November 2010 - Parks & Recreation - 19

Pool Party-Poopers
Have Finally Met Their Match
captivating experience for the kids who
come to play there?
Upon arrival at the adventure playground, kids are greeted by park staff.
They check in with parents, turn in a
waiver form, and sign out a tool box.
Then, once they've passed through the
gate, the fun begins. Children often ask
staff, " What do I build? " or " What can I
make? " -to which the staff reply, " Whatever you want. "
For the first couple of weeks after the
playground opening, this response left
many kids stumped and slightly frustrated, but it did not take long for the children to grasp the concept, free their
minds, and let their imaginations flow.
Numerous dwellings evolved out of the
bushes, while several forts were erected
in the trees. The staff for the adventure
playground maintained a " hands off " approach, focusing on their role of ensuring
safety while allowing the kids to use their
own imaginations to design and build.
The tradition of adventure playgrounds is nothing new: Generations of
kids have grown up building forts and
creating worlds of their own. Today, in order to continue the kind of play that was
once integral to most suburban and rural
childhoods, a little planning is necessary.
The rewards of community adventure
playgrounds are manifold: environmental education, unstructured playtime, and
enriched family activities and vacations.
Perhaps the richest benefits for future
generations are the conversations about
environmental stewardship that adventure playgrounds foster among parents,
caregivers, and children.


Pulsar® System with PRS Traps
99.9% of Crypto & Improves Water Clarity
The NSF certified sanitizer system supplies your pool with a continuous application of fresh available
chlorine at full strength 24/7. But where there's kids, there's also the risk of Cryptosporidium and E. coli.
That's why the new Pulsar® System with PRS makes filters more efficient by helping to
trap 99.9% of Crypto on the filter and improves water clarity 37%!*

Call or Click for Cleaner Water:
1.800.478.5727
www.archwaterworks.com/commercial

Paul West is Natural Resources

Coordinator for Mercer Island Parks and
Recreation Department. His 4-year-old
son makes sure he plays outside every day.
Diane Mortenson is the Recreation

Superintendent for the Mercer Island
Parks and Recreation Department. This is
her 14th year providing recreation
services to the Mercer Island community.

Pulsar® is a registered trademark of Arch Chemicals, Inc.
Parks&Rec2010.indd 1

Pulsar® Plus Briquettes
* Compact storage with extended shelf life
* Optimum Chlorine efficiency with
ORP controllers
* Anti-scaling additive
* Easy to handle
Pulsar® Feeder
* Innovative, precision spray technology
* Certified to NSF/ANSI 50 standards
* Calibrated to exact pool volume
Pulsar ® PRS
* Improves water clarity by an average of 37%
* Removes organics, particulates, and
metals other filtration systems miss
* Removes oils, eliminating the need for
expensive enzyme treatments
* Efficiently traps Crypto, E. coli, Giardia
and algae

Circle 9 on product information form on PAGE 75
www.NRPA .ORG

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Parks & Recreation

November 2010 - Parks & Recreation

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