Celebrating Healthy Play in California

2018 Parks Make Life Better Tour

Let's Play California!

In July 2018, GameTime and PlayCore joined California Parks and Recreation Society (CPRS) on a statewide tour of California to visit five of the 28 communities who participated in the CPRS Statewide Healthy Play Initiative. Started in 2015 by CPRS, the intiative provided best-practice training and education from PlayCore for designing play and recreation spaces. It also offered up to $2 million in funding assistance from GameTime to put research into action to build research-based playgrounds and fitness areas for children and families. 

View or download the map of all the communities that participated in the CPRS Statewide Healthy Play Initiative.

Stephanie Stephens - Executive Director, California Parks and Recreation Society "Play brings communities together. We’re excited to share how Parks Make Life Better®, share state-wide training, and help local communities put research into action!”
Robb Davis - Mayor, City of Davis, CA "We are fortunate to have received a grant from GameTime to help leverage our resources to achieve our desired healthy lifestyle goals for our residents."
Cindy Tuttle - Parks and Recreation Director, City of West Sacramento “The CPRS Healthy Play Initiative was critical in helping the city leverage resources to install improvements at Elkhorn Park to better meet the needs of the community.”
Kris Lofthus - Recreation and Community Services Director, City of Suisun City “We are so excited to partner with CPRS Healthy Play Initiative and provide an accessible play space to not only Suisun City, but all of Solano County." 
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CPRS Healthy Play Initiative By the Numbers

4 Years

Started in 2015, the CPRS Statewide Healthy Play Initiative has provided educational events, funding opportunities and the construction of play and recreation spaces over the span of nearly four years.

28 Communities

From Redding to Mammoth, Fresno to San Diego, and everywhere in between, 28 communities throughout the state of California were awarded $1.7 million in funding by GameTime to put best practice research into action and create new play and recreation spaces for children and families.

30 Educational Sessions

Across the state, in communities large and small, PlayCore presented educational workshops on best practices in the areas of active play areas for children, outdoor fitness for adults, nature and trail-based play for families, and inclusive play for people of all ages and abilities.

31 National Demonstration Sites

PlayCore recognized 31 CPRS Statewide Healthy Play Initiative Projects as National Demonstration Sites, added them to a national register and included them in their network for ongoing data collection. 

300+ Symposium Attendees

Parks professionals, landscape architects and program specialists from across the state attended education sessions to learn design best practices in the areas of inclusive play, outdoor fitness and youth physical activity, and nature-based play.

650+ CEU Hours Awarded

PlayCore is certified by IACET to award Continuing Education Units to attendees of education sessions. Over the last four years, PlayCore awarded more than 650 CEU hours to attendees of our CPRS Statewide Healthy Play Initative Education Sessions.

Millions of People Served

The combined population of the communities served by the CPRS Statewide Healthy Play Initiative is 6,048,900. According to the National Parks and Recreation Parks Association, 80% of Americans visit parks on a regular basis. By creating 31 new play and recreation spaces across California, CRPS is contributing to the overall health and wellness of millions of children and families!

Goals of the Healthy Play Initiative
  • Statewide professional development to encourage best practice design considerations for healthy play.
  • Deploy research and data collection to demonstrate CPRS as an essential contributor to improving the quality of life for families in California.
  • Provide matching funding to assist high quality projects in each of the five regions to create outdoor recreation spaces that align with research-based best practices.
  • Publish advocacy and communication tools to further champion play and recreation initiatives.
The Research Behind the Research-Based Projects Download the 2015-2016 Outcomes Report

Calexico, California

The inclusive playground at Adrian C. Cordova Park is a tribute to a community hero and a place to play for people of all abilities. 

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Glendale, California

A National Demonstration Site for nature-based play, as well as youth physical activity, Carr Park in Glendale is a community centerpiece.

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McFarland, California

McFarland Park was designated as a National Demonstration Site for both Youth Physical Activity and Inclusive Play. 

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Suisun City, California

The inclusive playground and adult fitness space at Heritage Park have both been named National Demonstration Sites.

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Turlock, California

This research-based play area is designed to encourage more physical activity for children and aligns with national PE standards. 

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