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Kids turn off TVs and iPods, and head out to play
The Town Talk Share    
Alexandria, La., joined thousands of other participants across the United States and six countries in helping fight childhood obesity with events designed to get kids outside. For the last six years, Nickelodeon has worked with organizations, cities and individuals to drag kids away from their TVs, computers and cell phones. The children's television network shut down its channels for three hours and placed pop-up ads on its Web sites to
remove any distractions from having fun outside. And the fun came in many forms for kids in Alexandria. MORE
Create Opportunities for Injured Service Members to Live Physically Active Lives
NRPA Share
NRPA and United States Paralympics support local communities that enhance and grow their recreation, sport, and physical activity programming for injured military personnel through grants. Public park and recreation agencies
are encouraged to apply for grants between $5,000 and $25,000. Deadline to obtain funding through NRPA-US Paralympics Grants has been extended until Sept. 30.
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Cities are teaming up with KaBOOM! to host Play Days across the country. Parks and Recreation officials in Missouri and Virginia are planning events statewide. Henderson, NV is
holding 37 events on one day! Join thousands of communities across the country in celebrating the importance of play. Register your Play Day today. MORE |
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Take a child outside
News & Record Share
North Carolina is about to complete a weeklong celebration few of us even know about. Sept. 24-30 is the second annual "Take a Child Outside Week.” It came and is about to end with little fanfare and, admittedly, has not yet established itself as a tradition. Last year's kickoff brought North Carolina to the forefront as a leader in identifying the mental and physical importance of getting children outdoors. The week's message should resonate with parents,
grandparents and anyone involved in the lives of children. As Richard Louv, author of "Last Child in the Woods," writes, "It's time to create nature and health where we and our families live, work and play." More
A Free-wheeling city
Parade Magazine Share
Until recently, Columbia, Mo., was, like most American cities, designed almost exclusively for automobile transit,
offering up a host of four-lane mini-highways over which motorists could zoom between parking lots. For Darwin Hindman, a retired lawyer, the situation was all wrong. “If we depend too much on cars, then we increase our reliance on foreign oil, childhood obesity goes up, and life just isn’t as much fun,” he says. Across the country, the number of bicyclists has exploded. Between 2003 and 2007, the number of American bike commuters increased 38 percent. More
GPS to help track use of outdoor spaces
The Buffalo News Share
It's not 11 p.m., but a group of University at Buffalo researchers knows exactly where your children are. Four professors are leading a scientific study to
determine the connection between physical activity of teenagers and preteens and living near parks and neighborhood green space. More
Ken Burns gives exhaustive treatment to parks
The Associated Press via MSNBC Share
It was the nation's best idea, Ken Burns, says: the national parks system. Americans can appreciate the 58 parks for their majesty and for the once-revolutionary concept of setting aside the country's most precious natural resources for all citizens to use, he says. Their histories unfold in the documentarian's latest series, which started Sunday on PBS. More
California state parks to stay open under new plan
CBS13-TV Share
California's state parks will stay open, at least for this year. Governor
Schwarzenegger announced the plan to keep the parks open without spending more money."Working closely with my Departments of Finance and Parks and Recreation, we have successfully found a way to avoid closing parks this year," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "This is fantastic news for all Californians." More
How waterparks are surfing the economic waves
Rec Management Magazine Share
Despite economic setbacks, waterparks are still "hanging ten," in a manner of speaking. Quenching the teen demographic's thirst for "extreme" attractions, the latest waterpark craze is the surfing simulator, also called a stationary or artificial wave generator, or a "surf machine." Other industry trends include investing heavily in "dry" attractions, amenities and activities to lengthen
guests' stay times; creating park-specific brands through theming; and implementing and publicizing conservation efforts. More
Fertile ground: Our gardens feed a growing sense of
community
Sacramento Bee Share
Following a trend seen around the country, hundreds of Sacramentans planted a vegetable garden this summer for the first time. Community gardens sprang up like weeds from Yolo County to the foothills. What did our backyard farmers learn from the crop of 2009? Gardens grow more than vegetables. They also grow friendships. More
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If a swimming pool or spa is within your
scope of responsibility, then know that if your facility does not have in place at this time anti-entrapment devices, such as ASME/ANSI A112.19.8-compliant drain covers, as per the Virginia Graeme Barker Pool and Spa Safety ACT (VGBA), the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) can shut
down your facility, impose fines up to $15 million, forfeit assets, and have you imprisoned for as long as 5 years. MORE |
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New "Tot Trail" fitness area to open in New York park
Penfield Post Share
The town of Penfield, N.Y., in partnership with the Greater Rochester Health Foundation, has installed a new mini-fitness trail in Veterans' Memorial Park for its youngest residents. The 300-foot "Tot Trail," designed for children ages 2 to 5, is located on the west side of the 85-acre
Veteran’s Memorial Park, just south of the playground. More
Sixth-grader spearheads park work
Corpus Christi Caller-Times Share
Noela Ortiz, 11, didn't always like Country Club Park in her neighborhood. She said much of the old equipment in the Corpus Christi, Texas, park was rotted or removed. The sixth-grader
saw other city parks around town with newer equipment and asked her dad why the city didn't fix up their park. At her father's suggestion, she wrote a letter to the Corpus Christi Parks and Recreation Department in December, requesting a park makeover. The city then contacted her, requesting that she be part of deciding park equipment colors and layout for renovations that were started in July and completed in August. More
Volunteers help regional parks take shape
Bedford Bulletin Share
Moneta Park in Bedford County, Va., is taking shape. And much of the success has been because of the efforts of volunteers, organizations and businesses providing funding and labor for the project. Moneta Park is one of four regional parks planned or under construction in Bedford County. One of the driving forces behind the Moneta
effort has been that of Wayne Shepherd, who has served as a volunteer site manager for the project. "We wouldn't be anywhere near where we are without him," commented County Parks and Recreation Director Michael Stokes.
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Our national database of 90,000 foundations will find grant opportunities for your community.
www.team-pps.com
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Kiefer offers an entire line of specified equipment for water parks, competition and leisure pools, and aquatic facilities.
www.kiefer.com
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