Monday, August 8, 2011

KaBOOM!

Many of you in the US will no doubt have heard about KaBOOM!  Elsewhere, though, little is known about this non-profit organization, “dedicated to saving play for America’s children.” What is KaBOOM!? In their own words, “We are peppy, purple-adorned people who passionately promote the power of play!”

It’s clear that children are more sendentary than in the past, back when there were fewer TVs, video games and computers. According to KaBOOM!, “Our children are playing less than any previous generation, and this lack of play is causing them profound physical, intellectual, social, and emotional harm. The Play Deficit is an important problem, and it is imperative that we solve it to ensure our children have long, healthy, and happy lives.”

Created officially in April 1996 by Darell Hammond, according to their website, so far “KaBOOM! has built over 2,000 playgrounds, saving play for over 5.5 million children.” You can help them build one too: click here for KaBOOM!’s detailed Project Planner that provides all the information you will need to build a playground in just one day! 

Or click here to find out how to make your community more playful. One simple idea: sit on a bench near a park – it will make the play area safer, especially if you sit there regularly and take friends with you. Or take a picture of a playground near you and then upload that photo on the KaBOOM! Playspace Finder to help parents find nearby playspaces.

There are many ways to help this cause, which will help put smiles on children’s faces and make them healthier at the same time! To find out more go to http://kaboom.org/ or read about the movement in Hammond’s book.

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