What is a playground’s role in connecting kids to nature?

By Hannah Seo

In 1930s Denmark, landscape architect Carl Theodor Sørensen had an epiphany. Playgrounds in urban settings, with their uniform, predictable structures, did nothing to inspire children’s imaginations. On the other hand, children in the countryside, provided with just tree branches, tires, and other loose-scrap material, could immerse themselves in creative play, inventing whole new worlds with natural resources. City kids didn’t have that opportunity.

Creating a camp business plan for long-term success

By Jason Schaitz

A formal business plan helps directors run a camp, serving as a guide through each stage of operation management. The plan provides the structure for camp operations and is also the roadmap for growth and goal achievement. Additionally, a business plan can help bring in funding, investments, and other partnerships.

Pioneering the future of inclusive recreation

By Adam Arndt

Moss Universal Park is a revolutionary, innovative project designed to create a universally inclusive recreational space. Scheduled to break ground in spring 2025 and open by fall in Wauwatosa, Wis., the park will set a new benchmark for accessibility and inclusivity in public spaces across the country.

Consider these sports to refresh your camp recreation lineup

By Mary Helen Sprecher

When campers are ready to return, directors and counselors are tasked with keeping them happy and occupied, but it’s also important to create camp programs that stand out. What is interesting enough to make kids share their experience with friends—who, in turn, will ask their parents if they can attend, too?

Inside the grand opening of the Jackson Recreation Center's new climbing gym

By Amberley Ransom

After a decade-long absence, indoor climbing has returned with the grand opening of the new climbing gym at the Teton County/Jackson Recreation Center. This eagerly awaited facility, which opened to the public in May 2024, has quickly become a vibrant hub for climbers of all levels and a beacon for the local community.

How Instantpadel paved the way for the racket club of America’s future

By Christoffer Granfelt

As the Founder of Instantpadel, core parts of my DNA include innovation, a progressive outlook, and an ability to consistently look two steps ahead. That’s why I co-founded my company alongside my business partner, Magnus Berglund, to bring a different approach to the trajectory of the world’s fastest-growing sport, and to push the boundaries of what’s possible in traditional environments.

Preparing buildings for the winter

By Eric Spacek

Though the coldest months haven’t yet arrived in many states, it’s important to prepare facilities for winter weather. When park leaders hear other organizations complaining about frozen pipes and expensive repairs this winter, they’ll be glad they were proactive.

Oregon’s Spirit of Halloweentown capitalizes on the iconic 1998 movie

By Melissa Hart

Most of us celebrate Halloween on a single night. But in the small waterfront town of St. Helens, Ore.—27 miles north of Portland—strange and spooky festivities over six autumn weekends attract thousands of visitors. Witches perform spirited broom dances in gorgeous silk and velvet costumes. Shop windows display skeletons and ghouls, cemetery scenes, and creeping tentacles. A haunted house elicits shrieks of delight from children and adults alike. Booths offer trinkets, souvenirs, gyros, burgers, and homemade clam chowder in bread bowls. And a beer garden features local microbrews and live music.

Tips, insights, and impact from Open Space Arts’ May Flower Show

By I.E. Lucky

Open Space Arts’ May Flower Show has become a highly anticipated event, drawing visitors from all corners of Prince William County, Va. to experience the vibrant display of floral arrangements, educational workshops, and community involvement. A staple on the gallery’s annual calendar of monthly exhibitions, the May Flower Show allows artists and audiences to celebrate and welcome spring.

Transforming a crumbling monument into a community theatre

By John Jackson

First open to the public in 1899, Riverside Park was once the crown jewel of Indianapolis’ parks and boulevards system. Its modern footprint is 862 acres—22 more than New York’s Central Park. After more than a century, the time had come to reinvigorate Riverside.