Organizations Programs

'nPlay Foundation

Eric Cohen, Mike Maccia, Scott Hunter-Smith, and Steve Conner founded the not-for-profit 'nPlay Foundation in 2008. They joined forces to establish "the professional athlete's foundation for the prevention of childhood obesity." 'nPlay was put together to unite the athletes of the sports world to fight the children's obesity epidemic.

A Los Angeles afterschool program, A World Fit For Kids! (WFIT) is a nonprofit organization that utilizes an award-winning mentoring model in disadvantaged communities in order to reduce childhood obesity, increase high school graduation rates, and prepare youth for the workforce.

As a nonprofit organization, Action for Healthy Kids is helping schools teach kids how to eat right, be active every day, and be ready to learn. Action for Healthy Kids is a network of grassroots volunteers who have the shared vision of assisting all kids to develop lifelong habits that promote health and learning.

Established in 2001 as a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Active Living Research supports research to identify environmental factors and policies that influence physical activity. Active Living Research is especially interested in reversing the rise of childhood obesity in youth of low-income and high-risk communities.

Active Schools is a national movement to ensure that 60 minutes a day of physical education and before, during, and after-school physical activity is the norm in K-12 schools throughout the United States.

The American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation joined together in 2005 to form the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. They seek to reduce childhood obesity by 2015 through empowering children to make healthy lifestyle choices.

Formed in 1999, the Alliance for Childhood advocates for children's healthy development, love of learning, and joy in living. The Alliance for Childhood seeks to restore free play for children while warning against the trend of "high stakes" testing in education and the overuse of technology by children that limits their active play time.

A coalition of seven biking organizations, America Bikes advocates for recognition of bicycling needs in the United States. America Bikes focuses on the Federal Transportation Bill and other federal policy that affect bicycling and walking.

An urban youth program, America SCORES combines team-based soccer leagues, poetry appreciation and writing curricula, and youth-led civic service projects.

A nonprofit coalition of independent organizations, America Walks is dedicated to creating communities where walking is a safe and comfortable choice for all people. America Walks supports local pedestrian advocacy groups, educates the public about the benefits of walking, and speaks as a collective, national voice for transforming America's transportation system.

The National Association of State Park Directors launched the America's State Parks alliance in 2009. America's State Parks educates the public on the positive impact on public health and local economies that state parks offer.

American Academy for Park & Recreation Administration

The American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration (AAPRA) is an organization of distinguished practitioners and scholars committed to the advancement of the park and recreation field.

Northwestern University founded the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is committed to raising the public's awareness of playground safety.

The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) is a national organization of over 20,000 professionals that provides support and assistance to professionals involved in physical education, recreation, fitness, sports and coaching, health education, and dance.

American Association for Leisure & Recreation

Established in 2005, the American Association for Leisure & Recreation (AALR) was formed to support community based programs for "creative and active lifestyles through meaningful physical activity, recreation and fitness experiences across the lifespan."

A professional organization of education leaders, the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) has a mission to "support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to the highest quality public education for all children."

Founded to support the organized camping movement, the American Camp Association (ACA) is a nonprofit organization with the mission of enriching the lives of children, youth, and adults through the camp experience.

Begun in 1899, the American Society of Landscape Architects promotes initiatives, campaigns, and congressional acts in areas of economic recovery, transportation, sustainable design, livable communities, water and stormwater, and historic landscapes.

A nonprofit trade association, the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) provides leadership and resources to specialty toy manufacturers, independent retailers, specialty suppliers and service providers, and industry affiliates.

The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) is a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization that provides youth soccer programs with the mission to provide a positive, fun, family environment where everyone plays and good sportsmanship is promoted.

The mission of the Anne and Kirk Douglas Playgrounds is to encourage schools to refurbish playgrounds. The mission of the Douglas Playground Award is to encourage schools to refurbish playgrounds and rejuvenate school grounds by partnering with others in their community.

A nonprofit global organization, the Association for Childhood Education International promotes and supports the education and development of children so that "Every child in every nation will have access to quality education."

Begun in 1962 as an informal gathering of directors of children's museums, the Association of Children's Museums is headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Association of Children's Museums views children's museums as an "essential community resource where play inspires creativity and lifelong learning."

The organization, ASTM International, is the developer and provider of voluntary consensus standards in public safety to create industry best practice standards for the public good. ASTM International was originally known as the American Society for Testing and Materials.

Founded by Dr. Keith M. Christensen, the Beyond Access program disseminates information on designing physically accessible and socially inclusive playgrounds for children of all abilities.

