7 Elements of Play, Recess & Play, Outdoor Fitness, and Community Stewardship

This annual conference brings together leading play researchers, park and recreation professionals, educators, health scientists, landscape architects, designers, planners, business and community leaders, psychologists, physicians and parents from across the country. The three-day event includes keynote and featured speakers, PLAYtalks, PLAY institutes, research symposium, educational

US Play Coalition presents sessions, roundtables, grant opportunities, networking, and opportunities for play.

“PLAY FOR LIFE” will explore play across the lifespan and address universal issues of health, education, access, equity, inclusion, design and more.

March 31- April 3, 2019

• International/Global Play • Multi/Intergenerational & Adults at Play • Accessible & Inclusive Play • Health, Recreation & Play • Nature Based & Outdoor Play • Education & Play • Designing for Play • Emerging Trends in Play • Nuts & Bolts

@usplaycoalition

Learn More and Register for the Play Conference online at usplaycoalition.org

Contents

Play and Playground Magazine | Volume 19 No. 1 | Spring 2019

8

Features 8

Ready to Learn

How Recess Benefits Kids’ Physical and Mental Health

by IPEMA and The Voice of Play

10 Does Your Playground Include the 7 Elements of Play?

by Tim McNamara and Jami Murdock

10

12 Musical Instruments Help Improve Core Stability

by Robin Ashfield

16 Shaped by Play + Inclusive Play

by Katie Swanson

20 Getting Communities Moving One Obstacle at a Time

by Sarah Lisiecki

22 Collective Impact Projects Help Your Community and Your Business

by Jessica Renslow

12

24 NPCAI Enhances Recreation Installation Specialist Certification (RISC) Program

by NPCAI

26 Train Ride Inspires Playful Conversations

by Pat Rumbaugh

DEPARTMENTS 25 CPSI Course Calendar 25 Happening Today in Play 4 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE SPRING 2019

www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine

Now recruiting Representative firms!

You s e v o M t a h T y Pla

ÂŽ

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.

bciburke.com Trademark(s) are the property of BCI Burke Company. Š BCI Burke Company 2019. All Rights Reserved. 800-356-2070

Magazine Publisher | Webmaster Jake Amen Editor Sara Bowersox Sara O'Neill Design Jake Amen Accounting Brad Smith

Contributing Authors Robin Ashfield Sarah Lisiecki

Message From the Editor

Sara Bowersox

When last we spoke, winter was just kicking into gear here in Idaho. I regret to inform you that, despite the calendar’s confirmation it is spring, it still looks like winter here. Of course, I just got back from my annual pilgrimage to warmer climes. It was tough to leave 80 degrees and sunny to come home to over 4 feet of snow. But hey, by the time you read this, I will be headed to the 10th Anniversary Play Conference in Clemson, South Carolina. How fun!! The theme for this year’s US Play Coalition Conference is Play for Life. Keep an eye out on our website for my report after the Play Conference.

Sometimes we adults forget that life should be playful. I am as guilty as the next person about that. However, I do reserve at least some time during the year to play. My winter vacation a couple of weeks ago included a day of

scuba diving. To me, this is the best sort of play! Learning to dive was a life-long dream that I realized a few years ago. It pushes my limits, teaches me something new, let’s me experience unusual things.

One of the keys of scuba diving is to approach it calmly, so it is a great exercise in mindfulness. These are just some of the benefits that adults get from remembering to play!

The articles in this magazine issue will help change your perspective on play. We tend to think only of kids playing, and we focus on the physical benefits. You will read how play and recess help children develop academically and socially as well as physically. Amazingly enough, you will then read how music helps kids develop physically. You will even read how your business can benefit from being playful in your community!

IPEMA and The Voice of Play Tim McNamara NPCAI Jami Murdock Jessica Renslow Pat Rumbaugh Katie Swanson

Copyright, 2019 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

6 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE SPRING 2019

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At Playground Professionals, we partner with many different companies and organizations to bring you relevant information on playgrounds, parks and the play lifestyle. Through these collaborations, you get to read about fascinating projects and technical details. We share event schedules with you that cover conferences as well as training. We get to attend some of these so we can bring you first-hand reports. We are always hunting for new engaging stories. If you are looking to publicize your project, event, or technical research, contact us and we can help.

Enjoy reading this issue of our magazine. We hope you learn something new and raise some questions that make you search for more information. Remember to check out our website each week as we continue to post blogs about Play & Playgrounds. We will continue to bring you play for your life as well as for your kids’.

30 Years of Technical Excellence!

GOLADRD

STAND

PROVLETNS RESU

phoptos courtesy of Vallarta Adventures

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SPRING 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 7

Ready to Learn How Recess Benefits Kids’ Physical and Mental Health

by IPEMA and the Voice of Play

THIS PAST FALL, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), an organization made up of primary care pediatricians and pediatric medical specialists dedicated to the health, safety, and well-being of children, presented new research at its annual conference and the results were alarming: more than half of U.S. children are not getting the recommended amount of weekly physical activity. According to the World Health Organization, kids should be getting at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily between family, school and community activities. What’s to blame for this lack of action?

