Become a Park Pal!

One legacy of Columbia's first Play Day is a new group for kids of all ages--Park Pals!

Anyone can become a Park Pal--all they have to do is read and agree to the Park Pals Pledge, then register. Registration will be available at upcoming events in Columbia's parks and also online at the City's website.

Here is the Park Pals Pledge:

1. I will read the park rules posted at each location;
2. I will obey the park rules at all times;
3. I will help to control litter whenever possible;
4. I will call 281-4264 to report park abuse or park safety issues;
5. I will have a great time when visiting the City of Columbia's parks;
6. I will proudly wear my Park Pal wrist band when visiting the City of Columbia's parks!

The Park Pals concept was created by Columbia Alderman Mary Ellen Niemietz and the logo was developed by Play Commission member Bill Seibel with assistance from the folks at Marketicity.

It's Saturday---It's Play Day!

Saturday afternoon is the launch for Columbia's first annual Play Day event. A scavenger hunt discovering Columbia’s parks, a variety of games, and kids’ art projects are just a few of the hands-on interactive activities planned for the event in Bolm-Schuhkraft Park (known to many residents as the “city park”). The 44.5-acre park is bordered by Parkview Dr., Temple St., the Parkview Elementary School campus and the Columbia High School campus.

Events run from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free and this will be a rain or shine event.

The event is designed to discover the fun, education and recreation available in the city’s many public recreational areas and playspaces. Envisioned as “A Day to Play” by organizers, the event will feature interactive stations that will introduce visitors to the themes and activities found in Columbia’s parks, many of which are little known--or completely unknown--to many residents.

Created and hosted by the Columbia Play Commission in collaboration with KaBOOM!, this year’s inaugural event is supported by Commerce Bank, Columbia Market, the Columbia Rotary Club, Pam Keevan Photography, the Kiwanis Club of Columbia, the Monroe County YMCA, Moonwalkers, Radio Disney, the Monroe County Economic Development Council, Traube Tent Company and the City of Columbia.

“It’s really just a fun afternoon to get out and discover our parks,” states John Traube, Chair for the Play Commission. “Our hope is that families and kids of all ages will come for the fun and leave with a better appreciation for where to spend unstructured afternoons year-round.”

KaBOOM! recognized Columbia this year as a “Playful City USA,” a national recognition honoring cities and towns across the nation committed to taking action for play. Columbia was the only community in the St. Louis metropolitan area so honored this year.

Have a question or urgent need the day of the event? Call the Play Day Hotline at (618) 410-0051.

Mayor Proclaims Sept. 19th as 'Play Day'

Last evening, Columbia Mayor Keven Hutchinson proclaimed Saturday, September 19th, as "Play Day"--making the municipal government an official sponsor of the first annual event celebrating play.

The proclamation read as follows:

• Whereas, play is a crucial factor in the overall well-being of children;
• Whereas, children who play are healthier and suffer less obesity and obesity-related health problems such as diabetes and heart disease;
• Whereas, children who play do better in school and develop cognitive skills that are linked to learning and academic performance;
• Whereas, children who play learn the social skills that help them become happy and well-adjusted adults;
• Whereas, research proves that recreation and exercise are important to the physical and mental health of citizens of all ages;
• Whereas, a diverse and dynamic parks and recreation program is considered a key element of local quality of life; and
• Whereas, the City of Columbia has previously endorsed the National Campaign for Play, established a Play Commission and been designated a “Playful City USA”;
  
  NOW, THEREFORE, I, Kevin B. Hutchinson, Mayor of the City of Columbia, proclaim the 19th of September 2009 to be “Play Day” in Columbia and invite our citizens to participate in activities recognizing that day.

John Traube, chair for the Play Commission, and other members of that group were on hand to receive the proclamation along with applause from the City Council and other citizens present at the meeting. After that moment in the limelight, the group retired to another meeting room in City Hall to finish their next-to-final planning meeting prior to the big event.

Making Space for the Entire Community

One of the Play Commission's goals--and one of the elements in this year's Action Plan--is to create gathering places for the entire community that offer areas and activities engaging for multiple generations and areas of interest. Most of Columbia's playspaces are tot lots or play structures designed with only the youngest kids in mind, lacking elements that attract older children or other members of the community.

A recent blog post by Bethe Almeras (DIY Online Community/Communications Manager for KaBOOM!) defines a true community space like this:

[It] should entice folks to stop by throughout the day and evening (prior to closing time), and be a space where people spend extended periods of time engaged in play and social interaction--not simply a quick stop to get the kids out of the house for a few minutes.