The Boston Schoolyard Initiative (BSI) was a partnership with private and public organizations for the purpose of "transforming schoolyards into dynamic centers for recreation, learning and community life."

Amy Jaffe Barzach founded Jonathan's Dream, which led to Boundless Playgrounds mission to create truly accessible and integrated playgrounds within reach of every child. Boundless Playgrounds raised awareness of the play needs of all people and in the process was instrumental in helping raise the standards in the playground industry.

The Boy Scouts of America is a youth program based on character development and values-based leadership training with the mission to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes.

As a coalition of over 1100 independent clubs in America and on U.S. military bases, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America support the development of good character and citizenship, academic success, and healthy lifestyles for school-aged youth.

As the "voice of brain injury," the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) is the oldest and largest brain injury advocacy organization in the United States. Advocacy, research, and educating the public have been the primary focuses of the Brain Injury Association through the years.

Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play

Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, now known as The Strong, officially named their library and archive holdings the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play in 2009. With 130,000 volumes the library is "devoted to the intellectual, social, and cultural history of play."

As an independent and nonprofit organization, the California Roundtable on Recreation, Parks and Tourism supports both public and private programs in California by coordinating their programs and resources.

Originally founded as Camp Fire Girls, Camp Fire USA is a national youth development organization that serves boys and girls, with an emphasis on school-aged children. Camp Fire USA's program encompasses four core areas: Caring, Camping, Contributing, and Connecting.

Carter Oosterhouse founded a non-profit organization called Carter's Kids. The purpose of Carter's Kids is to increase a child's activity level by building and developing community parks and playgrounds in their neighborhoods.

A school health program, CATCH focuses on physical activity, healthy food choices, and the prevention of tobacco use for children from preschool through 8th grade. CATCH seeks to reduce and eliminate health risk factors for children, including the risks of obesity and diabetes.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The Communicable Disease Center was formed in 1946 by Dr. Joseph W. Mountin, a "visionary public health leader." The CDC originally focused primarily on eradicating malaria. By 1950 they had expanded to become a center for disease surveillance through the solution of the Salk vaccine contamination issue in 1955 and the tracing of the influenza epidemic in 1957.

The Charleston Park Conservancy (CPC) Garden in the Parks program is managed by the Charleston Park Angels volunteers. The Charleston Park Angels seek to connect the community to the city's parks through vision, education, and involvement.

Launched in 2003, Chicago Toy & Game Group is a series of events, awards, and resources to encourage invention of toys and games. The Chicago Toy & Game Week hosts the International T&G Conference, TAGIE Awards, the Social Media @ Play Conference, the I-SPI, the Play with Purpose Conference, the Youth Inventor Challenge, and the free two day ChiTAG Fair.

A "gamer-run" nonprofit organization, Child's Play coordinates game and toy donations for children's hospitals worldwide. By providing videogame consoles, videogames, videos, coloring books, cartoons, books, and arts and crafts supplies Child's Play seeks to ameliorate the stress of long-term hospitalization for the children and their families.

Children & Nature Network was founded in 2006 to address the Nature Deficit Disorder issue raised by Richard Louv's book Last Child in the Woods. Richard and five other leaders in diverse fields created the nonprofit Children & Nature Network with the initiative to "Leave No Child Inside." Their mission was to reconnect children to nature for two purposes: the physical health, cognitive development, and emotional well-being of the child, and the good of the planet.

A non-profit organization focusing on advocacy, research, education and service, the Consumer Federation of America has a membership of over 50 million individuals and 280 organizations. CFA focuses on four areas: advocacy, research, education and service.

Delivering Good (formerly known as Kids in Distressed Situations) is a nonprofit organization that turns donated product from the fashion, home, and children’s industries into hope and dignity for millions of people impacted by poverty and natural disasters every year.

The Detroit Mower Gang was formed to rescue abandoned parks in the city of Detroit, Michigan. Because of the economic downturn that greatly affected Detroit in 2009, city government was strapped to sufficiently maintain many of the public city parks. Rather than allow them to be overrun with weeds and become unusable for children, Tom Nardone decided to do something about it, one park at a time.

The nonprofit organization, Empower Playgrounds, Inc. (EPI), is providing electricity-generating playground equipment to villages in Ghana that are too remote to be on their nation's electricity grid. The playgrounds of Empower Playgrounds recharge batteries for LED lanterns to light children's homes so they can do their homework.

The Fresh Air Fund is a nonprofit agency that organizes free summer experiences in the country for New York City children who often aren't allowed to play outside due to unsafe neighborhoods. It also is designed to help New York City youngsters understand the relationship between school and work and how to make choices that will determine their futures.

