Build a Better Playground Project

The city’s Department of Parks and Recreation just announced a pilot program, to build a better playground project supported by the Walt Disney Company, to introduce sand, water and other “loose parts” to 10 existing playgrounds across the city. The department said in a news release:

This year, the city divulged plans to build an innovative playground near South Street Seaport that would change the way children play. The new playground concept is to emphasize an environment that children can manipulate, like sand and water; props like building blocks, buckets, shovels, pulleys, wagons and wheelbarrows; and trained “play associates” whose “job is to ensure a diverse, creative play space.”

As Diane Cardwell reported, the idea for the Imagination Playground — which now has its own Web site — came from David Rockwell, known for creating adult play spaces like the restaurants Nobu and Café Gray in Manhattan and the Mohegan Sun casino and resort in Connecticut.

Peaceful Playgrounds an international playground programming company from California, has long supported the notion of "loose playground equipment" ie. balls, jumpropes, hoops etc for school recess programming. According to Peaceful Playgrounds owner and developer, Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer, having loose equipment also contributes to more physically active children on the playground. She points to a study by physical activity researcher Dr. Thom McKenzie that found that adding balls, bean bags, hoops, jumpropes etc contributed to increased physical activity levels in children at recess. His study included approximately 40,000 children.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/07/24/building-a-better-playground-as-easy-as-m-i-c-k-e-y/

Bystanders Stand up to Bullies

By Robinson Duffy
rduffy@newsminer.com
Published July 24, 2007

Often when people picture bullying, the image that comes to mind, is a bully or group of bullies backed by a cadre of supporters. Who are picking on a child with no visible support.

Margie Kurzbard would like to see the opposite of that situation. She wants to see that the victims of bullies have a strong support network of peers and adults.A support network stronger than the bullies.

“The idea is to switch that crowd of people,” says Kurzbard, the director of the school district’s Safe Schools, Healthy Students program. “That way the bully feels less supported by peers.” The Bullying program teaches children to stand up to bullies with the support of bystanders.

Bullying is a problem across the country. According to data collected by the World Health Organization, 30 percent of school children in the United States are either bullies or the victim of a bully.

“We’re no different then the rest of the country,” Kurzbard said. “It doesn’t matter where you live. Every school’s got kids who feel like behaving meanly is fun to do.”

Quick & Easy Guide to School Wellness

Healthy Schools Campaign and School Health Corp. are pleased to announce the release of "The Quick & Easy Guide to School Wellness", a multimedia how-to guide filled with comprehensive information, practical advice, tools and resources. The guide made its debut at the National Association of School Nurses conference in Nashville, Tenn. with positive and enthusiastic reviews from school nurse leaders in attendance.

The guide, available free of charge to schools and nonprofits, was developed in response to a need for school stakeholders -- nurses, teachers, parents, administrators and students -- to effectively implement the school wellness policies that became mandatory in fall 2006. The guide includes multiple case studies, bonus tip sheets, and a comprehensive set of documents and resources from leading organizations throughout the country.

According to Jean Saunders, director of school wellness for the Healthy Schools Campaign, "It doesn't have to be overwhelming. This guide brings together the most important resources in one place and makes it easy to create healthy change one step at a time."
http://healthyschoolscampaign.org/campaign/wellness/index.php

Olympic Educational Materials Now Available

Olympians for Life are educational lesson plans for grades kindergarten through 12 that promote the Olympic Ideals and Values and are accompanied by profiles of athletes training for Beijing in 2008. Lessons are grouped according to major educational strands: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Register for free access. All materials for "Olympians in Life" are being distributed free to educators. You can access the materials by clicking http://www.usolympicteam.com/12683.htm







Real Athletes Play Fair
Another great resource is te Real Athletes Play Fair Campaign materials. In 2006, during its first year of a multi-year campaign promoting Olympic Values, the USOC developed materials to support the concept of fair play, which includes drug-free competition. The campaign is supported by posters, PSAs, movie theater ads, and more. Take a few minutes to view the 30 second Public Services Announcements.