Sedentary lifestyles and increased use of screens could be contributing factors.

Overscheduling of kids may have contributed, too – going from one appointment or activity to the next. But parents aren’t the only ones we can point a finger to; schools around the country have been taking recess away to provide more time for in-classroom learning and studying.

What some may not realize, though, is that physical activity has more benefits than just getting kids active – it can help with the development of physical, emotional, social and cognitive skills, resulting in better academic performance. One way to get that activity is with play and particularly, recess.

In the state of Arizona, parents, teachers, and legislators have been in a decadelong battle over play. Few schools across the state offered at least two recess periods per day for unstructured playtime and some schools even did away with recess entirely. But in 2018, the state fought back, and its governor signed a law requiring schools to provide two recess periods for children in elementary school. Some schools are already seeing a promising impact! At one elementary school, an Arizona principal noted that he’s seen an improvement in the overall health of his students. Not only that, but test scores are up, and discipline problems are down. Attendance has even increased.

The International Play Equipment

8 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE SPRING 2019

Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) and its Voice of Play initiative are committed to improving the quality and quantity of children’s play and playgrounds. In 2018, the organization conducted research of U.S. teachers to understand their perceptions on recess. The top result? 100 percent said that recess is essential for young students’ mental and physical development!

Other highlights included: • After recess, 81 percent of teachers said that kids’ behaviors change positively. These changes include: * More positive moods * Longer attention spans * Fewer behavior issues * Increased participation in class * More eagerness to learn * Improved academic performance • In terms of students who tend to behave badly, nearly all the teachers surveyed – 97 percent – agreed that recess improves their behavior.

• 95 percent agree that recess improves their students’ social interactions. www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine

In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report on the association between school-based physical activity, including physical education, and academic performance. It reviewed 50 studies and 251 associations between physical activity and academic performance, representing measures of academic achievement, academic behavior, and cognitive skills and attitudes. Among the findings was that time spent in recess appeared to have a positive relationship with children’s attention, concentration, and on-task classroom behavior. In the IPEMA survey, 78 percent of teachers noted their students are focused and ready for their next lesson when they return from recess.

The CDC has reported that the percentage of children affected by obesity in our country has more than tripled since the 1970s. Between screens, snacks and sedentary classroom time, it’s no wonder we’re experiencing a play pandemic.

With the health of our children in jeopardy and the research in the favor of recess, it’s a no-brainer to make play a focus of our daily lives. Parents, as one of the best advocates for physical activity and play, can limit children’s screen time and set an example of a healthy, active lifestyle that includes plenty of play. It’s the first step toward putting our children on a path to good physical health and the academic benefits will follow suit.

About IPEMA and the Voice of Play The International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) is a nonprofit, membership, trade association that represents and promotes an open market for manufacturers of playground equipment and surfacing. IPEMA provides a product certification program for public play equipment and surfacing materials, so its members can provide products of the highest quality standards. IPEMA’s Voice of Play initiative promotes growth in the quality and quantity of children’s free play and the use of playgrounds. By providing information and resources, the Voice of Play’s goal is to increase education and awareness about the many benefits of children’s play, including the development of critical physical, emotional, social and cognitive skills.

Visit voiceofplay.org to learn more.

www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine

SPRING 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 9

Does Your Playground Include the

7 Elements

of PLAY?

by Tim McNamara and Jami Murdock

Children learn through play, making playground activities an extremely important part of their day. On the playground, there are seven elements of play that help children not only develop physically, but also help in the areas of cognitive, adaptive, social, and emotional development as well. You can use this checklist to ensure your playground helps children have lots of fun as well as be more successful in the classroom.

 Swinging

Kids love that sensation of flying on a swing, developing coordinated movements and strengthening their arms, legs, and trunk. Plus, swinging: • Relaxes and soothes • Helps develop problem-solving skills • Improves the brain’s ability to process sensory information Swinging is a great activity to help develop a child’s vestibular system. Children who have an underdeveloped vestibular system may not have a sense of balance or don’t feel grounded. Often, their equilibrium is off and they may need activities like swinging to help develop this system.

Swinging helps promote whole body awareness and body coordination such as knowing where your fingers are in relation to your body. Activities such as writing, coloring, and cutting require whole body awareness.

 Sliding

Sliding teaches cooperative play and encourages social interaction. Plus, sliding: • Promotes leg-hip flexibility, preventing W-sitting in kids • Encourages cooperation and following directions • Develops critical thinking skills Have you ever seen a child W-sit? This is when a child is seated on the floor with one leg on each side of their body in the shape of a “W.” W-sitting can be a precursor to development delays. For a child who has poor flexibility in the legs and hips, W-sitting will aggravate it. W-sitting doesn’t allow a child to rotate their trunk and discourages them from hand preference.

Sliding promotes the flexibility of the leg and hip. For those W-sitters, it forces a child’s legs in front of them.

It also promotes spatial awareness. A child with spatial awareness problems

10 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE SPRING 2019

may struggle with following directions.

