Reynolds building more playgrounds in Middle East
Former forestry worker hopes to make a difference for Afghan children
By Jesse Ferreras
Pique Newsmagazine
May 28, 2008

Iraq, Gaza and the West Bank are known as some of the world’s most dangerous places, but for Whistler-based philanthropist Keith Reynolds, they present an opportunity to make a positive difference.

Reynolds, a former forestry worker, founded Playground Builders in 2006. It’s a Whistler-based organization that forms partnerships with non-governmental organizations to establish children’s playgrounds in conflict zones. The organization has established 20 playgrounds to date in places such as Baghdad, Jenin and Ramallah and is now looking to establish another in Afghanistan.

Reynolds and two others left for the Middle East this week to check on existing playgrounds and survey for new ones — to be built with funds raised earlier this year in Whistler. When they return they’ll be raising more money for the 10 new playgrounds they’ve committed to build.

Each playground is built using local workers, in an effort to reduce unemployment and inject money into the region. [More]

Learn more about how to build a playground

York's ready to play to get city grant funds
Being a 'Playful City' could lead to grant money for playgrounds.
By ANGIE MASON
York (Pa.) Daily Record/Sunday News
May 29, 2008

York could receive grant money by showing the city is serious about playtime.

A new task force is aimed at making York a "Playful City," a designation that could lead to grant funding for playground improvements.

The recognition is offered through the nonprofit KaBOOM!, a group aimed at making sure every child has a playground within walking distance.

York Mayor John Brenner learned about the organization when he helped the group build a playground in New Orleans last year.

His wife, Adrienne, is leading York's effort.

She remembered watching with their son, Sam, 4, as workers removed the seesaw from Lincoln Park a few years ago.

"It was so sad," she said. [More]

Learn more about Playful City USA

Kid ends skateboard shortage in Oakland park
By Meredith May
San Francisco Chronicle
May 29, 2008

East Oakland kids have found refuge at a new skateboard park behind Rainbow Recreation Center.

But they've also found a severe skateboard shortage.

They must wait their turn for one of six skateboards, and skate in 30-minute shifts so everyone gets a turn.

"We're trying to give them alternatives, because these neighborhoods can be rough around here, but it would be better if we had more boards," said center Director Horace Houston.

When 12-year-old skater Quentin Favia of San Francisco read about their situation in The Chronicle, he felt an incredible sense of injustice. [More]

View photos from the Oakland skate park build

Thieves Steal School Playground Equipment
KPTV News (Portland, Oregon)
May 28, 2008

KELSO, Wash. -- A large piece of metal playground equipment was disassembled and stolen from Barnes Elementary School by thieves Monday night, the school's principal said.

Kelso police said someone stole the metal jungle gym from Barnes Elementary School on Monday night.

The school principal, Brenda Ward, said whoever took the jungle gym likely spent a lot of time planning it out.

She said the thief took the entire structure apart and then hauled it away -- piece by piece.

All that's left in its place is bark dust. [More]

County to Boost Security at Sully Elementary After Fire
By Bill Brubaker
Washington Post
May 29, 2008

The Loudoun County school system plans to beef up security around Sully Elementary in Sterling after a fire that damaged part of the school's sprawling volunteer-built playground, known as Discovery Park.

"We'll be adding additional security cameras as soon as possible," said Wayde B. Byard, the school system's spokesman.

The fire Friday night damaged a 20-by-20-foot area of the 11,000-square-foot playground, which is used by thousands of Loudoun children. Discovery Park, which opened in October 2006, is billed as an interactive playground that combines educational discovery with old-fashioned play. The playground has components that teach science, history, art, health, math and music. [More]

New Arsenic Testing Ends Shutdown at Fort Reno Park
Officials Call Earlier Results a 'False Positive'
By Paul Duggan
Washington Post
May 29, 2008

Officials reopened Fort Reno Park in Northwest Washington yesterday, saying recent extensive tests have found no unsafe levels of arsenic in the soil there.

