2006 Shows Increased Advocacy for Play and Playgrounds
IPEMA’s “Voice of Play” initiative works to improve the quality and quantity of children’s play
By Tom Norquist, IPEMA President and Senior Vice President for Gametime
The
International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA) has seen
an increase in promoting and protecting children’s play from people and
groups outside the IPEMA.
What
an exciting and positive year 2006 has been for children’s play and
playgrounds. This fall, IPEMA (International Play Equipment
Manufacturers Association) kicked off its Voice of Play initiative to
increase the quality and quantity of children’s play. This effort is
designed to increase awareness about the profound developmental
benefits of play, and to promote more time and safer places to play.
The
Voice of Play effort formed from a growing consensus among IPEMA
members that we need to send a stronger message promoting play
opportunities in our communities. IPEMA, with its 123 playground
equipment and surfacing manufacturers as members, has traditionally
been known as a leader in playground safety, based on our third-party
playground testing and certification program. In recent years, however,
many IPEMA members have begun to see the association’s role as a
broader one, focused on increased advocacy for fun playgrounds that
lead to healthier and smarter children.
The
“Voice of Play” is integral to growing momentum to support play as an
important aspect of a child’s physical, social, emotional and cognitive
development. This initiative adds a strong voice to the conversation
surrounding the value of children’s play and is a united effort of all
IPEMA members to improve children’s play time and playgrounds.
IPEMA membership includes 123 playground equipment and surfacing manufacturers.
The
initiative includes a new website (voiceofplay.com) to serve as a
clearinghouse of information for everyone who cares about kids and
play. It includes resources for parents; community groups; school
administration officials, boards and teachers; landscape architects and
designers; and parks and recreation officials. The effort also includes
an increased advocacy and outreach effort with a new Voice of Play
board of advisors to raise the level of understanding about and
commitment to children’s play among all stakeholders.
We
have also seen an increase in other group and individual involvement in
promoting and protecting children’s play time and playgrounds. People
have taken note of the disturbing trend of decreasing time for play and
have begun to speak up about the many benefits of play.
These
efforts are widely varied, on both subject and method, but they all
have the same goal in mind—making sure kids have the time and space to
play. For example, this year the Cartoon Network hosted the first
National Recess Week as part of their Rescue Recess campaign to raise
awareness about recess as an essential element of the school day. The
goal of National Recess Week was to begin the school year with fun
events to encourage parents and community members to become volunteer
recess monitors, while reinforcing the importance of recess in the
child’s school day.
This
year was also the grand opening of the first and only museum dedicated
to children’s play, the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester,
N.Y. The museum’s features include an indoor garden shaped like
butterfly wings in flight, a gigantic caterpillar-like structure
connecting old and new buildings, and a structure resembling a pile of
children’s blocks that houses an exhibit on the importance of play.
The
children’s television station Nickelodeon is also speaking out,
continuing their “Let’s Just Play” campaign with the third annual
“Worldwide Day of Play”, Sept. 30, a celebration that included a
three-hour programming black-out on the channel, to encourage kids to
go outside and play.
While
these are just a few of the fantastic activities towards society better
understanding the value of play in the full development our children,
we look to continuing to improve and increase opportunities for play
for children of all abilities.
Next year, when we look back at 2007, we are certain to have many more examples of milestones to celebrate for kids’ sake.
IPEMA
is a nonprofit, membership trade association. You can contact IPEMA
headquarters at 1-888-944-7362, info@ipema.org or visit
www.voiceofplay.com