They might struggle with spacing between letters, putting the first letter at the top of the page and the next at the bottom.

 Climbing

Children need play environments that challenge, and even pose a degree of perceived risk, allowing them to build muscle tone and strength and test their abilities. Plus, climbing: • Enhances spatial awareness: Knowing where to put things on paper when they do a project • Helps develop the vestibular system: Coordinating eye movements with the head, which helps when copying from a blackboard and reading across a page.

Children who slouch oftentimes have poor muscle tone in their arms, legs, and trunks. Climbing helps strengthen these muscles and increase endurance.

Visual perception skills are sharpened through climbing, too. Skills such as sorting items, putting puzzles together, building with blocks, memory games and matching games require visual perception skills.

 Brachiating

Brachiating, using a rhythmic, body movement to swing from one rung to the next, improves children’s endurwww.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine

Climbing: Enhances spatial awareness, coordination and develops muscle tone.

ance as well as hand-eye coordination.

Plus, brachiating: • Strengthens the upper body enabling children to sit comfortably at a table • Develops kinesthetic awareness, or awareness of our own movement, giving children a better understanding of personal space Do you see children who always seem to be tired or have a hard time making it through the school day? Get them out doing some overhead climbing to build their endurance.

It also translates to the classroom helping children develop critical thinking and conflict resolution skills.

For instance, a child has to figure out the best way to get from point A to point B. Is that going to be by moving hand-over-hand across the bars or by grabbing the bar with the left hand, then with the right hand?

 Spinning

Spinning provides children with rich sensory stimulation, postural control, and social interaction. Plus, spinning: • Develops kinesthetic awareness, helping children know where they are in line • Improves cognitive development • Enables better muscle tone and endurance What a great way for children to understand speed, force, and direction. Put a group of children on a spinner and let them feel the motion together. You might hear screams of joy as they spin faster and faster!

Spinning is another activity for those “sloucher” children, helping to build better muscle tone and endurance. www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine

Sensory: Stimulates imaginations and helps children of all abilities experience the world.

 Sensory System

Balancing: Encourages pretend play and learning to take turns.

 Balancing

Children who learn good balance and stability at a young age have a better understanding of body awareness and coordination, resulting in better concentration. Plus, balancing: • Improves cognitive development, introducing mechanical principles • Encourages pretend play and learning to take turns • Strengthens muscles and improves endurance Balancing activities help children understand concepts such as gravity, equilibrium, and counterbalances, skills essential for many sports.

Watch as children walk on a balance beam. They figure out how to move forward without falling off, holding their arms out, moving one foot in front of the other or just scooting along.

Balancing activities promote social interaction and pretend play. Listen and you might hear the children pretending to be pirates making each other “walk the plank.”

A sensory-rich playground stimulates children’s imaginations and encourages social interaction, helping children of all abilities experience the world. Plus, sensory: • Develops the senses: Determining whether something is cold, wet, hot, sharp • Helps develop a child’s auditory system. Children with sensory processing disorder often like deep tones, rather than high.

Play activities help strengthen the eye muscles, giving children the ability to see differences between objects that are similar.

Translating Play to the Classroom

Play activities in general help children develop gross and fine motor skills, both necessary for the classroom. What you may not realize is that play also helps children: • Learn how to work in a group, developing social skills • Learn how to take care of themselves • Gain a sense of achievement and pride • Increase their self-confidence • Learn how to problem-solve without someone telling them how to do it and increase their own decisionmaking skills.

If you are interested in learning more about how the different elements of play contribute to a child’s success in the classroom, contact ABcreative. Jami Murdock, an early childhood educator for the past 26 years, works with us giving a presentation on “How Important Are Playground Activities to a Child’s Success in the Classroom.”

SPRING 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 11

Musical Instruments Help Improve Core Stability

by Robin Ashfield

WITH A LOT OF FOCUS on children being academically ready for school, going back to basics and helping a child to be physically ready is a step that many schools, preschools, and other childcare settings think about throughout the school year.

Play, especially outdoor play, is critical for helping children develop skills that will benefit them academically.

For instance, developing the physical skills of balance and a strong core will have endless benefits for a child, not only making them a more coordinated individual but enhancing their ability to engage in learning for longer periods.

Outdoor music can be a useful tool to aid the development of physical skills, as well as being proven to support communication, encourage expression, and build self-esteem.

12 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE SPRING 2019

Strengthening the Core of W-sitters and Slouchers

We have all encountered the “W sitter,� the child who is constantly in that knees-and-bottom, wide-based position. While the child feels stable, this position does not allow for much trunk rotation - a skill needed for running, manipulating objects and negotiating space. How about the child who is alwww.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine

ways flopped over to one side or is constantly adjusting their position during carpet time? All of these clues indicate a lack of core strength.

Standing to play a large instrument, like Percussion Play’s Akadinda, engages gross motor skills to play the notes up and down a long length, which helps to improve the child’s core strength and their range of bilateral movements. This fun activity may, in time, develop the child’s core strength - allowing them to feel more stable in an alternative seated position. www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine

SPRING 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 13

Developing Core “Crossing the Midline” Skills

Activities that encourage crossing the midline can aid in a child’s physical development. Imagine an invisible line drawn down the center of your body.