The 33-acre field, a popular site for sports and concerts in the Tenleytown neighborhood, was abruptly closed to the public May 14 after the U.S. Geological Survey said soil samples showed arsenic levels of as much as 1,100 parts per million -- about 25 times the limit of 43 parts per million set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

But those test results turned out to be "a false positive," officials said yesterday.

"We are happy to say that our initial report in this case was incorrect," said Michael G. Gauldin, a spokesman for the Geological Survey, who joined Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) and other officials at a news conference at the park. [More]

Learn more about soil testing

KaBOOM! Web team + Bloxes, cups, and wads of paper = fun for all!
The KaBOOM! web team has set up a fun game in their pod using Bloxes, cups, and little wads of paper. How do you and your coworkers have fun? 
 
You can't spell "Forums" without "Awesome posts"
Among the highlights:

• Looking to volunteer? Help out tcla!
• Ideas for summer fundraisers
• Advice on how to ensure play exists in your community 

Did you know?
When viewing someone's profile, you can send them a private message by clicking this button: 
 

Want to check your own messages? Login and click the "My KaBOOM!" button on the top of every page. On the left side of the page, you'll see something like this:

Simply click those buttons to check your messages!

New York's Original Kazoo Co. stays true to name
By CAROLYN THOMPSON
Associated Press
May 27, 2008

The name of the place says it all: The Original Kazoo Co. And, boy, do its owners mean original.

The same belt and pulley machines that stamped and shaped the world's first metal kazoos circa 1900 still stamp and shape kazoos today. The machines are still in the same building, making the same ker-thwunk sound as they perforate, fold and shape.

The finished product hasn't changed, either. The palm-sized, submarine-shaped musical instrument still makes a tinny vibration when someone hums into it.

If there was ever the temptation to modernize the kazoo-making operation as the business changed hands over the years, it didn't last.

"It really would kind of spoil the fun of coming here if you couldn't see things as they were," Karen Smith said as she scanned the factory floor, now more working museum than manufacturing facility. "It's wonderful for our country to know that long ago, they invented this way of manufacturing and it still works today."

The Original Kazoo Co. operates on Main Street in a farm town southwest of Buffalo known as much for its yearly corn festival as kazoos. [More]

Discuss your favorite childhood toys and memories in the Forums!

The end of recess: Schools continue cutbacks in unstructured play
By Mark Sommer
The Buffalo News
May 27, 2008

Valerie Wales often has energy to spare at home. That’s because the first-grader doesn’t burn enough of it in school.

“My daughter sometimes gets to the end of the day, and she’s not ready for bed until she wrestles with her dad or gets chased around the house. She hasn’t run out of energy yet,” said Beth Elkins, an Allentown resident whose daughter attends Bennett Park Montessori Center.

The reason?

“Limited playing time” at school, Elkins said.

It’s a common complaint. Recess — considered unstructured play time, as opposed to physical instruction — is on the wane for large numbers of children, at least compared with when Elkins, 36, was growing up, according to researchers who have studied trends in play.

The decline in school recess slowly began about 30 years ago, researchers say, when one or two 15-or 20- minute recesses plus an hour lunch break were still the norm. And the decline continues to occur despite research showing unstructured play promotes learning while releasing energy and stress and minimizing disruptive behaviors.

A significant factor in more recent years has been an increased emphasis on standardized testing in response to demands for greater academic accountability. [More]

Learn more about how unstructured playtime aids academic performance and more.

Become a Playmaker and advocate against recess cutbacks.

System offers hands-on playtime
By Andrew Barksdale
The Fayette Observer
May 25, 2008

The four Stonehenge-like towers, with upbeat music and flashing lights, beckon anyone for a game of fun, skill and physical activity.

The unusual electronic playground system is called Neos. Two of the units recently arrived in Fayetteville -- the first city in the Carolinas to get them.

At Honeycutt Park on Fort Bragg Road, children after school last week flocked to Neos, with its sleek purple towers standing over 6 feet tall.