Beth continues with some concrete (in some cases, perhaps literally) examples of improvements that help community spaces more closely match the aforementioned goal:

• An asphalt game area for Hopscotch, Four Square, and more;
• A community or children’s garden;
• Benches and conversation pits for parents/grandparents, book clubs, senior citizens social groups, and gardening clubs to meet;
• Tables with checker & chessboard tops;
• A bulletin board for people to announce upcoming special events, clean-up days, etc.;
• A basketball court (can be used for other old-school playground games, too!);
• A shade structure to give folks a place to cool off.

Is the Downturn Helping Spur Play?

While the economic downturn is bad in many ways, it may be making play--at least in local venues--more popular and even less expensive.

The Chicago Tribune reports that municipal parks and other attractions are attracting booming crowds eager to find an inexpensive place close to home for relaxation. "This is good news for scores of Chicago-area municipal parks, which have attracted visitors like ants to egg salad during this coolish summer," the Tribune opines.

Many parks are hosting larger than normal turnouts, officials say. Evanston and Des Plaines report surges in picnic-area rentals. Naperville is adding new programs for budget-conscious locals, while Aurora is seeing big crowds at a popular--and free--tram ride. Low fees for daily use of pavilions and nearby basketball, baseball and beach-volleyball courts, plus a playground for the youngsters amount to a "reasonably priced" day out for many. Naperville park officials aren't shy about catering to the new austerity and promote "staycations" on the City website.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports that some governments in the area are experiencing an upside to the economic downturn in the form of cheaper parkland. In Maryland, Montgomery County officials last month decided to buy a 53-acre ecological refuge at a deep discount from a developer who had long turned away government suitors. They are paying $8.75 million, roughly half of the $16.35 million price appraised in December. In Virginia, officials "were able to knock $2 million off what they paid for 1,100 acres of forested waterfront land in Stafford County, believed to be near the spot where Pocahontas was said to have been abducted by Jamestown settlers.

According to Judy Pedersen of the Fairfax County, VA, park authority, "We're finding people coming to us, particularly lending institutions, that are anxious for us to look at their properties...for us, it's a good time to buy." The Post notes that Fairfax officials sell long-term bonds to buy parkland, making parks less vulnerable during budget debates.

National Effort Cites City as a Leader in Making Play a Priority

Columbia has been recognized as one of 39 new communities across the nation to achieve the status of a “Playful City USA,” the non-profit organization KaBOOM! announced today. The city was one of three cited in Illinois and the only designee this year within the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Like other designees, such as Indianapolis and San Antonio, Columbia was selected for its dedication to play. Columbia used the Playful City USA application process to identify facilities, assess local resources, develop an action plan and create a citizen group—the Play Commission--to help direct activities. Excited about the opportunity to be nationally recognized, the Play Commission is using social network media such as a Facebook group and this blog to help gather public input and encourage involvement from the community.

“We’re excited about this prestigious designation and the serious work that the Play Commission is accomplishing to make our community a better place to live,” said Columbia Mayor Kevin Hutchinson. Support from local government is a key element for winning the Playful City designation.

Each of the 2009 Playful City USA communities demonstrated creative commitments to the cause of play in the areas of quantity, quality and access. Quality relates to the number of usable, open playspaces. Quality involves subjective factors that encourage repeated use and make playspaces engaging, exciting, interesting and fun. Access entails the ability to get to a playspace (roads, trails) and a lack of barriers to the playspace (cost, safety, traffic, locked gates, and equity).

“Our country is facing two monumental deficits: a lack of unstructured play among children and a lack of resources to address this very issue,” said Darell Hammond, KaBOOM! CEO and Co-founder. “Columbia took a stand and determined that the future of the community—its children—deserve a commitment to the cause of play. This is an investment in the future, and cities and towns across the country can replicate initiatives from this and other Playful City USA communities so that they too can bring play back into the lives of their children.”

KaBOOM! is a national non-profit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Since 1995, KaBOOM! has used its innovative community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct more than 1,600 new playgrounds, skate parks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also offers a variety of resources, including an online community, free online trainings, grants, publications and the KaBOOM! National Campaign for Play, which includes Playful City USA and Playmakers – a national network of individual advocates for play.

Need a Place to Play?

Are you new to Columbia and lacking information about local parks and playspaces? Are your kids driving you crazy this summer and you need a new place to let them run? Or, are you yearning to release your inner child?