Now imagine drawing a long horizontal line on a piece of paper. Can you complete this task, crossing that imaginary vertical line with your dominant hand, without passing the pencil into the other hand?

What seems like a simple task can be tricky for those who are not used to crossing the midline – those children you have observed reaching for items on the right side of their body with their right hand, and the left with the left. Perhaps they constantly swap hands while mark making. This difficulty crossing that imaginary line can slow the development of a dominant hand. Many other everyday tasks are dependent on crossing the midline, so this is an important skill to master.

In order for children to become confident with movements that cross the midline, we need to encourage the two hemispheres of the brain to work together and help develop a child’s core strength. Playing an instrument that encourages the child to reach, move their arms across their body or play from one side of the body to the other promotes communication between those two sides of the brain. With time, the child will be able to do this spontaneously and the need to swap hands will reduce.

Other activities that encourage crossing the midline include: • Wiping the table • Pushing cars along a track • Painting a large space, like a fence or wall, using water and adult-size paintbrushes With each of these activities, the child should be encouraged to use one hand at a time and cross the midline repeatedly.

Musical Instruments Develop Skills for the Classroom

What about that child who struggles to grip their pencil, or pull up the zipper on their coat? The gross motor skills used to manipulate the large mallets of an outdoor musical instrument could improve 14 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE SPRING 2019

www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine

muscle tone and encourage a preference for a dominant hand. These large movements could then be gradually reduced to the fine motor skills required inside the classroom.

Outdoor music and play are great for building a child’s body awareness, engaging the vestibular system (responsible for balance and spatial awareness) and increasing the child’s confidence in movement. The large-scale movements fostered during outdoor play help to improve a child’s proprioception – the ability to sense their bodies orientation and its relation to objects in their environment.

Having instruments resistant to weather means that they can be left in the play space year-round, enhancing continuous provision and allowing children to develop their skills in their independent learning time.

Outdoor music lends itself to endless openings for learning through play.

The Power of Percussion Play

Percussion Play creates exciting, outdoor musical instruments for all ages and abilities to explore - bringing the joy of playing percussion to the great outdoors.

Specifically designed for challenging outdoor environments including; playgrounds, parks, trails, schools, family attractions, hospitals & elder centers, the instruments are fully inclusive, accessible and enjoyed by all who encounter them.

As well as designing and manufacturing outdoor musical instruments, Percussion Play has compiled an online knowledge base which hosts articles detailing the varied benefits of musical and outdoor play and White Papers on various music, play and, health-related topics.

MAKE A

SPLASH

WITH A PLAYGROUND

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www.CadronCreekPlay.com

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.

Visit percussionplay.com to learn more.

www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine

Your Dog Park Experts! www.dog-on-it-parks.com

1-877-348-3647 SPRING 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 15

Shaped by Play + Inclusive Play

by Katie Swanson

Play has an invaluable role in encouraging child development. But play isn’t just one thing. It’s an invitation to explore, learn and grow. Play opens up a world of possibilities. Play—on a playground, in a soccer game or at an art studio—teaches kids how to not only exist together but to accept people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. In other words, play helps shape kids into thinkers, dreamers, and leaders.

16 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE SPRING 2019

www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine

ABOVE AND BEYOND these life lessons, it’s on the playground that children learn persistence, leadership, competition, bravery, support, and empathy. Landscape Structures Inc., a Delano, Minn.-based commercial playground equipment manufacturer, understands this powerful reality. Play is fun, and physically beneficial, of course. But play is also an organic form of learning.

For years, the campaign for more play has revolved around battling the childhood obesity epidemic. However, play is important for more than just physical development. Play helps shape children’s cognitive, motor and social skills, in addition to supporting leadership development, teaching tolerance, spurring creativity, promoting problem-solving and diligence, and regulating emotions. Play is a learning opportunity. And that’s why it’s important to offer free play time to children of all ages and abilities.

To date, playgrounds have been www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine

largely overlooked as settings for development—perhaps because it is easy to assume that play is “just for fun” or playgrounds are just for exercise. However, research suggests children’s early experiences and the settings they inhabit play a powerful role in helping children become healthy and effective thinkers, leaders and collaborators.

Playgrounds can be deliberately designed to encourage children’s engagement in developmentally significant forms of play. They provide space for children to blend pretense and social play with physical activity; children can run around while “fighting dragons” or swing from the play equipment like monkeys, exercising their social, cognitive and physical skills all at once.

Even more, well-designed playgrounds provide for children with diverse needs and levels of ability. Toddlers who are learning to walk can find a physical challenge in climbing a few stairs, while

skillful 10-year-olds can find an equally exciting challenge in clambering to the top of a playstructure. Children can take advantage of open spaces to engage in socially and linguistically complex pretend scenarios, but also find a quiet nook in which to privately create elaborate stories.