Playground upgrades paying off, report suggests

Since 2000, the Toronto District School Board replaced and updated more than 200 of its playgrounds, and another 200 need to be replaced. Recent statistics indicate that it may have been worth it.

A report released this week from a health-sector think tank suggests Toronto is seeing proportionately fewer emergency-room visits from children injured in playground activities than are many regions of Ontario - which the study's author says may be related to new, safer playground equipment at the city's public schools.

The Canadian Institute for Health Information report says that for every 100,000 visits to Toronto emergency rooms, 208.5 of them were children hurt in playground accidents. This was lower than the provincial average of 264.5.

Walking to School: A Missed Opportunity

Even though one out of three American children live within a mile of their school, barely half of those students regularly bike or walk to class, researchers report.

Children who live in the South, in rural areas or who have college-educated parents are among those least likely to bike or walk to school, notes the report, which is published in the July issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Martin and colleagues said that the reasons why children in urban areas might be more likely to bike or walk are complex. They cited the fact that schools may be in mixed-use neighborhoods where it is more possible to bike or walk, in contrast to suburbs where there may be fewer safe sidewalks.

More on Walking to School.

New Physical Education Legislation in California

Legislation that went into effect this month is meant to shore up physical education in California. As of July 1, students have to pass the state fitness test, which is administered in grades five, seven and nine, in order to be eligible for an exemption from physical education in high school. Previously, high school physical education exemptions were considered routine for grades 11 & 12.

All high school students are required to take two years of physical education to be eligible for graduation unless they get an exemption. The state Department of Education doesn't keep data on how many students receive exemptions, but officials say that many do. Many. So until now, kids could fail the fitness test in middle school, then still be exempt out of gym class in high school.

State Sen. Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch), a former high school track coach and sponsor of the new mandate, says it should function as a reality check for students and schools. But the best intentions of legislators are often no match for bureaucratic loopholes. Because there is no state statute defining what it means to "pass" the test, school districts define it for themselves.

Which is why Torlakson is sponsoring additional legislation that would not only provide funding for physical education teachers to craft classes that better engage students, but would define passing as meeting the minimum standards on five of six parts of the test. This would result in trustworthy test scores and a better assessment of the health of California's children.

Texas Preparing for Required Fitness Tests

Texas public school students will have to endure one more test in this year's assessment battery.

But for this one, there will be no cramming -- unless they want to start practicing sit-ups and wind sprints.

The Texas Legislature mandated this year that students in grades three through 12 be tested annually on aerobic capacity, body composition, muscular strength, endurance and flexibility.

A task force from the Texas Education Agency is still reviewing the tests and will decide on one in August.

More on Texas Fitness Testing.

National Report on State of Children

A new government report, titled America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2007, was released this week. Health experts say the findings serve as a "national report card" for the state of the health of the country's children.

Results include:

• Fewer teens are having sex, and the teen birth rate hit an all time low in 2005.
• Children receiving recommended vaccinations are on the rise, up from 71% to 81%.
• Exposure to secondhand smoke has been reduced, but is still a significant 59%.
• In the 6-12 year old age group, the percentage of obesity tripled over the last 25 years.
• Violent crime is down significantly from 2003, though there was a small spike in 2005.
• About 88% of teens finish high school or earn a diploma.
• The number of children living in homes considered "food insecure" dropped, and the number of children living in homes where at least one parent was employed rose.
• Eighty-eight percent of young adults ages 18 to 24 had completed high school with a diploma or an alternative credential such as a General Education Development certificate in 2005. This represented a 1 percentage point increase from 2004 and a 4 percentage point increase since 1980.

Continue reading The state of our children

Wii Fit??

