old-fashioned toys
Don't be fooled by all those "educational" electronics in stores. What's best for your kids, pediatricians say, are old-fashioned toys that require you to actually interact with them. Here are some great suggestions. Read more
a good park within a 10-minute walk
The secret to good health may be a walk in the park. Parks offer so many benefits to communities and the nation’s goal is to have a good park within a 10-minute walk for all citizens. How does your city stack up? Read more
engaging kids with outdoor winter activities
Snowy, cold weather benefits children’s development and health. If you need convincing, check out these benefits and great suggestions for engaging kids with outdoor winter activities. Read more
Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop has recently received two $100 million grants, the latest from Lego Foundation, to create programming specifically for young refugee children who have been forcibly displaced from their homes. Read more
Resilience
Resilience is a behavior learned through lessons in life that teach kids how to better handle stress, understand that rejection is not a comment on their entire existence, and to view setbacks as things that don’t need to sideline them for good. Read more
BMX race tracks
The action-sport landscape has an under-realized newcomer gaining ground in public parks: sanctioned BMX race tracks. Since BMX racing was added to the Olympics in 2008, cities are recognizing the benefits of adding tracks to their communities. Read more
Hatchibaby
The enduring appeal of toys that need to be fed, changed, and rocked like human babies may be rooted in children’s desire to act like grown-ups. The Hatchibaby is poised to be a hot item on this year’s holiday toy market. Read more
monkey bars should be replaced
Some believe monkey bars should be replaced with space nets, the 3D rope structures that are becoming popular in playgrounds today. The reason given is that space nets break falls and reduce injury rates. Read more
four, 15-minute recess breaks
The goal of maximizing student focus in the classroom led this school to give students four, 15-minute recess breaks and no more than an hour of instructional time in between. Kids and teachers both are happy with the results. Read more
competing priorities
As city parks departments recover from the Great Recession, they grapple with competing priorities that resulted in more than twice as many dog parks than playgrounds per capita added since 2016. Parks departments face many challenges. Read more