A joint venture of the National Football League (NFL) and the National Dairy Council (NDC), Fuel Up to Play 60 is designed to address the increasing problem of childhood obesity. Fuel Up to Play 60 is an initiative to empower youths to take action to improve nutrition and physical activity at their schools.

Games for Change is a nonprofit organization that desires "to inspire direct action and real world impact through engaging gameplay." To assist in global humanitarian efforts and educational needs, Games for Change facilitates the creation and distribution of social impact games.

The Girl Scouts is a leadership development organization for girls with the mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Juliette Gordon Low established the Girl Scouts in 1912.

Good Sports, a nonprofit organization, was founded in 2003 in Boston, Massachusetts. Their mission is to encourage healthy, active lifestyles in disadvantaged youths, aged 5-18 years old, through the distribution of sports equipment, footwear, and apparel to community sports organizations and health centers.

GP RED is a nonprofit organization that works "to identify and fill gaps in knowledge and practical resources" in the health, park, recreation, and land management industries and community "quality of life" agencies.

Green Hearts Institute for Nature in Childhood was a nonprofit conservation organization focused on “bringing children and nature back together” as a crucial step in raising a new generation of conservation-minded adults.

The Hands-on-Nature Anarchy Zone, an adventure playground at Ithaca Children’s Garden (ICG), is a partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Ithaca, New York.

Head Start Body Start National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play (HSBS) is dedicated to promoting physical activity, outdoor play, and healthy lifestyles for young children and their families.

Healthy Kids Challenge (HKC) supports schools and communities in educating kids and their families to "Eat, Move, and Enjoy a Healthy Balance." This nonprofit organization utilizes school curriculum, workshops, presentations, events, and distance assistance tools, such as their website and newsletters. Their focus is on making healthy eating and active play practices become attractive, simple, and fun for kids.

Healthy Parks Healthy People US is a National Park Service initiative that is a "holistic approach to promoting the health and well-being of people and the sustainability of the planet."

HIGH FIVE is Canada's quality standard for children's sport and recreation. The standard focuses on helping organizations enhance the quality of their sport and recreation programs and providing positive experiences for children - experiences that will remain with them for a lifetime.

As a national non-profit organization, the Home Safety Council (HSC) is dedicated to preventing home-related injuries through educating the public. The Home Safety Council is a "leading source for home safety tips, checklists and information about home fire safety, falls prevention, poison prevention, water safety, child safety, disaster preparedness as well as many other home safety topics."

The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) is an international trade association for all permanently sited amusement facilities such as amusement and theme parks, family entertainment centers, museums and science centers, zoos and aquariums, water parks and resorts, casinos, and the amusement industry manufacturers and suppliers. They are an industry resource for improving efficiency, marketing, safety, and profitability as well as being a united advocate with local, national, and international media and government officials.

International Center for the History of Electronic Games

The National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York, later known as The Strong, created the International Center for the History of Electronic Games in 2009. The ICHEG collects, studies, and interprets how video games and electronic games affect the ways people play, learn, and connect across cultural and geographical boundaries.

The International Council of Toy Industries (ICTI) is a not-for-profit worldwide toy industry association. They are committed to facilitate the exchange of information on toy industry issues, to promote universal toy safety standards, to reduce or eliminate trade barriers, and to advance manufacturing programs that address fair and lawful employment practices, workplace safety, and environmental concerns.

International Play Association USA is the national affiliate of International Play Association World, an interdisciplinary, international, non-governmental organization founded in Denmark in 1961. The membership of this organization is open to all persons or groups that endorse the United Nations' Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959) which state: "The child shall have full opportunity for play and recreation which should be directed to the same purposes as education; society and the public authorities shall endeavor to promote the enjoyment of this right."

The International Play Association (IPA) World is a global non-government organization that protects, preserves, and promotes the child's fundamental human right to play. IPA World identifies negative trends affecting children's development worldwide and proposes remedies that involve better housing and community planning and meeting the children's needs for health, education, welfare, and leisure.

The International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) was formed in 1995 by a group of twelve playground equipment manufacturers. IPEMA is a nonprofit, membership trade association with the goal of representing and promoting an open market for manufacturers of playground equipment and surfacing.

The International School Grounds Alliance (ISGA) is a global network of organizations and professionals dedicated to improving the design and utilization of school grounds in order to enrich children's learning and play.

The International Toy Library Association is an association of toy library associations and individuals from around the world who serve children by giving them opportunities to experience play at their homes by lending toys and games to them as well as offering shared play opportunities at their library facilities with other children.