According to Landscape Structures’ Inclusive Play Survey, more than 70 percent of parents strongly agree that playground equipment should be designed so all children can play together. That’s why the company continues to design commercial playground equipment and public play environments where children of all abilities and their families can play and learn together.

Since the development of the ADA guidelines, Landscape Structures has led the industry in creating playground designs and products that go beyond minimum requirements. The team of designers at Landscape Structures follows

SPRING 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 17

the Seven Principles of Universal Design to create playground designs that best fit the needs of members in the community.

Universal Design is a framework for the design of environments, products, buildings, ideas and more with the express goal that they be usable by the widest range of abilities. This framework influences the company’s Inclusive Play Design Philosophy to ultimately increase access, safety, comfort and social participation within the play environment.

Using a combination of these elements allows every child to choose how they want to engage in the play space.

Inclusive playgrounds provide broad play experiences, which allow children to integrate and develop all of their senses. Products like the We-Go-Round™, and Chill™ and Curva™ Spinners engage kids’ visual and vestibular systems to help them develop a better sense of balance and motor planning. Swinging on 18 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE SPRING 2019

www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine

the Friendship™ Swing or moving backand-forth on the Sway Fun® glider gives kids an understanding of how their body moves through space and the speed of movement with which they’re comfortable.

The more kids play, the more they develop the skills necessary to engage, change and impact the world around them. Climbing on playground structures like the Crab Trap™ engages many sensory systems, which teaches kids to relate to objects and navigate in the world. Play experiences that offer lots of touch opportunities, like with the Rhapsody® Outdoor Musical Instruments, are necessary to let kids organize information for developing visual and auditory systems.

Landscape Structures is on the cutting edge of developing inclusive playground components and designs, but they don’t do it alone. The company works with their Inclusive Play Advisory Board, a team of experts in the fields of child development, adaptive recreation, sensory play and occupational therapy to bring play and recreational opportunities to children and families of all abilities.

Landscape Structures has an ongoing commitment to creating new inclusive playground products, as well as designing accessible, developmentally appropriate, and sensory-stimulating community and school playgrounds. The company hopes that its continued focus will bring to light the diverse and sensory needs of all children, and that playground planners will take note and move towards creating truly inclusive playgrounds. Learn more about Landscape Structures’ inclusive playground products, design philosophy, partners and more at playlsi.com.

In order to create a playground design that ensures kids will make time for free play, it’s important to remember that play is a trial run of adulthood. A way for kids to discover and practice all the skills they’ll need in the future. It’s important to design playgrounds so that kids of all abilities can practice their leadership skills, and learn to accept people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. Learn more about Landscape Structures’ commitment to shaping the lives of children through play by watching their newest video, Play Will Always Shape Us, at shapedbyplay.com. While there, you can download a video discussion guide as well as copies of research whitepapers. www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine

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SPRING 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 19

Getting Communities

Moving

One Obstacle at a Time

by Sarah Lisiecki

MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE but finding the time and space to get that movement in is another story! As a population, we just aren’t finding that time or place to get the exercise we need. It’s evident by the numbers that we aren’t exercising enough, if at all.

The statistics are bleak with obesity rates amongst adults at almost 40% and youth at 18.5%. Only roughly 23% of adults met minimum exercise requirements for health benefits. That’s more than 75% that didn’t. So, enough about that – how can we work toward a solution?

Outdoor fitness is a viable option to help combat the lack of exercise. It’s fun, it builds community, it is accessible to all ages, and it’s free. In addition to these benefits, it is also important to note that specifically obstacle course fitness – one area of outdoor fitness – is a growing trend and brings in both traditional

and non-traditional participants. Part of the reason for this is because obstacle courses are fun, functional and offer the opportunity to work together toward a common goal. Obstacle courses also tap into the achievement goal theory which proposes that the primary motivation to learn, strive and persist is the desire to demonstrate competence in two ways.

One is improving and mastering skills and second is performance orientation.

This means that we want to improve upon ourselves and compete against others in this setting.

A properly designed course fosters the most progress and creates a space people want to use. Having a variety of obstacles helps participants exercise different areas of their bodies and provides a combination of muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardio-respiratory fitness and balance that helps users get the best training outcomes and makes

20 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE SPRING 2019

the process more enjoyable. Diversity is key when it comes to exercise for both body and mind! Boredom is a key reason people stop exercising and obstacle courses can be fun and engaging with the proper layouts and events.

Designing your course for progression is another way to keep participants engaged and furthering their abilities. It allows users to see progress and compare their current selves to former selves and set goals. It also offers people of different abilities and ages the chance to exercise together, providing family and community activities. Each event should have multiple ways to use it at different fitness levels from beginner to fitness mature.

This not only allows varying ages to work out in the same space but offers room for skills and fitness to improve without having to change the place where people can work out. Having instructions and a map around the course helps users exercise www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine

safely and feel more comfortable. An online app is also a way to accomplish this and meets people where they are used to obtaining information.