A new Wii Fit Video Game (still in development) utilizes a new balance board which simulates various physical activities. The pressure-sensitive board not only registers your movements and projects them on-screen, but also measures your BMI (body mass index) to let you track your fitness progress. Wii Fit features over 40 activities, including hula-hoop, push-ups, yoga, and step aerobics.


Wii Fit isn’t due to hit shelves until early 2008. Click on the Wii Fit Video to view demonstration.

Schools on the Move

A initiative to tackle childhood obesity will see 45,000 pedometers delivered to 250 deprived schools in the UK.

The Department of Health's 'Schools on the Move' programme gets underway from September 2007 and March 2008, encouraging children to become more active..

Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said: "Pedometers have been proven to increase the amount of physical activity undertaken by not only young people but by their families as well.

"When this scheme was piloted, we found that children were so keen to improve their step count they often persuaded their families to get more active by going for things like a country walk, or visiting local fitness clubs.

"We have found they appeal particularly to children who wouldn't normally do much physical activity."

Information on a United States school walking program using pedometers can be found at Peaceful Playgrounds : We Count Pedometer Program.

Fool Proof Workout

OkGo on Treadmills Dancing

If video screen does not appear please use link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv5zWaTEVkI&NR=1&v3

Playground Safety Study Released

In the United States each year, emergency rooms treat more than 200,000 children ages 14 and under for playground-related injuries. About 45% of those injuries are considered severe including internal injuries, fractures, concussions, dislocations and amputations. Approximately 75% of nonfatal injuries related to playground equipment take place on public playgrounds, and most of those are at schools and daycare centers. In a ten-year period (1990-2000), a startling 147 children in that same age group died from playground-related injuries. Of those deaths, 82% were from strangulation and 31% were from falls.

According to a new study by Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, injuries due to falls from playground equipment result in a higher number of severe injuries than either bicycle or motor vehicle crashes. Injuries can result from poorly designed or defective playground equipment , falls from heights onto hard surfaces, falling onto glass or other dangerous debris, or the playground owner's failure to supervise or protect children from foreseeable accidents resulting from the misuse of playground equipment.

While all children who use public playgrounds are at risk for injury, girls sustain injuries slightly more often than boys, and children ages 5-9 have higher rates of emergency room visits for injuries than any other age group. A study in New York City found that playgrounds in low-income areas had more maintenance-related hazards than playgrounds in high-income areas. The low income playgrounds had more trash, rusty play equipment and damaged fall surfaces.
http://www.ask4sam.net/2007/07/playgrounds-not-as-safe-as-parents-may.html

Worth Reading: Melinda's Weekly View

The United States is NOT going to compete with the rest of the world in terms of cheap labor or cheap raw materials. If we are going to compete productively with the rest of the world, it's going to be in terms of creativity and innovation. America has always had a capacity for hard work and stamina, but those qualities of creativity and ingenuity are not being nurtured and fostered by our current educational system. Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts

In the era of No Child Left Behind, liberal learning is on the defensive. Federal law mandates academic gains only in reading and math, and its sanctions and interventions are triggered only by failure to make gains in those two areas. States, school districts and individual educators have understandably responded by ramping up the time spent teaching those two sets of core skills and prepping students to take tests in them, to the detriment of a "broad", "liberal" and "arts" education. As a result, the K-12 school system as a whole is failing today's students.

The public K-12 school system must provide every young American with an education that allows them to become fully functioning and contributing member of society. On this front we are not doing so well.
Whether as voters, advocates, or candidates, for a democracy to function well its citizens must be actively engaged in the decisions that affect their lives and those of their children. Yet too few Americans are so engaged. Consider so simple a gauge as voter turn-out for presidential elections, which declined steadily, from 1960 (63 percent of the voting population) to 2000 (51 percent,rising back to 55 percent in 2004). In off-year congressional elections, the figures are lower: 47 percent turnout in 1962, 37 percent in 2002. Such paltry rates of participation do not bode well for our democracy. (Fordham Foundation 2007). Is it any wonder that a society reared on multiple choice exams finds it difficult to decide on the candidate best suited to lead the city, state or nation?