KaBOOM! is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1996 by Darell Hammond and Dawn Hutchison. Darell served as CEO for 20 years and led KaBOOM! with a collaboration of partners to build, open, or improve more than 17,000 playgrounds, engaged more than 1.5 million volunteers, and served more than 9 million children.

Kids Around the World is a faith-based organization founded in 1994 by Dennis Johnson. Initially, their goal was to provide safe play equipment for children who were affected by natural disasters, economic stress, political injustice, war and other situations beyond their control. Many organizations, such as the Rotary International Foundation, the Million Dollar Round Table Foundation, Salvation Army, World Vision, and Samaritan's Purse, along with individuals provide the resources for global travel and the construction of playgrounds.

Kiwanis International started in 1915 as a business and professional men's club in Detroit, Michigan. The unusual name of "Kiwanis" came from the American Indian expression, which is translated as "We Build." In 1919, the original purpose of exchanging business between members and serving the poor was refined to "serving the children of the world." And what was originally a men's only service club became, in 1987, an open club for men and women. Currently, Kiwanis clubs "sponsor nearly 150,000 service projects and have raised more than $107 million."

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.

Let's Play

Let's Play, a community partnership program created by Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (DPS), has the goal of getting kids and families active outside and to "provide the tools, places and inspiration to help communities increase physical activity." As part of DPS's corporate philanthropic program, ACTION Nation, Let's Play supports Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative, believing that obesity can be solved when everyone cooperates and takes responsibility for getting kids active outside.

Let’s Move! is a campaign by First Lady Michelle Obama dedicated to solving the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. Mrs. Obama began a national discussion about the health and nutrition of America’s children when she broke ground on the White House Kitchen Garden with local elementary school students. Further conversations on the subject grew into the Let’s Move! initiative that was launched February 9, 2010, at the White House.

On June 1, 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama launched the Let's Move Outside! initiative, a new component of her Let's Move! campaign. Designed to support President Obama's America's Great Outdoors initiative that had been announced two months previously, Let's Move Outside! promotes outdoor physical activity for families and children. This new emphasis on outdoor activities came after research linked children's overall health with their time in nature.

Little League Baseball, Inc. is a nonprofit youth sports program created to assist youth in developing discipline, teamwork, courage, loyalty, good character, and strong physical health. Little League was "designed to develop superior citizens rather than superior athletes."

In 1997, Coach Eddie Bagwell of the Rockdale Youth Baseball Association (RYBA) Conyers, Georgia invited a 7 year old child confined to a wheelchair to participate in the game. Michael had attended every game and practice while cheering on his 5 year old brother. The next year, the RYBA gave other children with disabilities the opportunity to play baseball within their complex of typical baseball diamonds.

The National Association for Recreational Equality (NARE) was formed in 1997 by Dr. Reeve R. Brenner to educate the public and advocate with communities concerning the need for non-aggressive, fully inclusive sports and recreation.

The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), headquartered in Reston, Virginia, is the largest of the five professional organizations within the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) (now known as SHAPE America).

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) began in 1926 when professional researchers and educators joined together to organize quality nursery schools. NAEYC's mission is "to serve and act on behalf of the needs, rights and well-being of all young children with primary focus on the provision of educational and developmental services and resources," birth through 8 years old.

The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) was founded in 1921 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. What started with 51 principals grew in the next five years to include 3,000 members. Today NAESP, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, represents nearly 30,000 elementary school and middle school principals.

The National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD) was formed to advocate for state park systems in America. In 2009, NASPD launched America's State Parks to promote and advance the state park systems of America.

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control

In 1985, the National Research Council (NRC) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) establish a program addressing the problem of injury directly. With funding from the United States Department of Transportation, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) was begun.

The National Center on Accessibility (NCA) was established at Indiana University in Bloomington in 1992. With support from the National Park Service, NCA promotes access for and inclusion of people with disabilities in parks, recreation, and tourism.

The National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity (NCPPA) is a network of organizations that are working together to establish policies that "improve the public's health and prevent and manage chronic diseases through increased levels of physical activity."

The National Council of Youth Sports is a sports organization that promotes and supports organized amateur youth sport programs through advocacy, education, resources, trainings, research, and conferences.

The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) is a national probability sample of emergency room visits involving injuries. From this sampling, a national estimate is made concerning the total number of injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms.

Claire Scheibe, co-founder of the magazine Toy Farmer, and Dave Bell, president of ERTL Company, a producer of farm toy replicas, joined forces to create a farm toy museum in Dyersville, Iowa. Together they approached Dyersville Industries, Inc. about creating the National Farm Toy Museum (NFTM) to accommodate the growing farm toy industry and National Farm Toy Show.