Building a healthy community through fitness is a viable and long-lasting way to bring people together, away from screens and partaking in movement. Is this the only solution to our overscheduled sometimes sedentary lives? No, the solution is multifaceted. But this is a start... and we have to start somewhere.

SARAH LISIECKI, CPSI

Marketing Communications Specialist & Play Educator – BCI Burke Sarah combines a passion for play, the outdoors and movement with years of marketing and speaking experience. She studied Communications and Political Science at University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and has a variety of fitness certifications, including Indoor Cycling, Wellness and Group Fitness Instruction. Sarah obtained her Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) certification and is currently working on a research study to further understand the way children play and interact in different environments.

As an advocate for play as a critical part of development, she serves on the Steering Committee of the US Play Coalition and presents at a variety of conferences, Lunch and Learns and events. She spends her spare time hiking, running, biking and climbing with loved ones and of course, her two rescue dogs. www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine

Maintaining your parks and playgrounds just got a lot easier.

877.984.0418 www.playgroundguardian.com info@playgroundguardian.com

SPRING 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 21

Build a Bike Volunteers

Collective Impact Projects Help Your Community and Your Business

by Jessica Renslow GARY, INDIANA is geographically bigger than San Francisco. That is a fact that often flabbergasts folks. We also have an estimated 77,000-80,000 people of which roughly 62% are paying taxes. We have 6,000 abandoned structures, notorious crime stats and infrastructure needs that rival developing nations. Yet we also have people who look at these facts and choose to set up shop here. Out of all the spots in the world they decide to invest with us. They are proving that for-profit entities can also be good stewards. Little by little they are transitioning our city from being just another rustbelt company town tragedy into a burgeoning scene for micro and midlevel entrepreneurs.

Collective impact is a way of life for residents of the Steel City. “Working with small businesses, entrepreneurs and freelancers in our region you begin to realize that number one we are not that different, number two everyone has to start somewhere and number

three that we actually have the same or similar goals. In Gary, this is even more so the case. Many of us are working collectively to help rebuild our entrepreneurial ecosystem. This goes beyond the walls of business and includes working with schools, after-school programs, churches, libraries, and universities.

Small business is not just about business but also the community.� Gretchen Sipp Manager of The Stage Gary Small Business Incubator and Coworking Space When you are from an emerging community, the fear of gentrification looms.

People hear how urban renewal projects pushed people out of neighboring communities. These government-run or mega foundation-funded initiatives may have been well intended, but they often end up being their own undoing as they forget a key factor, the importance of creating coalitions. That is what makes local businesses, that are bought into the collective impact process, so important to cities like Gary. They are committed to placemaking because they actually have vested interest

22 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE SPRING 2019

in the results of the project. They understand the importance of following a community mission, that a plan does not sit on a shelf gathering dust. It is not created by a consultant divorced from the community; it is built by the community and implemented in true partnership.

Kidstuff Playsystems co-owner Richard Hagelberg pictured with two of Square One Culture Gallery owners, Erin Sedalia and Dwayne Redpill, at a Take Bike the Streets Celebration. www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine

Collective Impact Meeting at a local Gary eatery.

For the process to work, Collective Impact must occur when organizations from different sectors agree to solve a specific social problem using a common agenda, aligning their efforts, and using common measures of success.

The main goal of the community building is to promote collaboration between neighborhood leaders, organizations, the government, elected officials and businesses, thus increasing the level of positive impact our efforts can have. A question that often gets asked is how do we encourage people to move to Gary and bring new opportunities here without alienating folks in the process.

“As for our involvement, we are part of a wonderful community and we try to do our part to support it. We participate in Rotary International, a commu-

The importance of creating creative play spaces

nity support organization. When we are asked to help with a community project, we almost always get involved. In the past few years, we have worked on projects to install bike racks throughout the community, picnic tables and basketball hoops in a couple of pocket parks, signs for our local garden club, wayfinding signage, memorial benches, and the list goes on. We maintain the playground in Marquette Park free of charge. We also maintain Glen Ryan Park at no cost to the community. We do what we can to build community. We are volunteering with the Square One Gallery artists to bring a portable safety village to NWI to help teach folks of all ages about complete streets. It's a great joy of ours to be able to collaborate with another Gary business to help positively contribute to our community.” Richard Hagelberg, CoOwner of Kidstuff Playsytems If you are overwhelmed by the concept of starting your own collective impact project, odds are there are coalitions just waiting for a community partner. Join one that aligns with your business mission and can strategically garner you the best networking opportunities for your industry.

Study after study states that networking is the key to developing a business.

A key factor of collective impact is that businesses are not only networking in the process but doing so with a clear intention to positively contribute to a community. This commitment to stewardship does not go undetected. It creates the truest form of trust and keeps your business in the minds of not only community leaders but peers. Collective impact extends your vendor relations and referrals past the walls of the boardroom and brings brand recognition into your community. For emerging cities like Gary, collective impact is one of the only ways to rebuild our entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Are you interested in tackling a collective impact project?

Starting small is the usual recommendation. There are seven basic steps to creating an effective collective impact project.