Ryan Wolf, who is 6, pressed the button to play Bubble Burst, which requires players to hit buttons on the towers when they light up. He darted back and forth, using his arms and his feet to reach the buttons. Soon, three children joined him, stretching, jumping and bending. [More]

Have you or your kids tried Neos? Discuss your experience in the Forums.

Playground destroyed again by fire
By Bill Lindelof
Sacramento Bee
May 26, 2008

For the second time in two years, a community playground has been burned to the ground in Sacramento's Jefferson Park.

The playground, also known as Fort Natomas, was a total loss following a suspicious blaze that began in the early morning hours Monday. Arsonists destroyed the same playground at 2001 Pebblewood in the summer of 2006.

After that blaze, neighbors rebuilt the playground in a seven-day construction campaign that relied on hundreds of volunteers, hundreds of Natomas residents and people from outside the neighborhood assisted in the effort. Businesses and individuals donated materials. Restaurants donated food for the volunteers, many of whom worked in the rain. [More]

Discuss playground vandalism issues in our Forums

KOOL-AID Announces New Products and Better-for-You Brand Direction;
Joins With KaBOOM! & Hip-Hop Pioneer Reverend Run to Build Playgrounds Nationwide to Encourage Healthy, Active Lifestyles

TARRYTOWN, N.Y., May 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- KOOL-AID, the iconic soft drink that has stood for fun and refreshment for generations of children and their parents, today announced it will provide additional better-for-you options for consumers by introducing new and reformulated products this spring and in coming years.

The brand, launched in Nebraska in 1927 and now offering both powdered and ready-to-drink beverages, also announced a new partnership with KaBOOM!, the national non-profit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Over the next year, KOOL-AID and KaBOOM! will build 24 playgrounds in cities around the country, provide grants toward building 20 more, and work with local communities, parents and children to encourage healthier and more active lifestyles.

"We understand that our consumers are looking for more choices that better meet the needs of their families," said Kirstie Krall, Senior Brand Manager, KOOL-AID. "We're firmly committed to providing moms and kids with products that combine the great fun and flavor of KOOL-AID while providing better-for-you beverage options to help support a healthier lifestyle. And, in addition to offering new and improved products, we're partnering with KaBOOM! to create great places to play for kids in cities around the country so that communities have somewhere to come together and get active." [Read more]

Learn more at kaboom.org/kool-aid

Today, architect David Rockwell was featured in CNBC talking about the Rockwell Group's partnership with KaBOOM!

Watch the video  (Video will be available for 21 days from airdate.)

Learn more about the KaBOOM! partnership with Imagination Playground

For Kirk Douglas and wife, the playground's the thing

By Janet Kornblum
USA TODAY
May 26, 2008

LOS ANGELES — When the gates open and Kirk Douglas — yes, the Academy Award-winning actor, now 91 — strides across the blacktop, fans giggle and crane their necks for a better look. When he approaches them with his arm outstretched, they reach up to slap high-fives.

There may not be a red carpet here, and true, the photographers mostly consist of small arms hoisting cellphone cameras overhead.

But make no mistake: This is a bona-fide premiere — just not for one of Douglas' movies.

On this overcast day in May, the fans are parents, students and friends of Beethoven Street Elementary School in Culver City. They are here to thank Douglas and his wife, Anne, for the colorful play structure on the once-barren playground, courtesy of the Anne & Kirk Douglas Playground Award.

The Douglases have been fixing up school playgrounds for 11 years. And on Wednesday, when they dedicate their 401st Los Angeles-area playground, Kirk Douglas will slide down one last slide — something he does at every dedication — and call it mission accomplished.

"What nobody acknowledges is that every dedication I risk my life," he says with a laugh. "I'm getting too old for this."

