Learning Structures began in 1971 when a young architect named Christopher "Kit" Clews was smitten by a young schoolteacher. The teacher asked Kit if he could design a playground for $100. Using friends, family, and parents of the children who attended the school, Kit designed and constructed a playground and came in under budget! Nearly four decades later, Learning Structures has worked with 1500 communities and 100,000 volunteers creating unique play spaces that highlight each community's special features or attractions.

The blog, Free-Range Kids, is written by Lenore Skenazy, who was dubbed "America's Worst Mom" by the media for allowing her 9-year-old son to ride the subway in New York City alone. The Free-Range Kids blog has become one of the central clearinghouse websites for airing concerns of media reports that demonstrate the trends of adults who overly protect children from perceived dangers.

The National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS) was founded in 1995 by Dr. Donna Thompson of the University of Northern Iowa with a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As a non-profit organization, NPPS is committed to research and safety education for both the public and the playground industry.

Rolf Huber has been involved in inventing flooring and poured-in-place surfacing for running tracks, gym floors, and playgrounds. He has been a key player in setting standards for surfacing and promoting impact testing equipment.