Promoting a Summer of PLAY
Advocacy Update: Promoting a Summer of PLAY
http://www.ymca.net/downloads/advocacy_update_promoting_play.pdf
Many Americans know about the obesity epidemic, but few think of simple solutions to address it. Simply put, we need to get America's youth moving more and eating better. Today, key players in the recreation field have recognized that providing engaging, fun and interesting activities through play is one way to get children motivated. Park and recreation professionals know that the benefits of play are endless. Unstructured free play provides children an opportunity to explore their surroundings while establishing connections with their peers releasing bottled-up energy.
Organized play, like that found through playing ball in the park or learning the rules of the game in physical education class, provides kids with an opportunity to build skills necessary for teamwork and to identify potential leadership traits. About a year ago, NRPA discussed with the YMCA of the USA about how the two organizations could align their strategies to help make America healthier.
YMCA is the largest non-profit provider of youth sports, after-school programming and child care. Collectively, park and recreation departments are the largest public providers of youth sports, after-school activity and child care. Yet, these two entities have often operated with separate policies at the national level and in competing environments on the local level.
Read the article.
http://www.ymca.net/downloads/advocacy_update_promoting_play.pdf
Many Americans know about the obesity epidemic, but few think of simple solutions to address it. Simply put, we need to get America's youth moving more and eating better. Today, key players in the recreation field have recognized that providing engaging, fun and interesting activities through play is one way to get children motivated. Park and recreation professionals know that the benefits of play are endless. Unstructured free play provides children an opportunity to explore their surroundings while establishing connections with their peers releasing bottled-up energy.
Organized play, like that found through playing ball in the park or learning the rules of the game in physical education class, provides kids with an opportunity to build skills necessary for teamwork and to identify potential leadership traits. About a year ago, NRPA discussed with the YMCA of the USA about how the two organizations could align their strategies to help make America healthier.
YMCA is the largest non-profit provider of youth sports, after-school programming and child care. Collectively, park and recreation departments are the largest public providers of youth sports, after-school activity and child care. Yet, these two entities have often operated with separate policies at the national level and in competing environments on the local level.
Read the article.
Added on September 27, 2007 by formasspta
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