Next Meeting of the Playground Committee

The next general meeting of the playground committee planning meeting is Thursday 4/28 at 7pm in the basement of Westminster Church (400 I St, SW).  All are welcome to join us to learn more about the project and how you can help!

Save the Date: Earth Day

Please join us on Saturday, April 23rd from 11am-1pm for Earth Day to help us clean the library park site.  See the flyer below for details.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Thanks For Your Support!

Thanks to everyone who came by for face painting at the Cherry Blossom festival on Saturday.  With your help we raised more than $400 towards our goal!

 

Face Painting This Saturday!

The friends of the SW library playground will be offering face painting this Saturday, April 2, from 1-8:30 pm at the Cherry Blossom Fireworks Festival on the Southwest Waterfront to raise money for the playground! Bring your child down to have their face painted, share their thoughts with us, and learn more about the project.   

If you're facing the water, we will be located directly to the left of the Channel Inn (650 Water St SW, Washington DC) near the gangplank, underneath the white gazebo.  We look forward to seeing you on Saturday!

Playground Project Featured on 'Little Quadrant that Could'

Check out our article on the 'Southwest....The Little Quadrant That Could' blog

http://southwestquadrant.blogspot.com/2011/03/sw-library-playground-project-well.html

Children of Amidon Design Their Ideal Playground

The SW Library Playground committee recently held a contest in conjunction with Amidon elementary for students to design their ideal playground on the SW Library lot.  District Councilmember Tommy Wells was kind enough to join us in judging the art contest.  The winning students class was awarded a pizza party at the school.  Congratulations to winning entries!

Playgrounds Promote Healthy Childhood Development

Community playgrounds help promote social, mental, and physical development in kids, but don't take our word for it.....

Experts agree that "...children's spontaneous, self-generated play has tremendous potential to actually enhance brain development and increase kids' intelligence and academic ability..." (http://www.post-gazette.com/lifestyle/20021001childsplay1001fnp3.asp)

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, "free, unstructured play is essential for keeping children healthy, and for helping them reach important social, emotional, and cognitive developmental milestones. Unstructured play also helps kids manage stress and become resilient." (http://www.playworks.org/why-play-matters)

"Scientists who study play... are developing a consensus view that play is... a central part of neurological growth and development — one important way that children build complex, skilled, responsive, socially adept and cognitively flexible brains." (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/magazine/17play.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1)

...and the Federal government says kids need at least 60 minutes of play everyday! (http://www.letsmove.gov/getactive.php)

Your donation will help give children in Southwest DC a safe, fun place to get the unstructured activity they need!