Play Matters: How 12 Communities Got Kids Active and Healthy

For 14 years, national nonprofit organization KaBOOM! has been building playgrounds across the United States in an effort to build communities and get children active and healthy. The organizations Playful City USA campaign honors communities that have made a commitment to improving the lives of children through play.

As part of that campaign, KaBOOM! commissioned a nationwide study of various programs and local initiatives that increase the activity levels of children. The resulting report, Play Matters, highlights 12 simple and cost-effective ways public managers and other local leaders can use play to improve the well-being of their communities.

Why Play?

The opportunity to play is essential to childrens physical, social, emotional, and educational development, as well as for the health and well-being of their communities. Unfortunately, play is disappearing from the lives of children. Rising obesity rates are perhaps the most measurable and alarming evidence of a generation that is less active and less playful. If this trend is not reversed, this Sedentary Generation is on track to live shorter, unhealthier lives than their parents.

The challenge for advocates and policymakers is to demonstrate that play and play spaces are part of the solution to this urgent public health problem. To overcome the misperception that play is trivial, there must be more champions for play, and they must do a better job of explaining its benefits. Civic leaders and citizens need to mount robust and sustained initiatives that produce measurable results in enhancing health, educational, environmental, economic, and community development.

The KaBOOM! Play Matters report highlights 12 initiatives that have used play to address one or more key issues and have seen benefits in their communities as a result of their actions. The local initiatives chosen for inclusion in the report run the gamut from urban to rural and old school to high tech, and many were implemented in a range of income environments.

To make the cut, each of the 12 initiatives had to show proven results and represent a significant commitment to increasing play and physical activity. In addition, the program or initiative needed to be something other populations could do to increase the amount of play in the lives of children in their own communities.

Honored Communities Ankeny, Iowa: Parks and Recreation Department

Total population: 42,287

Youth population: 11,460

Ankenys initiative, Governing through Citizen Engagement, involves public-private collaboration that builds political capital in a growing community.

Ankeny has a rapidly expanding population of young families and a culture oriented toward athletics. Citizen demand for athletic facilities fast exceeded the supply of available space. After an initial bond measure to build a sports complex failed, the city reached out to citizens to solicit input and enlist fundraising support.

The outreach process revealed pent-up demand for play space and triggered a cultural shift in governing: The city now incorporates resident input into all phases of planning, implementation, and maintenance. As a result of high citizen participation and satisfaction rates, the Parks and Recreation Department had the political capital to proceed with an ambitious plan for the development of play areas in Ankeny.

City-led efforts resulted in a new 124-acre sports complex that alleviated pressure on neighborhood playgrounds, and Ankeny has since built two playgrounds at the complex and at a skate park. There are now 33 parks and 21 playgrounds serving the regions youth, with Ankeny constructing up to three new playgrounds per year.

Since 2002, Ankeny Parks and Recreation has directed $1.5 million in public resources per year to playground development. Public inputthrough surveys, focus groups, community engagement meetings, and playground votesnow informs every park and playground development project.

The citys 228-page master plan to guide future investment in parks, playgrounds, and other open space is a product of public-private collaboration.

Baltimore: Playworks (formerly Sports4Kids)

Total population: 763,181

Youth population: 178,012

Baltimores initiative, Playworks, is a cost-efficient way to reduce violence and improve behavior. It provides full-day play and physical education programming at low-income schools.

The program, which began in Oakland, California, is now active in several other cities. It has been championed by school principals as a cost-efficient way to improve schools overall learning environments and culturesnot just the behavior of children on the playground.

The Playworks model uses coaches trained to facilitate play during the school day. A key focus of the program is recess. Particularly at low-income, inner-city schools, disciplinary problems, a lack of school staffing, and unsafe playgrounds have compromised opportunities for play during recess.

There are 10,000 children participating in Playworks programs at 24 schools across Baltimore. In addition to recess and after-school programming, Playworks also runs classroom games during the school day. On average, Playworks delivers three 30-minute classroom games each day in different classes within the school.

As a result of the program, Baltimore schools report fewer incidents of violence, suspensions, and expulsions, as well as improved behavior in the classroom.