What's needed today is more not less.
Years ago, most U.S. schools sought a balanced education for their students. In addition to the three R’s, along with generous exposure to history, math, science, literature, music, and art, young people also received training in debate, in values and character, and in speech. One could fairly say they were being groomed for leadership or at least for responsible citizenship. Today students sit in classrooms for extended periods of time (often without recess or physical education) and drill in the areas of reading and mathematics. Rote learning is not synonymous with deep thinking.

The world is a different place now.
Twenty years ago the average person spent their entire lifetime in the same job working for the same employer. Today the twenty-somethings call them "lifers". My daughter, (a twenty-something) and a college graduate has worked for 3 employers in three years. A movie studio, a fashion designer and now me -a playground designer. Granted not all college graduates land such unique positions or move so frequently. However their positions are unique. Some graduates I know are inventing video games, designing web pages, and writing for public relations firms. I trust, you agree that while reading and mathematics are necessary foundational skills for these positions, film production courses, technology courses, art and design courses best match the skills set needed for the previously described graduates.

Neighborhoods are more fluid, too. People move in and out with greater regularity. And today’s neighborhoods are more diverse in myriad ways. To compete successfully in a world where we will surely come in contact with many people whose primary language is not English, do business with a printer of Middle Eastern descent or painter of Hispanic descent, then negotiate with an importer from the Far East, it’s just not enough to know a lot about a narrow field. It’s important to be well versed in a broad array of technologies, cultural histories, and languages.

History offers many explanations for why people should acquire a broad, liberal-arts education. Prominent thinkers and leaders over the centuries have expounded on the virtues of such learning. Aristotle said liberal education is necessary if one is to act "nobly." Franklin said it was needed to cultivate "the best capacities" in humans. And Einstein found in liberal learning the locus for imagination.

The challenge we all face is not can Jane and Johnny Read.
But how WELL have we prepared Juan and Jolanta to create the latest gadget, lead an innovation team in creating the latest and greatest version of software, or design the yet unrealized innovation that will change the way we presently do something someone has yet to invent.

This blog represents reflections from Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer on material from "Beyond the Basics: Achieving a Liberal Education for All Children. Fordham Foundation 2007.

Dr. Bossenmeyer is a retired public school principal and administrator from California State University San Marcos.

Ten states getting $100,000 grants to fight childhood obesity.

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices awarded the grants on Thursday.
The money is earmarked for the development of strategies and laws, and the analysis of existing programs aimed at fighting childhood obesity.

States getting the grants include Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

"The challenge for states is to develop interventions that have the greatest impact on childhood obesity, and these awards will help states in their planning efforts," said John Thomasian, director of the NGA Center.

The National Governors Association Center, based in Washington, D.C., helps governors and their staffers develop public policy. It is funded by dues from states and by public and private grants.

Playground Heat Solution : Misters

With year-round schools in session, kids are spending recess in sometimes scorching heat. Some schools are looking into ways to limit sun and heat exposure. With year-round schools in session around the nation some people are concerned about kids being outside in the extreme heat at recess. That has some school officials across the nation looking for ways to block out the bright sun.

Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer, Retired Principal from E.Hale Curran Elementary School in Murrieta, CA, and Peaceful Playgrounds owner suggests that the solution is misters. High pressure pumps stainless steel mistlines and brass misting nozzles produce microscopic droplets of water that cools the surrounding air up to 30 degrees. Curran installed the misters in covered structures after Murrieta transitioned schools to year round in the early 90's. It is not uncommon for temps to reach 105 degrees regularly during the months of July-September in the Murrieta which is about 50 miles from Palm Springs. "The misters provide much needed relief from the sweltering summer sun and were economical as well. Misters use little water and are inexpensive to install, " according to Bossenmeyer. "It is well documented that students have a great deal of difficulty regulating physical activity in the heat. Many students play hard and get sick. We found that the students would self regulate and go under the shade structures and cool off once the misters were installed."

