Todd Lehman
Todd Lehman is the founder and executive creative director of Cre8Play, a custom design playground manufacturer. The goal of his company is to design and build playgrounds to "play in" rather than "play on."
Free Play LLC
Free Play LLC is a design studio that creates abstract sensory play equipment for interactive learning and unstructured playing. Through these abstract structures they seek to "give kids not just a physical workout, but a cognitive one, too, as they decide what to do with each structure."
Protective Barrier
A Protective Barrier on a playground structure is defined as "An enclosing device around an elevated surface that prevents both inadvertent and deliberate attempts to pass through the device." Protective barriers are required to protect children from jumping or falling from elevated surfaces.
Shock Absorbing
In the context of playgrounds, "shock absorbing" refers to the properties of the protective surface that assist in preventing or minimizing injuries. Shock absorbing is also referred to as "impact attenuating" as it relates to playground surfacing.
Arch R Flannery
Known as the "father of baseball" in Battle Creek, Michigan, itself the home of amateur baseball, Arch Flannery promoted physical education, amateur sports, and civic recreation for over 40 years. For his achievements the Flannery Softball Complex in Battle Creek was named in his honor and he was posthumously inducted into the Michigan Recreation and Parks Association Hall of Fame in 2005.
Danny Byrd
Danny Byrd is a playground equipment designer for Cre8Play, a custom play designer and manufacturer. His work in the playground industry included serving on several ASTM International committees.
Kathleen Burriss
An authority on early childhood development and play, Dr. Kathleen Burriss is professor at Middle Tennessee State University. Dr. Burriss is a prolific writer and speaker on the subjects of early childhood learning, outdoor learning, and play.
Morgan's Wonderland
Morgan's Wonderland is an all-inclusive, ultra accessible theme park for guests of all ages and of all physical and cognitive abilities. Located near San Antonio, Texas, it is a place of "smiles and laughter" where "the common element of play creates an atmosphere of inclusion for those with and without disabilities, encouraging and allowing everyone to gain a greater understanding of one another."
BCI Burke
One of the oldest playground companies in the United States, BCI Burke was founded by John E. Burke in 1920 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Besides having innovative products, safety is also a priority at BCI Burke.
Ken Kutska
Ken Kutska has been involved since the 1970s in the evolution of the public playground industry safety standards and was co-founder and instructor of the National Recreation and Park Association's National Playground Safety Institute and its internationally recognized Certified Playground Safety Inspector Program.