Read the full article
Learn how your community can build a playground from start to finish

On Apr. 19, 2008, the San Francisco Neighborhood Parks Council hosted their 2008 Playground Day event at West Sunset Playground. Community members gathered at West Sunset to learn about the Playground Initiative, and many also signed up to assess their neighborhood playgrounds.

The playground assessment event was launched in February 2006, to raise awareness of and bring attention to the needs of San Francisco’s playgrounds. The assessment is based on a survey created by the National Program for Playground Safety.

In 2007, NPC and RPD kicked-off a series of playground workdays, to resolve maintenance issues at the 30 city playgrounds that received a “D” or “F” grade in 2006. The kick-off event took place at Balboa Playground in April 2007, and the playground renovation was recently completed on March 4, 2008.

Watch an interview with NPC Program Manager Meredith Thomas at West Sunset Playground, discussing the results of the 2008 Playground Report Card survey here.

Learn more about Playful City USA

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Arlington School District is filing a lawsuit against three companies that provided the wood chips at Beth Anderson Elementary after a playground fire broke out last year.

The district alleges the wood fiber chips ignited and destroyed the school's plastic play equipment, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.

Read the full article

Learn more about playground safety and surfacing

The KaBOOM! Online Toolkit, already chock-full of great and helpful information for your playground build, just got even better!

Our staff have spent the past month combing through its contents, updating existing content and adding new best practices, tools, and ideas.

Here are some examples of the new content that was added:

• Contact information for where to find a Certified Playground Safety Inspector
• Tips for getting volunteers through the lunch line quickly on Build Day
• Detailed information on soil testing and utility checks
• Detailed information on making your Build Day as "green" as possible

And there's lots more where that came from! Be sure to check out the KaBOOM! Online Toolkit today!

Or, as my aunt calls them, MyFace and Spacebook
Join us on popular online hangouts like MySpace and Facebook! You can even follow us on your mobile phone with Twitter! Learn more on the Online Community page.

Is there anyplace on the web where KaBOOM! isn't? Let us know if there's someplace you'd like us to be by commenting on this article or posting in the Community Forum.

Help someone help you!
Need volunteers? Check out the Volunteer Forums. Skgoode is looking for a project to help with in Washington D.C.

We're following the Forums, the Forums, the Forums...
Did you know you could subscribe to any Forum thread by email? Just scroll down to the end of the page and you will see a checkbox that says: "Email me when X forum has a new thread." Check it and you will receive an update in your email inbox whenever there is a new post.

The hardest part was fitting all those great ideas into boxes
We've moved the Fundraising ideas wiki! The new wiki has even more great ideas and makes it even easier for you to add your own ideas! If you've got a great story to tell about a fundraiser, add it to the fundraising wiki!

So...what do you think?
Let us know! You can now post comments on this or any other news article, even if you're not logged in! Click the "Comments" link below the title and then click the "here" button at the bottom of the page to post a comment.

Church playground honors teen girl's memory
BY JILL DOSS-RAINES
Lexington (N.C.) Dispatch

A new playground at Higher Ground Baptist Church is not only a place for its youngest members to enjoy, but also a memorial for one of its youngest members.

Thirteen-year-old Amber Everhart died from a rare, quick-acting pneumonia March 1, 2007. In their grief, friends and church members began searching for a way to remember Amber, a vivacious young lady who loved playing with the younger children on the church's former, smaller playground.

Church member Tisha Loflin decided a memorial fund to build a larger playground with more equipment was a good way to honor Amber's memory, said her father, Wayne Everhart, who also worked on getting the playground ready. Amber's mother is Teresa Everhart.

After nearly a year of donations and planning, the playground was completed April 26 and dedicated April 27. It features a new large, wooden jungle gym set with a slide, club house and swings that sit near the former lone play set. Colorful metal see-saws and wooden and concrete benches are also part of the playground.

Staples gives $53,000 for city playground
By David Ortiz
Providence Business News
May 21, 2008

PROVIDENCE – The Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council and KaBOOM!, a nonprofit that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America, today announced a donation of $53,000 in playground equipment from office products giant Staples Inc.

