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Waldorf Schools
The Waldorf early childhood movement stemmed from a group of workers at the Waldorf-Astoria Cigarette Factory in Stuttgart wanting a better method of teaching for their children. They asked Rudolph Steiner, to design a teaching method where teachers would teach out of love and respect for their students.
Wallach, Fran
Beginning her landmark career in the recreation industry as a volunteer, Fran Wallach had a long career in the park and recreation industry. Fran Wallach was heavily involved in playground safety issues and ASTM.
Water Play
Water is one of the earliest play materials, readily accessible in most areas of the world in the ocean, lakes, rivers, creeks and ponds. Water holds an endless fascination to children who seldom miss opportunities to play in it. Because most people did not have easy access to the natural sources of water, swimming pools were built.
We Can!
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.
Weir, Lebert H
Lebert Howard Weir was a recreation and park leader, speaker, consultant, and researcher of the early 20th century. He was one of the first field secretaries to be employed by the Playground Association of America, later known as the National Recreation Association.
Wham-O
With over 60 years of producing consumer products designed for fun, play, and sport, Wham-O markets many recognizable brands of toys that continue to be enjoyed by children and adults alike. Many of their toys encourage physical activity, and they have become known as classic, well-made toys.
When Children Play
Co-edited by Joe Frost and Sylvia Sunderlin, When Children Play, Proceedings of the International Conference on Play and Play Environments is a compilation of papers given at the International Conference on Play and Play Environments held at the University of Texas at Austin in 1983.
Where Do The Children Play?
Where Do The Children Play? is a PBS documentary, a corresponding study guide, and an outreach project promoting the importance of open-ended play for the development of healthy children.
Where Our Children Play
Where Our Children Play: Community Park Playground Equipment was edited by Donna Thompson and Louis Bowers. The book was published in 1989 by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (now known as SHAPE America).
White House Conference on Bullying Prevention
The White House Conference on Bullying Prevention was held on March 10, 2011. The conference brought together approximately 150 students, parents, teachers, non-profit leaders, advocates and policymakers to discuss how they could work together to make the nation’s schools and communities safe for all students.
White Hutchinson Leisure and Learning Group
White Hutchinson Leisure and Learning Group is an international multi-disciplinary consulting firm for creating leisure venues.
Wiffle Ball Inc
Wiffle Ball Inc. is the creator, manufacturer, and distributor of the Wiffle Ball and Bat, “an outdoor toy, designed to get people out in the fresh air, playing ball and getting exercise.”
Wild Zones
Created by David Hawkins and Karen Payne, Wild Zones or “Create-with-Nature” Zones are open-ended natural play spaces for self-directed play, creativity, learning, and socializing among children, adolescents, and adults.
Williams, Arthur
As a behind-the-scenes leader of the Playground Association of America, Arthur Williams assisted to shape the field of recreation for fifty years in the early 20th century.
Wilson, Penny
Penny Wilson is a professional Playworker who works for the Play Association Tower Hamlets – PATH, a non-profit organization based in the East End of London that supports play in an overcrowded, poor, increasingly urban setting.
Winifred Museum
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
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.
WonderWorx
WonderWorx designs and manufactures kinetically-activated musical, sensory, and educational playground equipment for play spaces, parks, schools, sensory gardens, and museums. Robert Tobias founded WonderWorx in 2002.
World Play Day
The World Play Day, sponsored by the International Toy Library Association (ITLA), is held on the 28th of May to commemorate the day the ITLA was proposed in 1987.
World Waterpark Association
The World Waterpark Association (WWA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering the safety and profitability of the waterpark industry.
Worldwide Day of Play
The Worldwide Day of Play (WWDOP), an initiative of the entertainment brand, Nickelodeon, is designed to encourage active outdoor play. Every year since 2004, Nickelodeon has designated the Worldwide Day of Play signaling children and families to move away from their television and computer screens by having the Nickelodeon networks and websites go dark for three hours.
Wright, Brett
A professor at Clemson University, Dr. Brett Wright is also an active researcher concerning park management issues, community impacts, and the importance of nature-based play for children. Brett Wright is the Chairman of the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at Clemson University and the Co-Chairman of the US Play Coalition hosted by Clemson University.