The National Institute for Play was founded by Dr. Stuart Brown. Dr. Brown trained in general medicine, internal medicine, psychiatry and clinical research. He first realized the importance of play when studying a group of homicidal males. He concluded that the absence of play could have dangerous long-term consequences.

Lekotek Centers facilitate interactive play experiences for children with special needs and their families. They make "the world of play accessible to children with all types of disabilities" through inclusive play sessions with adapted toys, traditional toys, books, and computers.

The National Museum of Play is one of America's largest history museums and the nation's second largest children's museum. With a vast collection of dolls, toys, and games, it is dedicated to exploring "play and the ways in which it encourages learning, creativity, and discovery and illuminates cultural history."

National Playground Contractors Association Inc founders

The National Playground Contractors Association Inc (NPCAI) is a non-profit organization started in February of 1997 in order to provide a support program and set standards for playground construction professionals. Originally the National Playground Contractors Association (NPCA), the organization was founded by six playground contractors: Dave Antonacci, Mike Baker, Paul Cullins, Mike Egan, Laz Gonzales and Curtis Stoddard.

As members of the National Recreation and Park Association, Fran Wallach, Ken Kutska, and Monty Christiansen met with the NRPA Executive Director in 1989 concerning a training program to establish the playground safety standards of the ASTM International and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which resulted in the development of the National Playground Safety Institute.

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.

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) was created on August 14, 1965, when five national park and recreation organizations merged to form one united agency.

National Recreation and Park Foundation

The National Recreation and Park Foundation (NRPF) was a nonprofit organization that advanced parks, recreation, and environmental conservation efforts. Their mission was to "support research and public awareness of the economic, social, and physical value of parks and recreation in creating healthy families and communities for all populations to include educating and reaching the underserved."

National Recreation Association

The National Recreation Association was originally called the Playground Association of America (PAA), which was formed in 1906 to further the playground movement in America. Over the years the mission of the organization shifted from playgrounds to emphasize a broad spectrum of recreation activities for all ages and abilities.

The National Recreation Foundation (NRF) began as the War Camp Community Services (WCCS), Inc., which was formed during World War I to provide recreation and services on the "homefront." After the war ended, the NRF was organized in 1919 with the remaining $1.5 million from the WCCS funds. As a nonprofit foundation, the National Recreation Foundation is dedicated to enhancing mental, physical, social, and spiritual health.

A group of industrial leaders from the Midwest met in 1912 because of their concern about safety in the U.S. workplace. They came to the conclusion that there should be an organization to promote safety. A year later in Chicago on October 13, the National Council for Industrial Safety was founded at the Second Safety Congress in New York City with 200 attendees. In order to broaden the scope and to include non-industrial safety issues, the name of the organization was changed to the National Safety Council (NSC) the following year.

Ed Sobey, who was the first director of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, founded the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1998. The National Toy Hall of Fame, now a partner of The Strong, recognizes toys and games that inspire creative play over multiple generations.

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is dedicated to protecting and restoring wildlife habitat in order to leave a legacy of healthy wildlife for the next generation. Built on a network of state affiliates, the National Wildlife Federation "encourages sustainable conservation policy and promotes transparent natural resource management."

The Natural Learning Initiative (NLI) was founded to assist communities in creating "stimulating places for play, learning, and environmental education - environments that recognize human dependence on the natural world." NLI focuses on the importance of the natural environment in the daily life of all children.

Nature Action Collaborative for Children (NACC) is dedicated to re-connecting children with the natural world and providing nature education resources to enrich their daily lives.

Nature Explore is dedicated to assisting children and families “develop a profound engagement with the natural world, where nature is an integral, joyful part of children's daily learning." Nature Explore provides educators, designers, and families research-based resources and play space design consultations to bring nature back into children's daily lives.

Children & Nature Network and ecoAmerica founded Nature Rocks in 2009, a national program to facilitate families in playing and exploring nature together. Nature Rocks hosts a website where parents can learn that “playing and exploring in nature is an essential ingredient for family bonding and for raising happier, healthier, and smarter children.”

PlayCore, a playground designer and manufacturer, and the Natural Learning Initiative (NLI), a design and assistance program of the College of Design of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, joined together to create the program NatureGrounds: Putting Nature Into Play.

The New Games Foundation was an organization that hosted free community play events in parks where everyone was encouraged to "Play Hard. Play Fair. Nobody Hurt." They believed that physical play was vital for everyone, that no one should be left out of the activity, that little or no equipment is required, and that the rules of play should be "dirt simple and fun."