Funding from Staples will allow for the construction of a new playground in Merino Park in Providence, the groups said. An additional contribution to rebuild the park was given by Providence City Councilman John Igliozzi, on behalf of the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council.

Read the full article
Learn more about our Funding Partners

Officials have 'Big' plans for playground
May 20, 2008
By Pat Schager
Joliet (Ill). HERALD NEWS

ROMEOVILLE -- Remembering when actor Tom Hanks stepped on a giant keyboard at FAO Schwarz and hopped around to play a song in the movie "Big," park planners thought, "Why not?"

And thus was born the concept for Deer Crossing Park's musical playground and amphitheater in Romeoville.

With a $400,000 grant and matching village funds, the park will be nestled in a natural wooded section of Romeoville known as O'Hara Woods on the north side of 135th Street between Weber Road and Illinois 53. The grant is part of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Open Space and Land Acquisition and Development Grant Program.

Residents will have amenities such as an amphitheater, picnic shelter, playground, trails and prairie plantings, according to village officials. The playground will be a music-themed environment kids can enjoy.

"The playground will have chimes and drums and color-cushioned places for kids to run and play," said Kelly Rajzer, director of parks and recreation.

There are plans for a large amphitheater with stage and bench seating to accommodate 500, and lawn seating for 1,000.

Read the full article
Discuss this article in our Forums

Playground stands in honor of Connor Simonson
By Shino Omura
Lancaster (Pa.) Eagle Gazette
May 20, 2008

BALTIMORE - For years, Kathy Simonson watched her son Connor Simonson kick a soccer ball, hit a baseball and laugh with his friends at Alt Park in Baltimore.

At age 10, Connor passed away in November 2006 after being diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia.

The disease is a type of blood cancer and is the most common type of leukemia in children under the age of 15, according to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The memories of Connor will now serve as a foundation for the rest of the community to make new memories of their own.

With his family's consent and support, a playground was built in memory of Connor inside Alt Park.

The public will be able to see and enjoy the playground equipment following the dedication ceremony for Connor Simonson Memorial Playground on Sunday.

Read the full article

From Design to Build
KaBOOM! Style
by Shannon Amy Stockwell
Playground Magazine
May/June 2008 issue

ENTER THE WORLD of KaBOOM!, and you will be introduced to a very unique place. In fact, it might be well termed as one of the most playful places on earth. This organization was created after Darell Hammond heard about the death of two children who had been playing in a car, as there was no other place for them to play. Hammond and friend Dawn Hutchison then decided to do whatever they could to provide a safe play place within walking distance of every child in the United States. So began the set up of the first office, in the back of the Comet Deli in Washington D.C. in 1995, and what a great idea that was. This organization has grown and touched so many lives since then with its playful spirit.

Everything and everyone from staff down to the atmosphere of the office speaks “play.” It is a brightly colored place, with a foosball table in the break room, and other playful details such as a very colorful and fun mural of children playing on one wall. There’s nothing stuffy about this place where play is created. As you walk through the halls of its office, one of the fi rst things you’ll find are things to play with, including a swing and slide in the foyer. Working your way back you’ll find the “Values of Play” depicted on its walls by photos of children at play.

Download the article

There's nothing quite like a Workshop Entirely on Play (WE Play!).

Now you can experience the fun by checking out photos from the first three events:

Washington, D.C. | Charlotte, N.C. | Chicago, Ill.

But more WE Play! events are coming to a city near you! Check the list below and sign up today! 

Not all of the training hotel locations have been identified. You can still register for a training and we will update you as soon as we have the event address.

* = At each of the Los Angeles, Houston, Cleveland, and Atlanta WE Play! trainings, five attendees will receive $7,500 grants toward building a playground in their community! [More]

Five Things That A Playground Can Teach Us About Relationships
From Bailey WorkPlay blog

This weekend, I took Katie and Leah to one of the many local parks here in Austin. The brilliant thing about our city parks are the really neat playgrounds…and on weekends, there are always a gaggle of kids enjoying the freedom of playing. As I watched, it occurred to me (with a little help from Jason) that there is a lot we can learn about relationships - and in many cases relearn - from observing how kids interact with each other.

