PlayCore, a leading company in play and recreation research, programming, and products is excited to announce a new Inclusion & Play On! National Demonstration Site in Redding, CA. The new playground, Kids Kingdom, demonstrates a community’s commitment to promoting inclusive play and youth fitness. To celebrate, a grand opening will be held on August 9th, 2017 at 6 p.m. at 4000 Victor Ave., Redding, CA.
Kids Kingdom was an award recipient of the California Park and Recreation Society’s (CPRS) Healthy Play Initiative. The initiative, created in partnership with CPRS, PlayCore, and its GameTime brand, provided statewide professional development services to assist parks throughout the CPRS Regions create play spaces to encourage active, equitable play experiences.
“Our community has once again come together to build Kids Kingdom,” said Brent Weaver, Mayor for the City of Redding. This playground offers play for everyone – all abilities, ages, neighborhoods and backgrounds. I’m very proud of our community and our staff for making it happen.”
The playground’s design, uniquely aligned with the 7 Principles of Inclusive Playground Design™, an evidence based design philosophy developed in partnership with PlayCore and Utah State University’s Center for Persons with Disabilities, offers a multigenerational play designation that breaks down physical and social barriers.
In addition, the site is also recognized for Play On!, a program created in partnership with PlayCore and SHAPE America, as it promotes physical activity through the six elements of play to create developmentally appropriate challenges and fun for all. SHAPE America is the governing body that established standards for developing physically literate students.
Kim Niemer, Director of Community Services for the City of Redding, noted, “Free play provides children the opportunity to move at their own pace, discover their favorite spaces, engage with other children and practice important life skills such as negotiation, teamwork, and risk assessment. The Kids Kingdom design models this in every way. Plenty of good reasons for parents to say – Go Outside and Play! We look forward to welcoming families here for many more generations.”
To continue to celebrate the City of Redding’s commitment to advancing play and recreation through best practices, Kids Kingdom will receive a certificate of recognition, become a part of a network of potential research sites, and will be promoted actively to other communities wishing to create recreation spaces using design and/or programming. For more information about the City of Redding, visit http://www.cityofredding.org. To locate the new site, check out www.pointsmap.com/playcore.
