Despite decades-low funding levels for parks and recreation departments, 118 American cities and towns have managed to earn recognition as 2010 "Playful City USA" communities for their efforts to provide time and spaces for play. Created by KaBOOM!, a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit dedicated to creating places to play within walking distance of every child in America, the Playful City USA program is now in its fourth year.
Hailing from 36 states, communities from San Francisco and Atlanta to Ottawa, Kan., and Shirley, Mass., are developing local action plans and creating innovative, cost-effective programs, KaBOOM! officials say.
For example, Atlanta - one of 18 cities to earn the Playful City USA designation all four years - is in the process of reopening all of its recreation centers. The city also is partnering with the Atlanta Taskforce at Play (ATOP) to organize the third annual Play Day 2010 on Sept. 25. That day, residents will be encouraged to turn off their TVs and computers, attend an arts festival, play in parks or walk along a scenic 22-mile rail corridor around the city's urban core. Additionally, Georgia Tech's College of Architecture and ATOP are organizing the Playable10 International Design Competition to help make Atlanta a leader in innovative play design.
Other Playful City USA initiatives include:• Positive Lunch Activities for Youth (P.L.A.Y.), a program in Casa Grande, Ariz., that serves students in sixth through eighth grades who no longer have access to play equipment.• A community-build approach for all playground construction in Dothan, Ala., which cuts costs by up to 25 percent while fostering community spirit. • The "Get Fit Indy" challenge in Indianapolis this summer, designed to encourage children to eat nutritiously and be active for at least 60 minutes every day.• Joint-use agreements in Orlando, Fla., in which local school districts open school recreation facilities to the public during non-school hours.• Traveling playgroups in Takoma Park, Md., which provide residents with recreational information at different facilities throughout the city while collecting citizen feedback on improvement needs.
"An extreme misconception exists in our country that play among children is a luxury when, in fact, it's an absolute necessity," says Darell Hammond, co-founder and chief executive officer of KaBOOM! "For decades, this notion dominated our actions, and we continue to see the damaging results: a monumental lack of playspaces for children and sky-rocketing childhood obesity rates. These 118 communities refused to adhere to the status quo and realized all children deserve a municipal commitment to the cause of play."