The reasons to search for community playspaces are many and varied, but the way to get answers is through one great new venue--the Playspace Finder sponsored by KaBOOM! This website offers a searchable map where local playmakers and other community members can post locations and other information about places to play. All playspaces listed via this venue must be free of charge and accessible to the public.

Do you have a favorite playspace in Columbia and want to share it with others? The Playspace Finder also allows community members to rate each playspace. Individual ratings posted on the site are added to an aggregate score that provides an overall rating for each playspace.

Play Commission Adopts 2009-2010 Action Plan

Members of the Play Commission have finalized their “action plan for play,” a comprehensive list of meaningful action items to be completed between now and May 1, 2010. The goal of these items is to increase the quality of, quantity of and access to play opportunities within the Columbia community.

Items identified by the group include the following:

• Investigate opportunities for holiday/summer use of school district playspaces;
• Assist the school district with plans to redevelop the playspace at the Rapp St. school (a facility that will be converted this summer—once again—into an elementary school);
• Review current location of community playspaces and recommend additional sites;
• Initiate a planning process that better incorporates the needs of preschool kids;
• Identify and design a playspace for seniors;
• Add one or more pavilions adjacent to playspaces;
• Improve signage to Meadow Ridge playspace;
• Deploy a blog to attract community input on playspaces;
• Set up a Facebook page to build support/awareness.

The action plan includes dates for completion of each item and the Play Commission seeks input and assistance from the larger community during the process.

Report from the Play Commission's First Meeting

The Columbia Play Commission held its inaugural meeting yesterday evening and, following an enthusiastic kick-off by Mayor Kevin Hutchinson, progressed rapidly through their agenda during a whirlwind meeting.

The group elected John Traube, owner of Traube Tent & Awning, as Chair and Shannon Zarek, owner of Mokka Kaffeehaus, as Secretary. The election of a Vice President was postponed until the group’s next meeting.

After review and lively discussion, the Play Commission approved the draft Action Plan for Play, a roadmap for their activities during the next ten months.

Members of the Commission also determined to move the date for the community’s first Play Day to Saturday, September 19th. They will continue organizing this event in meetings that will be held bi-weekly, at least through the summer.

The next meeting of the Play Commission is scheduled for Wednesday evening, July 15th, beginning at 7:00 p.m in the Auditorium at Columbia City Hall.

Plan to Play This September

It's a block party, a backyard barbecue, and a day of service all rolled into one!

A KaBOOM! Play Day is a free, fun-for-the-whole-family outdoor event that celebrates play. It’s a day for the whole community to gather at a favorite park or playground and--play! During the month of September, KaBOOM! will help thousands of communities nationwide to plan, organize and execute their Play Days.

Fun activities for kids of all ages are a big part of KaBOOM! Play Days, but they’re not all fun and games. Play Days are also an opportunity for communities to come together to improve their local parks and playspaces with clean-ups and simple enhancement and construction projects.

Members of Columbia's new Play Commission will be organizing the community's first Play Day over the summer. The fun is slated to pop out Tuesday, September 29th. What will Columbia's Play Day be about? The decision is still in the making...

Help celebrate play in Columbia--use the widget below to register!

Play is Serious Work

A pioneer in research on play, Stuart Brown says humor, games, roughhousing, flirtation and fantasy are more than just fun. Plenty of play in childhood makes for happy, smart adults--and keeping it up can make people smarter at any age.

Brown came to research play through research on murderers--unlikely as that seems--after he found a stunning common thread in killers' stories: lack of play in childhood. Since then, he's interviewed thousands of people to catalog their relationships with play, noting a strong correlation between success and playful activity.

Follow the links to hear Brown discuss the importance of play to human development and discover the National Institute for Play.

What's a Citizen To Do?

How can all the citizens of Columbia participate in the process of improving play? What are some good ways to get involved? Here are some ideas:

• Follow this blog (click on the button to the right) and make comments;
• Attend meetings of the Play Commission (the first one is Tuesday evening, June 30th, at City Hall) and voice your opinions;
• Become a fan of the Columbia Play Commission on Facebook and make comments there;
• Join the National Campaign for Play sponsored by KaBOOM! (see links to right);
• Visit the Playspace Finder (link to the right) and offer your opinions about Columbia's public playspaces;
• Make a call, send an email or a letter to Paul Ellis, staff for the Commission.

The Play Commission is seeking support from the broader community--public input from all of these sources will be shared at each Commisison meeting.