In October 2007, the National Football League (NFL) started a youth health and fitness campaign called NFL PLAY 60. In an effort to combat childhood obesity, NFL PLAY 60 focuses on increasing the wellness of young fans by encouraging them to be physically active for a minimum of 60 minutes each day.

Operation Playground was a humanitarian effort to construct or rebuild playgrounds in Thailand following the tsunami that devastated Southeast Asia in December 26, 2004. The founder is John Moretti. As he helped rebuild, he became aware of the affect the tsunami was having on the children. Wanting to help their situation, he returned to the United States to initiate Operation Playground to raise funds to rebuild playgrounds lost in the tsunami.

Out2Play is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing safe, welcoming play spaces for every elementary school in the five boroughs of New York City that needs one. Andrea Wenner saw the need when in 2001 she noticed that the elementary school near her apartment did not have a playground.

The Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK) is a national strategic partnership of organizations from diverse sectors with the common interest in expanding the number and quality of opportunities for children, youth, and families to connect with the outdoors.

Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo

In Palo Alto, California, the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo (JMZ) is where children and their caregivers can "explore, discover, create and play." The hands-on interactive science and nature museum exhibits are complimented by a small zoo of diverse wildlife and a nature play area.

Parent Cooperative Preschools International provides on-going support to families, educators, and social agencies who recognize the value of parents as teachers of their children and the necessity of educating parents to meet the developmental needs of their children.

Author and educator Diana Huss Green gathered a group of parents who were concerned that their high standards for their children's education were not being fulfilled. They formed the Parents' Choice Foundation, a non-commercial clearinghouse to review children's books, toys, music, television, software, video games, websites, and magazines.

Park Prescriptions is a movement to create a healthier population by strengthening the connection between the healthcare system and public lands across the country. The Park Prescriptions movement recognizes two basic needs: healthcare practitioners need to be educated on the role of the natural environment in individual health and on how to effectively prescribe it, and the park leaders need to seek input from the health care community in recreation planning.

Parks Build Community is a national initiative that promotes the value of parks and recreation on the health and vitality of communities across America. Their mission is to select a park in an underserved area and transform it into a thriving gathering place for youth and adults.

First Lady Michelle Obama announced the Let's Move campaign against childhood obesity on February 9, 2010. That same day the organization of the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) was also announced. PHA was organized to support the Let's Move campaign by "encouraging, tracking, and communicating commitments to healthier lifestyles from partner organizations."

Partnership for Play Every Day

Partnership for Play Every Day is an initiative to increase the spaces and quality of play for children and youth in America. Affiliated with more than 30 of the nation's leading non-profits, government agencies, universities, and corporations, the Partnership for Play Every Day hopes to create and sustain momentum for a national movement to have kids get 60 minutes of physical activity every day.

PlayCore, the Natural Learning Initiative (NLI), and American Trails joined together to create Pathways for Play, a program to create walking, hiking, and biking trails that have "play pockets" along the way. These play opportunities vary in size and contain a mix of natural and manufactured play elements, which are linked by pathways, greenways, trails, or sidewalks to encourage continuous movement.

PE4life is a nonprofit agency that helps schools build fit kids by advocating for and assisting in the development and enhancement of physical education programs and physical activity opportunities in schools and communities.

Formed in 2007 to satisfy one of the requirements for applying for KaBOOM!'s Playful City USA Award, Play Atlanta, formerly known as Atlanta Taskforce on Play, actively works to make Atlanta a great place to raise children with great places to play. ,

Playful City USA, sponsored by the Humana Foundation, is an application-based national recognition program honoring cities and towns that make play a priority and use innovative programs to get children active, playing, and healthy. Playful City USA communities make a commitment to play and physical activity by developing unique local action plans to increase the access to play in their community.

The Playground Association of America was formed to support and expand the playground movement. In America this movement began in Boston, Massachusetts as a solution to problems stemming from increasing urbanization, industrialization, and immigration.

Playground Builders is a nonprofit registered charity dedicated to building playgrounds in war-torn areas in the world. They believe that playgrounds are places where "kids can be kids, community members can feel connected and empowered, new possibilities find a strong foundation and peace and hope begins."

Marcus Veerman, an Australian teacher, arrived in Mae Sot, Thailand in 2008 to build classrooms. Instead he found the greatest need was to build playgrounds. Marcus founded the not-for-profit organization Playground Ideas (formerly, Go Play!) to design and build play spaces in developing countries by using local materials, labor, and community involvement.

