Children Going Outside to Meet up with Nature
from the Philadelphia Inquirer
 Researchers continue to find correlations between exposure to nature and academic achievement, increased creativity, cooperation, social skills, problem-solving and self-esteem. To that end, New Jersey's new "Celebrating Afterschool: Outdoors in the Garden State" program is part of a national "No Child Left Inside" movement that is sweeping schools and nature centers, including some in suburban Philadelphia. Research on children interacting with nature dates back decades, but interest in the potential benefits has soared since publication of the book Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv, in 2005. More 
NRPA and the American Camp Association Address “Nature-Deficit Disorder” in New Online Course
from NRPA
Earn continuing education credits while helping children go outside to play. “Connecting Children with Nature,” the latest offering in NRPA’s Pyxis Learning Center, was developed by NRPA in partnership with the American Camp Association for professionals working with youth in educational or recreation setting. This three-hour course addresses the root causes of “nature-deficit disorder,” identifies the potential health and social risks to children who do not experience nature, and covers best practices in the field for helping children enjoy unstructured outdoor play. Price: $45 | CEUs: 0.3 More
Accessible Play: No More Watching from the Sidelines
from Landscape Online
An important aspect of playground design today is making sure all kids can access the play. In the “old days,” really not that long ago, children with disabilities, often in wheelchairs, could only watch from the sidelines. Landscape architects are now designing playgrounds with special features to let both the able-bodied and less able-bodied children to play side-by-side and enjoy just being kids. More
Recreation Program Targets Youth Suicide
from the Argus Leader
On the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations in South Dakota, where youth suicide is an ongoing scourge, a fishing pole or baseball bat could be a lifesaver. Russ Stubbles, a professor of park management at South Dakota State University, believes that. And now Steve Her Many Horses, the Rosebud tribe's new parks and recreation director, and Joe Red Owl in Wanblee are starting to see the possibilities, too.
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50 Swing Over to Texas Park
from the San Angelo Standard-Times
San Angelo, Texas’ oldest park has been the setting for countless San Angeloans’ childhood memories the past 106 years. In return, the city’s parks and recreation department and the area’s Master Gardeners have spent two years and $350,000 giving City Park a major face-lift. With Saturday’s rededication ceremony, the 6.1-acre park finally got its day to shine. More
Video: Rhode Island Division of Parks and Recreation Kicks Off Their 2nd Annual Rhode Island Great Outdoors Pursuit
from The Providence Journal
The Rhode Island Division of Parks and Recreation kicked off their 2nd annual Rhode Island Great Outdoors Pursuit this weekend at Lincoln Woods State Park. The Pursuit is a twelve-week contest that helps families discover state parks while participating in outdoor activities and challenges. More
Thrill of the Hunt Lies in Using GPS to Track Down Hidden Treasures
from the LA Daily News
The modern-day treasure hunters seek out prizes using clues transmitted from space. There are no Lara Croft gunslingers here, not a single Indiana Jones whip-cracker among them. For geocachers, the thrill of the hunt involves coordinates, a hand-held Global Positioning System device and the need to hide and seek in strange new places where none may have gone before. More
Parks Get the Squeeze
from The Republican
With money scarce this summer for travel, many people will depend on Massachusett's parks and pools for their vacations. Unfortunately, money is just as scarce in state and municipal recreation budgets, meaning that some of those parks and pools may not be open once the summer begins. More
Let's Go Fly a (Recycled) Kite
from The Daily Green
"I wanted something with clean lines," New York City designer Eric Jovcevski said about his kite, which looked like a cross between a Star Trek symbol and a giant paper airplane. Jovcevski, who works in marketing and advertising for his day job, was one of a cadre of designers, architects, engineers and artists participating in the first FlyNY, an international kite design competition sponsored by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. More
Video: Closing California Parks Called Bad Plan
from KPBS
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed closing 220 state parks to help reduce the state's $24 billion budget deficit. KPBS digital reporter Sharon Heilbrunn asks whether you'd be willing to pay higher taxes to keep public recreation centers and libraries open.
More
Social Networking Drives New Fundraising Push for Seattle Children’s PlayGarden
from Seattle’s Child Magazine
Seattle Children’s PlayGarden, a nonprofit that works to improve access to outdoor recreation space for children of all abilities, has kicked off an effort to raise $230,000 for construction projects, and it’s using social networking Web sites to do it.
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Columbia Providing Free Wi-Fi in Two Parks
from the Columbia Missourian
A peaceful lunch break outdoors no longer means being disconnected from the Internet at two Columbia, Mo., parks. Columbia Parks and Recreation chose Stephens Lake Park and Flat Branch Park as the locations for free Wi-Fi Internet services donated by iZones, a local wireless Internet provider. Mike Griggs, park services manager for the Parks and Recreation Department, has seen frequent citizen requests for wireless Internet in Columbia’s parks, especially in what he calls “urbanized parks with a lot of café traffic” such as people getting coffee or taking lunch breaks. More
Investing in Our Parks
from the Battleboro Reformer
While other states are cutting back on their public park systems, Vermont is planning to spend $6 million on improvements this year. According to Jason Gibbs, commissioner of the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, "the parks are the one bright spot in the state budget." More
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Product Showcase:
Miracle Recreation Equipment Co.
 For more than 82 years Miracle has satisfied customers needing commercial play systems and site amenities. Let one of our factory trained RECREATION EXPERTS help select the right playground equipment to satisfy your children and budget by completing our contact us page on our website. More info
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Product Showcase: Shade Systems
 Shade Systems is the market leader in the design and manufacture of pre-engineered outdoor shade structures. Protect children and adults from the sun's harmful U.V. rays while reducing your operating costs with our innovative Turn-N-Slide™ easy canopy removal system for quick canopy removal and reattachment in the event of hurricane or for the winter season. More info
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Product Showcase: DOGIPOT
 DOGIPOT introduces its OXO-BIODEGRADABLE Litter Pick Up Bags. These new and improved litter pick up bags are one of the most environmentally conscious pet waste bags on the market and designed to not only help rid parks, recreation areas, campgrounds and RV Parks of the unsightly, smelly, nuisance of dog waste, but also minimize the environmental impact of bagged dog waste. There are DOGIPOT imitators in the market, but nobody is able to match DOGIPOT’s experience, high quality, environmentally-conscious product line, world class customer service or value. Experience the DOGIPOT Advantage! More info
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Product Showcase: ParkPro
 ParkPro from Bockyn provides the most comprehensive parks and recreation software available. Combining powerful communication tools with an easy to use management software, ParkPro allows you to keep your community informed, allows In-house and Online Registration, Facility Rentals, Membership Management, League Management, Web Site Integration, POS and much more. More info
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