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For the past five years, parents and students at Marengo Valley School have worked toward a singular goal - raise money for a playground. But they didn't want just any playground - they wanted a space that would challenge and engage children of all ages and abilities and encourage them to be outdoors moving around and having fun. You know, playing! Earlier this month they saw their hard work pay off when their BCI Burke playground equipment arrived in time ...

We need movement. It’s essential to our lives and our overall health. As we return to outdoor fitness areas, we return to a new normal. Enter social fitnessing. Social fitnessing is a way to create space to move, practice safe distancing and encourage each other while maintaining a safe distance. While social fitnessing can be practiced anywhere, it is much easier to practice outdoors where space is prevalent and many obstacle course and other exercise areas are already designed ...

“Music can heal the wounds that medicine cannot touch.” (Debasish Mridha) I had been so excited to write about Burke’s amazing PlayEnsemble line this month. I teach K-5 general music and couldn’t wait to plan engaging lessons for my students using the outdoor instruments this spring; lessons I could share with other music educators and park and rec departments. We were going to jam, play our favorite songs, play along with recorders and ukuleles, spread joy; but then COVID-19 had ...

If movement is life then Play That Moves You speaks to the importance of play in our lives. From social and emotional development to physical and cognitive growth, play is the backdrop to many happy times had and yet to come. During this pandemic, many playgrounds were closed and children, communities and families had to find new ways to connect and play. While some playgrounds are reopening and communities begin to come back, we return with a new appreciation ...

As part of the Play20 campaign, we organized a trail clean-up. Like most things, COVID-19 had other plans and meeting in groups – even to clean a trail – was no longer responsible. So, one of our employees who is staying in New Mexico during this time, decided to clean a trail anyway. Picking up a trail that people can use while practicing social distancing creates a more pleasant experience and environment for everyone. Right now, more and more ...

Having a clean playspace is always important and necessary. It improves the experience of users and promotes hygiene and health. With COVID-19 on everyone’s mind, addressing the cleaning of playgrounds and recreation areas has taken on a new importance. When looking for information on cleaning community spaces, especially for COVID-19, The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website is the best location to go to for current information and best practices. The CDC publishes Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations that ...