Trevor Field of South Africa saw the plight of women and young girls as they waited for windmill-driven pumps or traveled distances to get water for their families, which was often not clean water. Because young girls are tasked with getting water, they often have a disproportionate disadvantage for an education.

Headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, The PlayToday! Foundation was founded in July 2010 by Channing Proctor and Steve Hatton. Channing began the Charleston Miracle League, and Steve started the Summerville Miracle League in Summerville, South Carolina.

Playworks is a national, nonprofit organization that bolsters learning by providing safe, healthy, and inclusive play opportunities for school children. Founded by Jill Vialet under the name Sport4Kids, the name was changed to Playworks in July 2009.

The Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is a nonprofit interactive museum for young children, which provides "learning opportunities through play" that lead to a "lifetime of learning and cultural awareness." Their mission centers around being: playful and fun, creative and innovative, educational, safe and clean, diverse, child-centered, family-focused, and collaborative.

Pop Warner Little Scholars, Inc. (PWLS) is a nonprofit football, cheer, and dance program for youth ages 5-16. PWLS requires all participants to maintain academic standards, recognizing that scholastics and athletics "go hand in hand." While they provide fun athletic learning opportunities in football, cheer, and dance, they also emphasize "the ideals of sportsmanship, scholarship and physical fitness."

Pop-Up Adventure Play (PUAP) is a "start-up social enterprise" that advocates and serves as a catalyst for play opportunities for children, families, and communities. PUAP's work is greatly influenced by the international adventure playground movement and the United Kingdom's profession of playwork.

The President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition (PCSFN) is an advisory committee whose mission is to educate and empower Americans to live a healthy lifestyle which includes regular physical activity and good nutrition.

Founded in 1990, Project Fit America (PFA) is a national non-profit public charity committed to physical fitness for children. Sponsored by numerous hospitals, foundations, and health organizations, Project Fit America donates to schools broad-based fitness programs, which are in over 750 schools across the United States.

Providence Children's Museum is an interactive hands-on museum designed to "inspire learning through active play and exploration." They believe in the vital role that unstructured child-led play has in facilitating both learning and creativity. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, they serve southern New England children ages 1-11 years and the adults in their lives.

Rachel's Challenge is a nonprofit organization that offers a series of school, business, and community programs and workshops modeled after the life of Rachel Scott, the first person killed in the 1999 Columbine High School shootings. Their mission is to "inspire, equip, and empower every person to create a permanent positive culture change in their school, business and community by starting a chain reaction of kindness and compassion."

The Josephine D. Randall Junior Museum, known as the Randall Museum, is an interactive art and science museum that is run by the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. Located on 16 acres that overlook San Francisco, they strive to inspire creativity, curiosity, and appreciation of the world cultures and environment.

Restore Hockey is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making the sport of hockey financially accessible to children through the recycling of hockey equipment, financial donations for new equipment packages, partnerships with businesses and leagues, and the proceeds from their Pro Shop.

Right to Play began as an idea of the Lillehammer Olympic Organizing Committee in 1992. They organized the Olympic Aid committee in preparation of the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway. Specific Olympic athletes were chosen to be Ambassadors of Olympic Aid to raise money for projects in war zones or areas of distress.

The Robert W. Crawford Recreation and Park Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who had made outstanding and lasting contributions to the advancement of recreation and parks.

Safe Kids USA started as the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, a U.S. nonprofit organization, which was founded by Martin R. Eichelberger, M.D. and Herta Feely in 1988. Dr. Eichelberger, as head of the emergency trauma unit at the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC, saw many injuries to children that could have been prevented.

In 2004, representatives from 14 countries joined Safe Kids USA to create a global non-profit global organization called Safe Kids Worldwide, which is located in Washington, DC. In 2010, they had 19 member countries across the globe. The mission of the organization is to "work together to educate families, create safer environments, and advocate for improved laws to protect children."

Safe Routes to School National Partnership

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) National Partnership is a network of organizations dedicated to creating "safe, convenient, and fun opportunities for children to bicycle and walk to and from schools." In doing so, they seek to reduce traffic congestion, improve the air quality around schools due to the reduction of traffic, and to increase children's activity and thereby reduce the risk of obesity and obesity-related health problems.

The Säjai Foundation was formed in 2006 by Barb King to "educate and motivate youth ages 6 to 11 to make healthy choices that will serve them for a lifetime." As a Minnesota based nonprofit organization, the foundation works with local communities in educating children to include "healthy eating, physical activity, and outdoor exploration" in their lives.

Sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation, the Schoolyard Habitats program reconnects children to nature through outdoor classroom environments that attract and support local wildlife. Wildlife habitats on school grounds encourage students to use their academic skills, curiosity, and creativity to learn about local ecosystems and wildlife species.