Water bottles, sunscreen, hats and verbal reminders are all a part of keeping kids safe in summer sun.

Prayer at Recess Likely to End Up In Court

A shift in the schedule of US schools to accommodate Muslims students’ prayers is being considered by some to be unconstitutional with the implication that the schools promote religion, reports the Christian Science Monitor.

During afternoon recess, at an elementary school on the outskirts of San Diego, some students go out to play, while others assemble in a room for prayers. This “special treatment” has raised a controversy with Constitutional overtones: Is the school unfairly promoting religion by accommodating Muslim students?

According to Pacific Justice Institute President Brad Dacus, the school’s policy “presumes that Christians are less religious and less inspired to worship and praise the Lord and come together”. He is asking the school district to set up special rooms where Christians can pray too. This outcry, and others like it from conservative commentators and attorneys, suggests that the matter may end up in court. The issue at hand is to what extent a public school can accommodate the special religious needs of some students while denying similar allowances for other students.

According to the Christian daily, about 100 students in the Arabic language programme at Carver Elementary School are given a 15-minute recess period in the afternoon and about an hour after lunch. Many of the students are Muslim and the school has revised its schedule so the students can pray at the specific times ordained by their religion, says attorney Brent North, who represents the school district. A teacher is present to watch the praying children but cannot lead or take part in the observance. He said Islam is one of the few religions that requires specificity of prayer obligations and denies that a new recess were added to address the religious needs of Muslim students. Akram Shami, a retired bank security manager who volunteers at the Islamic Centre of Southern California in Los Angeles, says that five daily prayers on scheduled times are an integral part of the Islamic faith. He said several students take momentary leaves of classes or wait until they get home to say all their prayers together, according to the faith.

According to the newspaper, various school districts in the US have faced dilemmas as the number of Muslims in the country has grown. More on the subject of prayer at recess.

Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (PECAT)

	About PECAT What can the PECAT do for my school? Frequently Asked Questions Brochure Presentation Slides and User Guide

The Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (PECAT) will help school districts conduct a clear, complete, and consistent analysis of written physical education curricula, based upon national physical education standards. The PECAT is customizable to include local standards. The results from the analysis can help school districts enhance existing curricula, develop their own curricula, or select a published curriculum, for the delivery of quality physical education in schools.

Download or Order PECAT

	Download in PDF Format* Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (PECAT) (210 pages, 520K)
	Order Print Copies Complete this online order form. See PECAT: Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool under the Physical Activity category.

Citation and Contents

Suggested Citation
CDC. Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool. Atlanta, GA, 2006.

Physical activity backpack

Why not fill a school backpack with physical activities for summer fun? Store it in the car and fill it with simple items to get kids moving. When you go for a visit instead of allowing kids to sit inside, play video games or watch TV send them outdoors. It's the perfect opportunity for a little activity.

Include: A jump rope, a chinese jumprope, a small ball, a bouncing rubber ball, a frisbee, a large piece of chalk (for drawing game courts) hopscotch and two square.

Since it's summer throw in hats and sun screen and a couple bottles of water.

According to Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer, President Peaceful Playgrounds Inc, in addition to the health benefits of play, "Children permitted to play freely with peers develop skills for seeing things through another person's point of view-- cooperating, helping, sharing, and solving problems."

Step log online

Walker Tracker is a community site for pedometer fans to log and track their steps.

Start Logging Your Walking by setting up an account.
(It's free and you can start tracking steps right away.)

→ Learn more about the Walker Tracker

A few members who have posted in the last while.

