Articles
Playgrounds And Parks Become Ground Zero For STEM Education
There’s a lot to take in at Triumph Park. Spread over 66 acres in Waukee, Iowa, the community park and sports complex boasts 12 softball and baseball fields, three miles of trails, an accessible fishing pier, and an inclusive playground with dozens of play structures.
Stone Soup
“Stone Soup” is a European folk story in which hungry strangers, carrying nothing but a cooking pot filled with water and a stone arrive in a town and convince each of the townspeople to share a small amount of their food to make a meal that everyone enjoys. It is a lesson on the value of sharing and the potential synergy borne of collaboration.
Time To Re-Focus
On December 6, 2022, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted the 2022 Parks Needs Assessment Plus (PNA+) Final Report as its 30x30 plan. The goal is to conserve 30 percent of lands and coastal waters by 2030 to address climate change and protect biodiversity.
Grinding Out The Details
While there are many challenges in developing a public skatepark, a few common pitfalls can be easily avoided. Skating around these snares can help create the most popular recreation facility in town as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Perfect Harmony
There are times when two projects coincide and achieve a perfect outcome. A prime example was in 2020 when the Modesto ROTARY Club (MoRo) in California was preparing to celebrate its centennial year.
Park District Softball
Given the right parameters, softball is a team sport that can be played and enjoyed for a lifetime. Located in the Chicago area, the Naperville Park District has found that offering adults ages 19 to 90+ the opportunity to play the sport they love on a schedule that works for them is a winning combination.
Playground Inspections
Thousands of children are injured on playgrounds across North America each year. The majority of injuries occur from falls.
Dynamic Storytelling
At a parks and recreation conference, I watched a speaker begin his presentation by saying, “Soooooo, I want to tell you a story.” He then went on to relate how his daughter had all the latest toys, games, and age-appropriate video games.
Attacking Adversity
One of the great exercises that the National Alliance for Youth Sports offers in its Academy for Youth Sports Administrators is to make a list of all the reasons that sports are great for kids. We’ve done this with groups hundreds of times through the years, and the lists are nearly identical.
Yes, You Do
Now in its eleventh season, The NFL Today television show precedes the weekly Sunday 1 p.m. football game with five men who exchange predictions, status reports, and game scores. Most of the hosts are former football players and coaches, and their knowledge gives viewers an inside track on issues that matter to the game.
This-N-That
A collection of news items, product announcements and event notices designed to keep you on the cutting edge.