs exceeded all expectations. Residents, interns, and volunteers all had a fabulous time playing together. Lynn recently helped LPA with a Request for Proposal for the funding of future play events. This laborious task took several people to put this document together. LPA looks forward to continuing our mission to bring play opportunities to everyone. We rely heavily on intern and volunteer participation to help make this a reality. Visit our website www.letsplayamerica.org for ideas on how you can participate with us and how you can bring opportunities to play to your community.
WITH A PLAYGROUND
PUMP!
Come see us at the NRPA Conference Booth #1141
www.CadronCreekPlay.com
Hurray for play! - Pat, The Play Lady
Have a question for the Play Lady? Email your question to Pat at
Your Dog Park Experts! www.dog-on-it-parks.com
1-877-348-3647
theplaylady@gmail.com
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