San Francisco: ParkScan

Total population: 744,041

Youth population: 107,885

San Franciscos ParkScan initiative is driven by a coalition of park advocates who aim to change business as usual attitudes. City residents organized to hold public officials accountable for improving playground quality and safety. The effort was led by park activist Isabel Wade, who mobilized a coalition of park groups to build awareness, visibility, and broader political support and financial capital for parks.

To improve on public transparency and accountability, the Neighborhood Parks Council (NPC) developed ParkScan, a tool to document, report, and track park maintenance issues. ParkScan data collection heightened public interest in improving the safety of San Franciscos playgrounds. In response, NPC focused its political capital and tactics on playgrounds in disrepair and increases in public and private funding for playground development.

Of the 26 playgrounds receiving a failing grade on the 2006 Playground Report Card, seven have been upgraded to a passing grade and 15 are on track to receive a C or better, either through capital development or a focused effort on playground repair. NPC has supported more than 100 friends of community groups that have conducted work days to clean up and repair their neighborhood playgrounds. Since 1996, the advocacy of NPC has helped support the rebuilding and renovation of 40 playgrounds in San Francisco.

Boston: Boston Schoolyard Initiative

Total population: 589,141

Youth population: 116,649

Bostons Schoolyard Initiative succeeds by avoiding costly errors. The citys public-private collaboration, initially inspired by the green movement, has constructed new schoolyards across the city.

With the leadership of Mayor Tom Menino, the Boston Schoolyard Initiative has transformed the outdoor physical space of more than 70 Boston schoolyards into colorful and engaging outdoor classrooms and places to play.

More than $4 million in private funds and nearly $16 million in public funds have been invested in designing and constructing comprehensive schoolyards across Boston. Mayor Menino has been the leading political champion for this effort, safeguarding resources during an economic downturn and positioning this project as part of his education reform agenda.

Greenbelt, Maryland: Joint-Use Agreements with Homeowners Associations

Total population: 21,456

Youth population: 5,167

Greenbelts public-private partnership between the city and homeowners associations (HOAs) increases both the quality and accessibility of playgrounds.

Building on a model joint-use agreement between the city and the most established homeowners associations in Greenbelt, representatives of some of the more recently developed associations successfully lobbied the city council to extend agreements for play spaces. As a result of this partnership, there has been greater public and private attention to and investment in play spaces for children.

As a condition of these joint-use agreements, upgraded play spaces are made accessible to all citizens of Greenbelt. There are currently 60 public and private playgrounds in Greenbelta city covering six square miles. The joint-use agreements provided access to an additional seven playgrounds for children and families living outside HOA areas and made existing playgrounds more accessible for disabled children.

Boulder, Colorado: The Freiker Program

Total population: 94,673

Youth population: 13,569

Boulders Freiker program is a low-cost project to get children biking and walking. Freiker (short for frequent biker) is a parent- and volunteer-driven nonprofit that uses incentives and innovative technology to increase the number of elementary school children regularly bicycling and walking to school.

A solar-powered freikometer counts daily trips. Children and parents can view and manage their data online, and students receive awards based on activity level. Within five years, this low-cost model has significantly increased physical activity and has spread to schools in four other states and Canada.

Three thousand participants have completed more than 120,000 foot and bicycle trips and have traveled 150,000 miles (six times around the world). Freiker reports that the children have burned more than 3.5 million calories, saved nearly 8,000 gallons of gas, and prevented more than 150,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

Although launched in an affluent suburb, the program has proven replicable in low-income and urban communities.

St. Petersburg, Florida: Play n Close to Home

Total population: 248,232

Youth population: 39,631

St. Petersburgs Play n Close to Home initiative demonstrates how one man (the mayor) made a difference. Mayor Rick Baker developed the policy, which would create a playground within a half mile of every child in the city.

The mayor then leveraged his political position to create the organizational authority, systems, and resources necessary to implement this policy. Through joint-use agreements with the school district and community organizations, the city has significantly improved opportunities for play.