Sounds Like A Plan

Members of the Play Commission at their first meeting on June 30th will finalize this year's "action plan for play"--a document that will identify specific, implementable steps that work towards improving quality of, quantity of and access to play opportunities within the community.

Quantity is defined as the number of usable playspaces, quality is the subjective factors that make playspaces engaging, exciting, interesting, and fun, and access is both ability to get to a playspace (roads, trails) and a lack of barriers (cost, safety, traffic, buildings, equity).

The draft action plan currently presents nine meaningful action items that must be completed between the period of June 1, 2009 and May 1, 2010. Those items include:

• Investigate opportunities for holiday/summer use of school playspaces;
• Assist school district with plans to redevelop playspace at Rapp St. school;
• Initiate a planning process that better incorporates needs of preschool kids;
• Improve signage to the Meadow Ridge Park playspace;
• Add one or more pavilions adjacent to playspaces; and
• Identify and design a playspace for seniors.

The action plan will be open for public comment after it is finalized by the Play Commission and before its adoption by the Columbia City Council.

Local Champions for Play

Columbia's Play Commission--a group of nine local citizens who are charged with being champions for play--will hold its inaugural meeting at City Hall on the evening of June 30th.

At that first meeting, Commissioners will review their responsibilities, elect officers, review and finalize this year's action plan, and begin planning for Play Day 2009.

The meeting, which begins at 7:00 p.m., is open to the public.

The members of the Play Commission are:

• Jeff Cernicek, representing the Monroe County YMCA;
• Heather Hemmer;
• Susan Miller, representing the Girl Scouts of America;
• Sharon Redinger;
• William Seibel;
• Ed Settles, representing Columbia Unit School District 4;
• John Traube;
• Dan Woelfel; and
• Shannon Zarek.

The group will have ongoing assistance from the professional staff of the City's Community & Economic Development Department.

Keeping Commitments

Communities become Playful City USA communities by meeting five principal commitments:

• Creating a local play commission;
• Designing an annual action plan for play;
• Conducting a playspace audit of all publicly accessible play areas;
• Identifying current spending on capital projects and maintenance of playspaces;
• Proclaiming and celebrating an annual "KaBOOM! Play Day".

This blog will continue to update progress over time on all five commitments. For now, here's a snapshot:

• On May 19th, Resolution 02-2009 established Columbia's Play Commission with nine members;
• A draft action plan has been developed and will be refined by the Play Commission at their inaugural meeting later this month;
• Six local playspaces have been identified and evaluated--community members will be encouraged to add their comments online;
• City staff has reported that Columbia and its local school district together spend about $243,000 annually on 102 acres of parks and open spaces;
• Columbia's first annual "Play Day" is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29th.

Playful City USA 2009

This afternoon, the City of Columbia is submitting its application to be recognized as a Playful City USA in the 2009 round of designations. Playful City USA is a national recognition program honoring cities and towns across America that are committed to taking action for play.

By ensuring the prominence of play on the community's agenda, Columbia's leaders hope to reap the benefits that will result from happier, smarter and healthier children--and from a stronger communities. In addition, designated Playful City USA communities will receive highway signs, awards and special incentive opportunities in honor of their status, be included in a national media campaign and be provided local media support, receive priority status in accessing all KaBOOM! resources (including playground builds, trainings, and grants opportunities), be given access to online resources and communication vehicles to keep them connected to similar communities nationwide, and be recognized at national municipal leadership and recreation conferences.

Communities become designated as Playful City USA communities when they agree to meet five commitments--these will be reviewed in detail in this blog's next post.

Columbia is Getting Serious About Play!

The City of Columbia--and its citizens--has joined the National Campaign for Play (organized by a national organization with the remarkably playful name of KaBOOM!). This movement has begun to combat such social ills as childhood obesity, attention deficit disorder and violence among our nation’s children. Early this year, members of City staff and Alderman Mary Ellen Niemietz determined that this campaign would provide an excellent framework for mobilizing what will eventually become a parks & recreation department.

This small group created an inventory of playspaces and worked with the Public Works Department to identify the financial resources dedicated to them. In April, they were successful in convincing the City Council to adopt Resolution 13-2008, endorsing the Playful City USA campaign and committing the City’s support to that effort; they also began assembling a list of likely candidates for the Play Commission, the community-based group that would be tasked with making this city-wide commitment to play make real accomplishments.

On May 19th, the Play Commission was officially created with adoption of Resolution 02-2009. The Play Commission will soon be hard at work finalizing its action plan, and this blog will chronicle its achievements. The community has also launched a Facebook group to help gather public input and encourage involvement.