As cities across the U.S. are becoming hotbeds for innovation, community leaders are recognizing the importance of the well-being of children and the importance of play time.
Only one in four kids, particularly those from low-income families, are active or get in the recommended one hour of physical play each day, resulting in increasingly unhappy and unhealthy, obese or overweight kids and adolescents. Add to that the lack of critical developmental skills such as collaboration, teamwork, creativity, problem-solving and resilience - all needed to succeed as adults.
Many cities, such as KaBOOM!’s 2017 Playful City USA winners, including Missoula, have taken comprehensive action to update playgrounds, create summer sports programs, drive kids to local parks and more. This year marks Playful City USA’s 11th year of awarding cities and towns across the country for taking action to put kids first.
On Wed. May 17, representatives from the national, nonprofit KaBOOM! ecognized more than 200 communities as part of Playful City USA, for utilizing play as an innovative solution to address a number of challenges facing kids, families and communities and share why these communities have been recognized for being more playable, family-friendly communities.