Over seven years, Baker increased the percentage of youth aged 18 and under living within a half mile of a playground from 49 percent to 74 percent (See Table 1). The mayor also directed $500,000 in public resources per year to new playground development during that period.

The mayors playground policy resulted in 25 new playgroundsmany of which are located in underserved communitiesand eight new play areas on school grounds, where the previous equipment was often inadequate, outdated, and dilapidated.

Denver: Learning Landscapes

Total population: 588,349

Youth population: 143,557

Denvers Learning Landscapes initiative is a school-community partnership that inspires civic leaders. The citys Learning Landscapes effort is an entrepreneurial public-private partnership that designs and builds comprehensive outdoor play spaces at schools across Denver. The design-and-build process provided an opportunity to work with schools to engage parents, students, businesses, and civic leaders.

Through joint-use agreements, these play spaces were opened up to the community after school hours.

The popularity of these play spaces led to public demandand $39 million in public fundingto expand the model program to every schoolyard across Denver.

Tucson, Arizona: Sharing Play Space and Responsibility

Total population: 486,669

Youth population: 129,227

Tucson has employed joint-use agreements to increase open space and improve safety. The city and the Tucson Unified School District developed a joint-use agreement to open up new play spaces to the public. By sharing liability and maintenance responsibilities, the school district saved money while city residents benefited.

Twelve neighborhood playgrounds and fields have been opened up to the community and general public. Each of the citys six districts now has two additional playgrounds, chosen specifically in communities with the largest deficit of play space. Play equipment at these 12 playgrounds was evaluated and, where necessary, upgraded to meet the National Playground Safety Institutes guidelines.

The spaces on these grounds now receive year-round maintenance support and are regularly patrolled by the police. Communities report reduced vandalism at schools with open school yards.

Seattle: High Point Housing Project

Total population: 594,210

Youth population: 103,747

Seattles High Point Housing Project is a play-friendly community that has attracted national attention. The program provides a model of a mixed-income and intergenerational planned community that was designed with a focus on healthy living.

The Seattle Housing Authority, a public corporation governed by a citizen commission, received federal funding for the project. By engaging residents and collaborating agencies, the authority transformed a built environment oriented to vehicles and without safe, accessible play areas into an innovative, play-friendly community that is attracting national attention.

Within less than one-square mile, the High Point development has 17 playgrounds and a community park. There are pocket parks on every other block that serve as front lawns and community play spaces.

New York City: Streets Renaissance Campaign

Total population: 8,008,278

Youth population: 2,153,450

New York City has focused on its play efforts on the Streets as Places to Play program. Reviving an old New York City traditionstreets as great places for children to playthe Big Apple underscores its long history of turning paved areas into opportunities for community gatherings, entertainment, and play.

The last few years have seen improved access to streets for such activities. The movement has been driven by grassroots advocacy groups and community members who are effectively using new media tools to develop public awareness and build support.

A recent increase in applications for block parties and high-profile street closures are evidence of the success of this effort. In a densely developed urban area, street closures are a cost-efficient and effective way to provide children with access to safe, open areas for play.

In 2008, residents held 3,000 block parties, an increase of 300 from 2007. The city also permitted one Sunday play street for seven months of the year, serving roughly 1,000 people per week. Efforts are underway to expand the program to additional neighborhoods.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa: The Switch Program

Total population: 126,396

Youth population: 30,967

Cedar Rapids initiativeSwitch What You Do, View,

and Chewis about more play, less screen time, and healthier eating. The citys effort is a community- and family-based program designed to encourage eight- to 10-year-old children to change three critical health behaviors, all of which are proven risk factors for childhood obesity.

The program aims to increase childrens physical activity (Switch What You Do), decrease their screen time (Switch What You View), and increase their fruit and vegetable consumption (Switch What You Chew). Initially developed and tested by the National Institute on Media and the Family, the program measures and then creates incentives for physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, and reduced screen time.

Since 2005, more than 2,500 students in Cedar Rapids have participated in the program. On average, participants decreased their screen time more than two hours per week, increased their steps by about 350 per day, and increased fruit and vegetable consumption by two servings per day. The Switch Team reported that children in the program spent more time performing physical activity and less time in front of the television or computer.