​Think Spring and Rethink Learning and Play.
Some Observer-Reporter articles are so good and important, they need to be republished. The following article, is one of those.
Nonprofit to rethink playground space
By Katie Anderson July 31, 2020 Publication: Observer-Reporter (Washington, PA) 
Dennis Smiddle, owner of a playground maintenance company, Fans of Play, recently started a nonprofit called Fans 4 Help.
The nonprofit, which advocates for more natural and open playground spaces, will seek grants to fund the design and installation of those types of playgrounds in school districts and community parks.

"One of the best ways for children to learn is through play," Smiddle said. "There's a mindset that play is all about playground equipment, but that's structured play – it can only really do what it was designed to do. There's a lot more to play than swinging, sliding and climbing."

According to Smiddle, a retired state inspector of child care facilities and playgrounds, children need access to playtime in more natural environments, "where kids can get outside in open spaces and make up their own games and use their imagination."

Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, more open spaces on playgrounds make more sense, Smiddle said. He said traditional playgrounds with slides and swings and climbing areas are difficult to maintain and keep sanitized.

"Every playground has a capacity," he said. "It's very difficult to social distance on a playground."

The nonprofit will offer design services, consultations and playground products that meet the mission of his company, like raised-bed gardens, sandboxes and balance beams. In the name of the nonprofit, "FANS" stands for Fitness, Art, Nature and Science, while "HELP" stands for Health, Environment, Learning and Play, 

"It's more of an empowering concept," he said. "People can design their own playgrounds, where you don't have to rely on these big playground companies."

Smiddle said school districts and municipalities typically purchase playground equipment through catalogs because "it's easy," and because people don't realize other options are available. However, he said the concepts he uses are safer for children, more cost effective and they "reduce liability."

"I'm hoping to get funding and build awareness so that communities can start to change the playground mindset to a more natural concept to help protect children and provide more beneficial playground opportunities for learning and play," he said.
Observer-Reporter (Washington, PA)

Be the best that you can be.
As JFK said three generations (60 years) ago, “For of those to whom much is given much is required.” And as the Bible [Luke 12:48] said 20 centuries (2000 years) ago, “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.”
However in today's world, schools and community decision-makers are being given large sums of monies for school safety plans, for health and safety plans, and for economic relief plans, with little to no oversight and transparency requirements on how the money is spent. 
So, everybody needs to know that you have a right to know and an obligation to care about what is right, just, equitable, fair and ethical. More so and more than ever before, there needs to be more oversight and more transparency on how these monies are being spent for our collective well-being.
Today, due to this current pandemic, everybody is essentially on the honor system, so please honor our essential workers, essential services, and our environment.
If you think about this, some of our most essential and most important rights, are our rights for clean air, clean water and clean soil. These are the essential cornerstones to all life on earth. In fact, air pollution significantly harms the quality of our soil and water resources, causing significant harm to the health and well-being of all of us, and especially to the health and well-being of our children.
So, we need to pull our range of resources and expertise to help expect the best practices and results for what may be a once in a lifetime funding opportunity.
I believe we should not just expect the best, we should take some action and responsibility to help ensure that things are done right, just, fair, equitably, transparently, and ethically. There is no place in our political system or our ecosystem for ethnocentrism ( def. - "thinking one's own group's ways are superior to others" or "judging other groups as inferior to one's own)."
Thank you and stay safe,
Dennis Smiddle - Executive Director of FANS 4 HELP (a new 2020 nonprofit).