Use the Walker Tracker to:

• Track your steps — great for 10000 step programs
• Also track heart rate, blood pressure, aerobic steps and a variety of other health metrics
• Calculate your daily mileage
• View charts of your progress
• Set a step goal
• Write a mini-blog about each day
• Form groups and compete
• Follow the progress of your fellow walkers
• Upload a daily walking photo
• Find other walkers
• Get inspired to walk more

Walker Tracker is free to use and a perfect way to keep motivated to walk more, be healthier, and meet other walkers. Sign up!

Sign Up for
Walker Tracker

For more information go to the Walker Tracking website.

Paying the Price of a Cheap Pedometer

Wearing a pedometer can motivate adults and children alike to add more steps to their day and get in more exercise. However, a study suggests that using cheap, inaccurate pedometers could do more harm than good in giving people an inaccurate count.

The study tested a cheap Stepping Meter vs. the accurate Yamax Digiwalker SW-200 on 35 study subjects. Each subject wore 1 Yamax pedometer and 5 Stepping Meters all day and the step counts were recorded at the end of the day. Each subject tested 30 pedometers over the course of six days.

A 10% variation in the step counts was considered acceptable. Only a quarter of the inexpensive pedometers met this mark, while the resulting 74% overcounted or undercounted steps. The most inaccurate pedometers overcounted the steps - with a third of them overcounting them by 50%. The others undercounted steps. People who think they are walking 10,000 steps per day may only be walking 5,000 steps per day.

In a pilot test of pedometers with children, Peaceful Playgrounds tested an inexpensive ($5-10) pedometer against a more expensive ($15-20) pedometer. They found that the inexpensive pedometers resulted in inaccurate step counts, broke frequently, and frustrated children. Peaceful Playgrounds found that child proof pedometers must be durable, accurate, be able to withstand dropping, and shaking. "A safety strap is a must," according to Peaceful Playgrounds director, Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer, author of the We Count Pedometer Walking Program. "We found that children were very competitive with their step counts and would challenge a friend to a specified distance and then both children would check their pedometers, " children found the inaccurrate pedometers frustrating and lost interest in their use.

Peaceful Playgrounds concluded that a target price for a pedometer for children is generally around $20. A price point in the $20 range seem to provide good quality pedometers that stand up to the use and abuse (dropping, shaking, etc) that is often typical use patterns for children.

For more information on pedometer studies: Crouter, Schneider, Karabulut and Bassett, "Pedometer Measures of Free-Living Physical Activity: Comparison of 13 Models." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 36(2):331-335, February 2004.

New State Laws Effecting Children's Health

Among the new laws that took effect in states across the country July 1:

HEALTH: New York City bans trans fats. Massachusetts' sweeping health care insurance law takes full effect, with everyone required to have health insurance - either with state help or purchased privately.

CHILDREN'S HEALTH: California bans soda sales on school campuses during school hours, and puts new limits on sugar and fat content in school food. Florida starts a one-year pilot program to test randomly for steroid use among high school athletes participating in football, baseball and weightlifting.

Childhood obesity: Neglect or problem?

Most agree that the Scottish doctor who equated childhood obesity with parental neglect went too far, however few dispute that childhood obesity is something very serious that we have to take into consideration in our society.

Matt Capehorn recently asked his professional association to declare extreme cases of overfeeding young children abuse. His statements stoked controversy on the topic across the U.K., where the BBC reported that child-protection authorities had investigated 20 such cases.

One involved Connor MacCreaddie, an eight-year-old who weighs 218 pounds. In February, his mother was allowed to retain custody of the boy, under an agreement that she would "safeguard and promote the child's welfare."

For more information on the childhood obesity neglect debate.......

Nutrition Education Programs Get Failing Review

An Associated Press review of scientific studies examining 57 school nutrition education programs found that nutrition education programs alone usually fail in getting kids to change eating habits. Just four studies showed any real success in changing the way kids eat or any promise as weapons against the growing epidemic of childhood obesity. This is particularly disappointing as the federal government will spend approximately 1 billion dollars in federal funds for nutrition education programs next year.

