Hearts of Play Go Global

Well PlayGroundology readers where do we see ourselves on the naughty or nice scale as we enter the Christmas season? I know that I’ve had a few questionable behaviours over the course of the year that may be getting looked at askance by that red-suited, twinkly-eyed, cookie-snacking guy…

Photo source – Leland Francisco. License – (CC BY 2.0)

In the hopes of spreading some good cheer and making up for my transgressions, I’m dusting off and sharing an updated version of the Haiku deck, Hearts of Play, that I put together a couple of years ago. 

The act of freely giving time, money, or goods, is always a sure fire means of enhancing one’s niceness stock regardless of faith origins. I hope that the Hearts of Play Haiku deck will encourage readers to consider giving a gift in support of kids and play. Think of it as one love, one heart, one play….

Without further ado, five groups doing great work in communities around the world. Nota – none of the five groups are aware of this post.

Playground Ideas

PlaygroundIDEAS. Photo source – PlaygroundIDEAS

Playground Ideas is a not-for-profit organization that designs and builds play spaces for the world’s most disadvantaged children. They support communities to create play spaces where there are none. Their open source designs and collaborative approach empower communities to create public play opportunities that invites local engagement. Their passion for play has taken them to Africa, Asia, South and North America, New Guinea and beyond. Founder Marcus Veerman recently presented at TEDxMelbourne.

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@playgroundideas
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East Africa Playgrounds

East Africa Playgrounds. Photo source – East Africa Playgrounds

East African Playgrounds is a Registered Charity in England and Wales (1129244) that aims to change the lives of children across East Africa by developing children’s learning opportunities and environments. We work alongside local communities to build simulating and exciting playgrounds, run arts and games programs as well as developing long term employment and training opportunities for young people across East Africa.

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@EastAfricanPlay
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Pop-Up Adventure Play

Pop-Up Adventure Play. Photo source – Pop-Up Adventure Play

Pop-Up Adventure Play imagines a time when all children have access to child-directed play in communities of supportive adults. Their work is grounded in a Pop-Up Adventure Playground model providing children of all ages and abilities with opportunities to recognize, explore, and express their natural play instincts… on their own terms. Pop-Up Adventure Play is a registered charity in the UK (#1148987). Since this deck was originally posted, this dynamic team has criss-crossed the USA, done a world tour and written a book

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@popupplay
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Playground Builders

Playground Builders. Photo source – Playground Builders

Playground Builders creates playgrounds for children in war-torn areas. There is often no safe place for children in these communities to play. Most have never experienced the joy of a swing or the thrill of a slide. We at Playground Builders are dedicated to building hope and peace through the gift of play. Playground Builders is a registered Canadian charity: #852810019RR0001.

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@PlayGrndBuilder
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Empower Playgrounds Inc.

Empower Playgrounds Inc.. Photo source – empower playgrounds

Empower Playgrounds Inc. enhances educational opportunities for children in Ghanaian villages by providing renewable energy through electricity-generating playground equipment, smart LED lanterns and hands-on science kits. Empower Playgrounds is a nonprofit, tax-exempt registered 501(c)3 registered in the USA. In October of this year, the group released Lighting the Night: Mirabell’s Story available for viewing on Vimeo here.

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@playlightlearn
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While writing this post, I received the following from the Pop-Up Adventure Play crew, a little pre-Christmas serendipity.

The original Hearts of Play Haiku deck can be found here. Happy giving from PlayGroundology….

The Gift of Play

We’re in the midst of the giving season and there are always choices to make. If you’re thinking about an alternative gift this year why not consider the gift of play?

Community fundraising is frequently an important component of securing overall project costs for new playgrounds and upgrades. Check to see if there is a build, or a community group preparing for one where you live. A few dollars, or maybe an extra pair of hands are sure to be appreciated.

Beyond local activity in your own town, there are numerous organizations that promote and advocate for play. They do educational work, research, outreach and some do actual playground builds. Many of these groups have charitable status and I think it’s safe to say that none of them are really flush with cash.

One thing that these play related groups have in common is dedicated and passionate staff and a cadre of volunteers that help them achieve their goals. I’m thinking of organizations like KaBOOM!, Play England, Play Scotland, Play Wales, Playworks and numerous others that I’m not familiar with. They are all doing great work.

One group that jumped out for me is PlaygroundIDEAS. They were the subject of a Screenshot Monday back in June when I wrote:

“What I immediately enjoyed at PlaygroundIDEAS was the sense of resourcefulness that informs their approach to do-it-yourself playgrounds. There is hope here too and dreams – just look at the wonderful iconography of a child swinging from a shade bearing cloud. Playground Ideas works with a clientele that is far too populous.

We design and build great playspaces to improve the education, wellbeing, and safety of the world’s most disadvantaged children – and we support and train others to do the same.

Registering on the site provides access to more material such as the Playground Manual and the design section. It also enables readers to contribute content of their own. The registration process is quick and painless.”

One of the reasons that I’m attracted to PlaygroundIDEAS is linked to fleeting experiences of my own in the developing world. Nearly 35 years ago, I was a participant in Canada World Youth, an international exchange program funded by the Canadian government. I spent five months in three different communities in Sénégal, West Africa.

Sénégal was a revelation for us Canadian kids, most of us still in our teens. I was adopted by toddlers in each of the three places we lived. In Suelle, Casamance there was Abou, in Dakar it was Dabba and in Louga, Siouadou. Although a couple of these kids lacked material possessions, none lacked the desire, or ability to play. So why not playgrounds for kids in the developing world…

Read more about giving the gift of play here. While you’re at it, treat yourself to this rendition of Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree.

Happy holidays and happy giving to whoever it may be.

ScreenShot Mondays – Playground Ideas

A couple of Mondays per month, PlayGroundology screenshots a cyberspot that focuses on playgrounds, or play. I hope readers dive in and explore. Even if you’ve seen the selection before, take a moment and check to see what content has been added recently.

Playground Ideas

Think of this as a very slow stumble upon, an invitation to relish something new or to revisit an old friend. Some of the people and places may be household names in the world of play and playgrounds, others not so much. I hope all will pique your interest in what they have to offer and further your own possibilities for playfulness.

What I immediately enjoyed at Playground Ideas was the sense of resourcefulness that informs their approach to do-it-yourself playgrounds. There is hope here too and dreams – just look at the wonderful iconography of a child swinging from a shade bearing cloud. Playground Ideas works with a clientele that is far too populous.

We design and build great playspaces to improve the education, wellbeing, and safety of the world’s most disadvantaged children – and we support and train others to do the same.

Registering on the site provides access to more material such as the Playground Manual and the design section. It also enables readers to contribute content of their own. The registration process is quick and painless.

In addition to running small, sustainable projects in Asia, South America, Africa and Oceania, Playground Ideas has also promoted and managed an international design competition.
Photo credit – Playground Ideas

There’s a lot to see and take in here including photos, video, designs and an interesting collection of books.

It’s a great idea to do sustainable, small scale work with local communities to bring playgrounds to the kids.