The New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) launched The Sara Lee Schupf Family Center for Play, Science, and Technology Learning (SciPlay) in September 2010. Sara Schupf created the Center to engage more children with science concepts and scientific thinking through outdoor playgrounds.

When Shane Alexander was born to Catherine Curry-Williams and Scott Williams in 1997, he was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which prohibited him from moving or breathing on his own. He died a few weeks later from this genetic disorder. Had he lived, he would have been confined to a wheelchair. Shane's Inspiration is one of the first Universally Accessible Playgrounds (UAP) in the Western United States and one of the largest in the nation.

SHAPE America (formerly known as AAHPERD) is an organization of physical education and activity, sport, dance, and school health professionals. Standing for Society of Health and Physical Educators, they coordinate resources, compile standards, promote research, award excellence, and host conferences and workshops. Previous to December 2013 SHAPE America was known as the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

The Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids (SPARK) team of researchers and educators are focused on growing a healthier next generation of children through the development of healthy lifestyles, social and personal skills, motor skills, and movement knowledge.

Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) promotes land development and management practices that are sustainable through generating less waste, minimizing impact on the landscape, and by using less energy, water, and natural resources.

Pat Rumbaugh, a physical education teacher and tennis coach, wanted to promote play in her community of Takoma Park, Maryland. After contacting KaBOOM! for information, she invited a group of people to form a committee to promote indoor and outdoor play for all ages.

The Association for the Study of Play (TASP) is a professional organization whose purpose is threefold: to promote the study of play, to support and cooperate with other similar organizations, and to organize meetings and publications in order to disseminate information related to play.

The Genius of Play™ is a national movement spearheaded by The Toy Association, with the mission to give families the information and inspiration needed to make play an important part of every child’s life.

Serving families in Washington, D.C., The Homeless Children's Playtime Project reduces the traumatic effects of homelessness on children who live in temporary housing programs as well as promotes their physical and psychological development.

After a lifetime of collecting dolls and toys, in 1968 Margaret Woodbury Strong created the Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum of Fascination in her home in Rochester, New York. For more than a decade Margaret had been conducting official and unofficial tours of her collections, so she named the official museum after the way her guests would often describe her collections. She hoped her museum would "fascinate, educate, and entertain."

The Toy Association, Inc. is the not-for-profit North American trade association representing all businesses involved in creating and delivering toys and youth entertainment products for kids of all ages headquartered in New York, NY.

The U.S. Access Board, which was originally named the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, is an independent federal agency that promotes equality for people with disabilities. It works to accomplish its mission through leadership in accessible design and the development of accessibility guidelines and standards.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is an agency that was created in 1972 and began operations in 1973. The main purpose of this agency is to protect the public from unnecessary harm or death from consumer products. They have thousands of consumer products that are under their jurisdiction.

The U.S. Public Interest Research Group (US PIRG) is a network of researchers, advocates, organizers, and students who act as a non-partisan consumer and environmental advocacy group.

The US Play Coalition is a partnership to promote the value of play throughout one's life. It consists of individuals and organizations that recognize play as a valuable and necessary part of a healthy and productive life.

The International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) launched the Voice of Play Initiative in 2006 to educate the general public concerning the benefits of children's play and playgrounds. Through the Voice of Play website, IPEMA communicates research findings that measure the "cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits of outdoor free play."

We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition) is a national education program for parents, caregivers, and communities that assists children 8 to 13 years of age to obtain and maintain a healthy weight.

John Thompson, a native of Winifred, was pleased to offer 3,000 toys out of his 5,000 piece collection of Tonka Toys to the Winifred Museum making it one of the largest collections of Tonka Toys in the world.

Women in Toys (WIT) is a professional mentoring and networking organization for women and men within the toy, entertainment, and licensing industries. As a global organization, they support and celebrate their achievements in the toy industry.

The World Waterpark Association (WWA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering the safety and profitability of the waterpark industry.

George Williams, who found himself among the temptations of 1844 London, England, organized the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) as a refuge from the large, industrial city's streets. Focusing on Bible study, prayer, and social needs, the YMCA crossed social and religious lines among displaced youths offering safe housing and a better environment from the turmoil of the times.

Zoos have long been a recreational attraction for children. Originally described as park-like places where animals were kept in cages or large enclosures for public exhibition, they were known as zoological gardens or menageries. Today's zoos offer a wide range of design from the small city parks that have animals in cages to large safari parks that allow the animals to roam in more realistic natural settings.

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