They include:

1. Define an issue.

2. Form a cross-community coalition to address the issue.

3. Create an agenda to address the issue.

4. Construct measurable goals to implement the agenda.

5. Collect community partners to help implement each aspect of the goals.

6. Measure your success in tangible deliverables.

7. Celebrate benchmarks and successes.

JESSICA RENSLOW Jessica Renslow’s work is centered around hybrid forms of multimedia and how they can promote social change. She cohosts Issues and Answers on WLTH 1370AM/92.7FM Wednesday nights from 6-8pm. Details about her publications, projects and award-winning works can be found at jessicarenslow.com.

Find out more about collective impact projects, check out www.collectiveimpact.org/about.html www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine

SPRING 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 23

The National Playground Contractors Association

NPCAI Enhances Recreation Installation Specialist Certification (RISC) Program LAST YEAR, the National Association of Playground Contractors, Inc. (NPCAI) leadership dedicated time and resources to elevating the Recreation Installation Specialist Certification (RISC) program to make certain that participants are receiving the highest-quality program possible.

“We are committed to ensuring that the RISC program follows best practices for certification programs,” explains NPCAI President Edward Miller, who also said that NPCAI hopes to eventually have its own ASTM standards for installation.

NPCAI requires all RISC participants to successfully complete the following steps prior to participating in the certification course: • Complete Registration Form • Abide by NPCAI’s Code of Conduct • Adhere to NPCAI’s Rules and Regulations NPCAI’s RISC course is a two-day course held multiple times per year in various locations across the United States. RISC consists of a comprehensive curriculum designed to focus on the necessary knowledge and skills one should possess to be an informed installation leader in the industry. To view a complete list of topics covered during the RISC course, please visit www.playground-contractors.org.

For more information about the RISC program, please contact the NPCAI Certification Coordinator Kelly Clark at 717.724.0594 or education@playground-contractors.org. The 2019 RISC course schedule is being set. Visit www. playground-contractors.org for dates and locations.

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CPSI Course Calendar March 25-27

Bowling Green, KY

859-619-1723

26-28

Wheeling, IL

708-588-2280

26-28

St. Charles, MO

573-636-3828

April

Happening Today in play

Training Courses - Annual Events - Conferences - More

March

31

US Play Coalition 10th Annual Play Conference The three-day event includes keynote and featured speakers, roundtables on critical issues and trends, research symposium for academics, educational sessions for practitioners, action, and research grant opportunities, PLAYtalks and PLAYinstitutes, networking, EPIC play breaks and more.

More Information: http://bit.ly/2FjIwsW

2-4

East Hartford, CT

860-721-0384

8-10

Bozeman, MT

406-599-1770

10-12

Wall, NJ

609-356-0480

10-12

Mason, OH

513-204-6000

22-24

Las Vegas, NV

702-455-7513

24-26

Troy, MI

517-485-9888

29-1

Fort Wayne, IN

317-219-5272

30-2

San Diego, CA

916-665-2777

Clemson University - 101 Calhoun Dr., Clemson, SC 29634

Month of the Military Child

April

MilitaryKidsConnect.org invites all military parents to spend quality time with their children this month at MilitaryKidsConnect.org, the only Department of Defense web site dedicated to the psychological health of military kids.

More Information: http://bit.ly/2OfQibp

National Autism Awareness Month

April

This year we want to go beyond simply promoting autism awareness to encouraging friends and collaborators to become partners in movement toward acceptance and appreciation.

More Information: goo.gl/pbClLG

April

2

May 1-3

Anchorage, AK

907-459-1275

6-8

Commerce City, CO

303-231-0943

8-10

Auburn, WA

888-459-0009

8-10

Roseville, MN

763-571-1305 x100

13-15

Murrysville, PA

814-234-4272

15-17

Little Rock, AR

501-416-6700

22-24

San Jose, CA

916-665-2777

www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine

PA Recreation and Park Society's 70th Annual Conference "All Inclusive Adventure" Topics include: Professional Development, Park Resources, Trails and Facilities, Aquatics, Programming, Social Media and Marketing ,Inclusion and Accessibility, and more.

Hershey Lodge & Convention Center 325 University Dr., Hershey, PA 17033

More Information: www.prps.org

April

9

April

22

Shape America 2019 National Conference & Expo Join SHAPEAmerica in Tampa, Florida, where you will come together with thousands of health and physical education professionals who are advancing 50 Million Strong – a commitment that empowers all children to lead healthy and active lives through effective health and physical education programs. Save the date and get ready for Tampa as we move together toward tomorrow!

More Information: convention.shapeamerica.org

National Playground Safety Week National Playground Safety Week is a time to focus on children's outdoor play environments.

A time to pledge to use good judgment when playing. A time for gratitude for all the adults who work tirelessly on maintaining our playgrounds.

More Information: goo.gl/b4aTBb SPRING 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 25

Train Ride Inspires Playful Conversations

by Pat Rumbaugh AS I STOOD on the platform with my daughter Sarah, recently engaged to Zach, I had to pinch myself from the last couple of weeks of exciting news in our family. Our shoulders were touching as we spoke about the wedding planning that began yesterday with visits to a couple of venues and the lovely gowns Sarah tried on as I looked on with enthusiasm as the Mother-of-the-future-bride.