Doctors like Tom Robinson, who directs the Center for Healthy Weight at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University, said those studies aren't needed. The research has already shown that nutrition education programs alone don't work.

"I think the money could be better spent on programs that are more behaviorally oriented, as opposed to those that are educationally oriented, or studies that just describe the problem over and over again," he said.

There may be pieces of solutions found in limited studies currently being tested around the country. In some situations, obese and overweight children can lose weight and get healthy through rigorous hospital and clinic-based interventions that involve regular check-ins, family involvement, scheduled exercise and nutrition education.

School programs that increase physical activity are also more likely to have an impact o childhood obesity than nutrition education programs according to the AP research review.

DO SCHOOLS KILL CREATIVITY

Happy 4th! Today's post is one to ponder. My daughter introduced me to the TED.com website. It is an amazing window into the world of "thinkers." My first visit into the world of Ted.com lasted about 3 hours so that is the reason for the holiday post. Enjoy! Why not take a minute and share your thoughts regarding the Ted website by commenting below?



Why don't we get the best out of people? Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson argues that it's because we've been educated to become good workers, rather than creative thinkers. Students with restless minds and bodies -- far from being cultivated for their energy and curiosity -- are ignored or even stigmatized, with terrible consequences. Robinson makes an entertaining (and profoundly moving) case for creating an education system that nurtures creativity, rather than undermining it. With ample anecdotes and witty asides, Robinson points out the many ways our schools fail to recognize -- much less cultivate -- the talents of many brilliant people. "We are educating people out of their creativity," Robinson says. "All kids have tremendous talents and we squander them." He goes on to say that he believes that creativity is as important in education as literacy, and we should give it the same status.


ted.com

Baby Boomers Park Preferences

New parks are emphasising adult needs over those of children. New parks are primarily for aging baby boomers who want trails more than playgrounds. As demand for parks grows, fewer and fewer children are playing in parks - largely because frightened parents won't let them outside unsupervised, experts say.

In her classic 1982 study of America's parks, "The Politics of Parks," she identified four types of park design, introduced at different stages:

"The Pleasure Ground." The earliest American parks were like Central Park in New York City, which was created in 1858 as a large-scale antidote to city life. These were beautiful, peaceful and huge, like nature itself.

"Reformed park." From 1900s to 1930s, these parks were part of a progressive movement calling for small urban parks for children's playgrounds.

"Recreation facility." Cranz says the heyday of the large-scale sports facilities - typically fields for football and baseball - was from 1930 to 1965.

"Open space systems," in which large tracts of undeveloped land were added to the mix of parks.

PARK-PHOBIA

Even if kids had more neighborhood playgrounds, it isn't clear they would use them.

Today, only 6 percent of children play outdoors unsupervised even once a week, according to the Child & Nature Network. Instead, children ages 8 to 18 now spend about 44.5 hours a week in front of a computer or TV screen, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

They live in what has been called "virtual protective house arrest" - put there by their parents.

The national rate of child abductions by strangers has declined in the past 20 years - to about 100 a year, making them about as rare as getting killed by lightning. But experts say paranoia is rampant - and blame news coverage of abductions that can terrify parents. "Fear has escalated, and it's almost irrational," Flor a kindergarten teacher said.

More on new parks give boomers room to roam.

PLAYGROUNDS: Does safe equal boring

SAFETY-FIRST playgrounds bore children and discourage them from playing outdoors, new research has found.

An element of risk at play in schools and parks helps children become more active, the research finds.

University of Sydney health sciences professor Anita Bundy said this week Australian playgrounds were too safety conscious -- slides and swings placed barely above the ground in an effort to eliminate risk of falls and injury.

"Kids have to fall, have to scratch themselves and bruise and graze," she said. "That is how they learn what they can do and can't do."

Titled Popping the Bubble Wrap, her study showed children were 60 per cent more active when given loose materials such as tyres and wooden planks to play with instead of the usual prefabricated playground equipment.