Play’s the thing

Richard Brian

Jaden Gonzalez, 8, climbs the monkey bars as his mother Shauna looks on while hanging out at the Paseo Vista Park In Henderson.

By Dave Clark (contact)

Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008 | midnight

Henderson has been recognized as one of 67 playful cities in the nation — a distinction heralding the city's efforts to promote playtime and playgrounds for children.

Henderson was the only community in Nevada to be honored by KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit group dedicated to bringing play areas within walking distance of children. In conjunction with the title of Playful City USA, Henderson will also designate Oct. 9 as "Get Out and Play Day," with activities at more than 34 city sites.

"One nationwide issue that can't be avoided is childhood obesity," said Tracy Novak, of the city's Parks and Recreation Department. "It's our desire to improve the health of children in Henderson and reduce the incidence of childhood obesity."

To earn the award, the city had to meet five criteria: establish a play subcommittee, develop a play action plan, conduct regular safety inspections of play areas, demonstrate a financial commitment toward play spaces and host an official "Get Out and Play Day."

Novak said one of the main thrusts of the plan is promoting the value of play through after-school programs like SafeKey in addition to other programs at recreation centers.

"We will be discussing how kids can play safely and avoid injury," Novak said.

Grand openings and ground-breakings for things like new parks will also now include play programming.

A second goal for officials is to install shade structures at each of the city's 42 play areas to shield children from extreme heat and ultraviolet rays. Novak estimated half of the city's playgrounds are shaded, but officials hope to cover all within the next five years.

"Over the last five years, we've taken funds from a number of different sources to try to meet that commitment," Novak said.

Recently, Novak said, the city has focused on meeting that standard in new parks, with developers covering the costs in three play areas. A recent request was rejected through the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act, but Novak said the city is now seeking other funding sources.

Another component of the award is playground maintenance. Novak said Henderson staff inspects play areas every day, and the effort is audited by a certified inspector. Henderson playgrounds also have rubber surfaces under equipment to prevent injury.

A proclamation celebrating Henderson's achievement will be read at the Oct. 7 City Council meeting, which will be followed by Mayor Jim Gibson and other officials discussing the importance of play from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 9 at Mission Hills Park.

Activities in the park and across the city that day will include relays, jump rope and balloon tosses. The park will also have bounce houses, arts and crafts, and a carnival-like atmosphere.

Novak said the play effort still merits more work.

"Getting an award like this gives us an incentive to do an even better job for citizens," he said.

Dave Clark can be reached at 990-2677 or dave.clark@hbcpub.com.