Sarah only had a couple of minutes before she and Zach were off to an appointment, so we spent those minutes looking at her glamorous wedding ring with awe.

Both Sarah and I were glowing from ear to ear. Our daughter is getting married to a wonderful guy, Tom and I are gaining a son and Alex is getting a brother.

As I waited amongst the other passengers on the platform, a young child approached, walking hand-in-hand between Mother and Grandmother, sporting a fluffy pink bunny hat with floppy ears and attached below her chin. I commented to them that I loved the hat.

Mom responded with a thank you.

I shared that the little girl looked to be 28 years younger than my daughter who recently got engaged. My spirits were still soaring from my time with Sarah.

26 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE SPRING 2019

The girl’s Mother congratulated me and we began to chat. I learned the little girl’s name and shared, “I was a teacher and coach and now I am a play advocate.” I told them about co-founding “Let’s Play America” and thought, because of the girl’s age, they might be interested in hearing about my children’s book “Let’s Play at the Playground.” This book has full-page photos of real children playing with an inspirational sentence associated with each photo. The Grandmother responded, “She loves looking at photographs!” How easy and joyful it is to connect with others about play – those things that fill us with pleasure and satisfaction. www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine

Readers, children love looking at photos of other children – especially when those photos are of children engaging in something that is so universal in children’s lives … play. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of my book reach out to me in a call, email or text: 301928-9962 or theplaylady@gmail.com. I would gladly sign the book and write a message.

STAR BRIGHT BOOKS Publishing Company has my next book in draft form and it is called, “Let’s Play Outside.”

Daniel Nakamura is the incredible photographer and the Co-Founder of our nonprofit www.letsplayamerica.org My playful encounters that day did not stop there. Once I boarded the train and got seated, I observed a group of young super-seniors sitting together. (Because of my fondness for AARP I call folks 50 and over super-seniors) They were not loud, but because of proximity I could hear and see what a good time they were having together. They were munching on cheese and crackers and one of the women opened some wine to go with their refreshments.

As I wrote this column they were sharing stories, laughing and just having a jolly good time.

Boy, was I curious where they were off to.

One woman asked if anyone cared for some grapes. The men were enjoying themselves just as much as the women.

I am guessing they were all good friends who knew each other well.

The mother and daughter from the platform walked by smiling. Likely the little girl felt more like moving around than sitting still for the ride. Who could blame her with all the excitement of a train ride?

The jubilant behavior of the superseniors could not hold me back another minute. I got up and introduced myself.

I shared my rack card (To see the rack card see my Winter column). Once I introduced myself, several of the playful people began sharing their story. They were from Roanoke, Virginia, heading to Washington, DC, for some fun. The group referred to themselves as the Magnificent, or Mags. The women had raised their now adult children together and

many of them were also grandparents (You know the folks that are the happiest people on earth). The Mags were planning on seeing “Craig’s Aunt, Granny and the Boys” perform at the Showboat, an establishment that originally was a barbershop. How playful is this story?

Unbelievable I would say. This jovial group of people, who had known each other for decades, knew play was still as important in their lives as it was for the little girl I had met earlier. They were traveling by train for a couple of days of fun and play in our nation's capital.

I have texted my husband and asked him if he would like to go hear “Granny and the Boys” this Sunday night. The experience sounded so inviting!

Laughter was continuing just a couple of rows ahead of me. It was so much fun to hear these super seniors have a good time. There are some folks behind me with children and they also seem to be enjoying themselves. Play is not reserved for children and playgrounds. Play can be found anywhere if we let it, and it enriches our lives.

Readers, whether you go on a train ride and engage in playful conversations, visit a playground, spend time doing something fun with old friends, or play with new friends - remember to laugh, play and enjoy the ride.

PS. I will be presenting with Dr. Patty Hohlbein at TASP/IPA Conference (The Study of Play/ The International Play Association Conference) in March at Harrisonburg, Virginia and again with Dr. Hohlbein and PhD Candidate Kerri Schiller at the US Play Coalition Conference in Clemson, SC. www.TASP.org www.IPA.org www.usplaycoalition.org

Don’t forget to play.

-Alvaro Alto

www.playgroundprofessionals.com/magazine

Hurray for play!

- Pat, The Play Lady

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Have a question for the Play Lady?

Email your question to Pat at

theplaylady@gmail.com SPRING 2019 PLAY AND PLAYGROUND MAGAZINE 27

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 • April 17-18, 2019 - Minneapolis, MN (Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board only) • June 2019 - Colorado Parks and Recreation Association • August 20-21, 2019 - Loveland, CO (CIRSA members only) • September 3-4, 2019 - Colorado Springs, CO (CIRSA members only) • September 10-11, 2019 - Pagosa Springs, CO (CIRSA members only) • October 21-22, 2019 - Anacortes, WA • December 11-12, 2019 - Aurora, 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

www.playgroundmaintenance.org