1. Lack of judgment
Watch kids play and first thing you notice is that there is a lack of personal judgment taking place. When a new boy or girl enters the scene, they don’t fret and wonder how this fellow player is going to add to their social circle. They don’t worry if hanging around with them is going to build or kill their cred as someone cool or hip. They don’t get hung up in a bunch of the social tangles that we create everyday. The only question they have is whether they want to have fun and play.

...

Read the full article
What values did you learn on the playground?

Dothan’s First Community Build Held at Pine Park
May 19, 2008
Rhiana Huckins, WTVY News, Dothan (Ala.)

Watch Dothan's Playful City USA grant application video

Funding for the materials used in building the new park came from the city's budget, but the labor force was donated by neighbors, city officials, Dothan police and fire, and leadership from Dothan.

Saturday, a massive group effort was made to restore Pine Hills Park.

"This was a park that was due some attention. The neighbors know it, the city knows it, and they had special requests- on of those were to build a playground," said Kim Meeker of Dothan leisure services.

Thanks to “Kaboom!”-- an organization that helps build playgrounds for children-- the city was able to come up with creative ideas for a modern playground.

"We were named a Playful City U.S.A. and they gave materials on how they've built one thousand playgrounds across their country to use to organize their own playground builds." said Meeker.

Read the whole story
Learn more about Dothan

Lacombe chosen for new playground
By Chad Ruiz
St. Tammany News
May 19, 2008

It’s playtime for residents and school children alike in Lacombe.

KaBOOM!, FannieMae and Bayou Lacombe Middle School are teaming up to bring the city its first public playground at a cost of nearly $50,000, but the months of construction and eyesores it would take to build the 2,500-square-foot structure have all been condensed into one day.

The national nonprofit organization KaBOOM!, founded in 1995, is dedicated to providing play structures for children across the U.S.

FannieMae, founded in 1938 as a shareholder-owned lender that provides funding to the nation’s housing market, is providing the funds for most of the project that will take place Tuesday beginning at 8:30 a.m.

...

Read the full article

Learn more about Operation Playground

Don't touch! Will rule make kids feel safer?
By TERRY COLLINS
Star Tribune
May 17, 2008

Excerpt:

But Jamie Henriksen, a volunteer coordinator for the school's PTA for the past three years, said kids should not have to be afraid to play with each other.

She describes her two sons -- Jake, an 8-year-old second-grader, and Lucas, a 6-year-old kindergartner -- as playful boys who could be hugging each other one minute and wrestling the next.

And they're no different than other kids who like to play outside.

No more freeze tag?

"The hardest place to supervise is the playground. There's kids running around everywhere," Henriksen said in a telephone interview. "They could trip, get hit accidentally with a tetherball or by a jump rope. Things happen.

"But if a kid should be afraid of another kid on the playground, then there's a bigger issue that needs to be addressed."

During the conversation, she asked her son Lucas what the school told him about playing tag.

"You shouldn't do it," Lucas replied.

But do you like to play tag? she asked him.

"Yes," he said, before running off to play outside.

She then asked her nephew, A.J., 8, a second-grader at Armatage, who had two other siblings who also went there.

"I like to play freeze tag. It's my favorite, and now I can't play it," A.J. said, describing a game where once you're tagged, you have to stop until a non-tagger touches you to unfreeze you. The game promotes teamwork, Henriksen said.

Read the full article

Discuss this article in the Forums

Playground design will draw on students' dreams
By Carol Bicak
Omaha World-Herald
May 17, 2008

Excerpt:

Some jumped right into the project and had half their design down on paper before the more thoughtful ones had begun. The drawings were as varied as the artists, ranging from realistic depictions to someth