November 2009 - Parks & Recreation - 62

Indu stry S pot l igh t

Thought Leader in
PlayCore Believes in Play
PlayCore believes that play is a right and is
essential for the development of all people.
In keeping with its mission and values focus, the company has developed a strong
family of brands that are grounded in a
commitment to partnerships, research,
program development, and outreach training. This year, PlayCore is a National Recreation and Park Association Titanium
Sponsor, supporting NRPA Congress and
Exposition at the highest level. PlayCore
also supports play through national partnerships with organizations such as St.
Jude Children's Research Hospital, Trust
for Public Land, Boundless Playgrounds,
KaBOOM!, and a variety of regional and
local groups.
Committed to Enriching Play
PlayCore enriches play through partnerships, research, programs, outreach training, and a variety of resources. Partnering
with universities and other organizations
enables PlayCore to promote the value of
play through independent research and program development by recognized experts
in the given field. PlayCore has partnered
with the Natural Learning Initiative (NLI), a
research and design assistance program of
the College of Design, North Carolina State
University; Utah State University's Center
for Persons with Disabilities; Auburn University; the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation (AAPAR) and
American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD);
among others. PlayCore also partners with
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researchers including Dr. Joe Frost, University of Texas at Austin, and Dr. John A.
Sutterby, University of Texas at Brownsville.
Bob Farnsworth, President and CEO, states,
" We are dedicated to better understanding
the playground's impact on child development, safety, free play, and learning for all
children. These valuable partnerships with
leaders in the field allow us to promote best
practices and share resources that further
impact play in a positive way. "
Partnerships and Programs for Play
Strategic partnerships have led to the development of recreation and learning programs, which help enrich play experiences
on the playground by providing best practice design principles and standards-based
activities that promote physical activity
and learning. The design programs include Nature-Grounds®: Putting Nature Into
Play™, which was developed in partnership
with NLI and provides unique best practice
guidelines for creating and retrofitting play
environments that integrate manufactured
play equipment and the living landscape.
According to Robin Moore, director of NLI,
" We see the NatureGrounds program as an
opportunity to inspire landscape architects,
designers, and park and recreation professionals with new tools to create healthy, innovative, naturalized playgrounds for all. "
Developed in partnership with Utah
State University's Center for Persons with
Disabilities, another unique best practice
program the 7 Principles of Inclusive Playground Design offers resources for developing play environments that encourage the

November 2009 - Parks & Recreation

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