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Deanna morris:
This is a video of a "Going Green" sensory playground that was covered on the news.

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New playground in Green Township designed for kids with sensory disabilities

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GREEN TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WKRC) - A new playground in Green Township is being called the first of its kind in the Tri-State. West Fork Park will soon have a customized area for all kids. It's been specially designed to help children with autism. On August 21st, the Holiday Playland at West Fork Park will be demolished.

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Mikaela Slighter:
Students may remember the material better if its put into song. The teacher can show this after he/she teaches the lesson to give the students a better understanding.

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How to Find Area and Perimeter | Educational Rap for Math Curriculum

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Abby Terlecki:
This is a lesson on Going Green. On this website it has all kinds of resources for going green and different ways to go green. It also explains why recycling is important.

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Supplement outdated science textbooks with our environmentally focused resources. These activities and guides will encourage your students to live a "greener" lifestyle, at home and at school. By teaching children at a young age to be environmentally aware, you are building lifelong habits that could potentially make a dramatic difference in the future of the earth. The activities and resources include methods for reducing waste and trash, information about product consumption, recycling tips, facts about pollution and its effects on the environment, global warming statistics, worksheets on different ecosystems, and plenty of projects for students to complete inside and outside the classroom.

Reducing Trash, Litter & Waste

Choose from these resources to teach students ways to help the environment. Included are printables to create alternatives to cleaning up the environment, learning about landfills, and a fun detective activity.

Recycling Tips & Tricks

Use these resources to enhance students' knowledge about recycling through reading passages, a study guide, and coloring book.

Minimizing Pollution

Enhance students' comprehension about air pollution by using these resources. Included is a vocabulary printable, creating a wanted poster, along with enrichment and hands on activities.

Resource Consumption

Expand your lessons on the environment by using these on Resource Consumption. Students research natural resources and map their locations, fill in a graphic organizer with ways to help the environment, along with other activities.

Protecting Ecosystems

These resources will extend student learning. Lessons include home projects, role playing, and a nature walk to collect information about ecosystems.

Making Your School a Greener Place

Get your students involved! These resources include lessons on doing things to make a difference at school, eating a waste-free lunch, and establishing a club with environment-impacting activities.

Environmental Science

Choose from these resources to expand students' learning about the environment. Activities include printables, quizzes, and thought-provoking questions.

For Your Whiteboard

Our list of resources is full of choices to make great lessons. Choose from cross-curricular and regular lessons to increase students' environmental learning.

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"Green" Activities & Environmental Awareness Teaching Resources - TeacherVision

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Supplement outdated science textbooks with our environmentally focused resources. They're the perfect way to encourage your students to live a "greener" lifestyle, at home and at school.

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MaKayla Lewis: This play ground equipment is made out of recycled mile jugs. All equipment is Green Circle Certified and is made to prevent cracking and warping in extreme weather conditions.

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Natural Playground Equipment by Playtopia, Inc. - Green & Eco-Friendly

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Natural Playground Equipment by Playtopia, Inc. - Green & Eco-Friendly

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Playtopia is the world's premier manufacturer of green, eco-friendly, recycled playground equipment. Affordable, durable, safe, and fun!

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Alex Pluemer:
This website lets students see how a playground can include students with physical impairments. It also has a "build your playground" option where the students can put in the dimensions of the playground and they can select the equipment they want. This would give them a visual representation of what they are working towards.

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Playgrounds are a place for laughter, friends and fun where all children and their families can play together regardless of their abilities. Our team of designers can help you create an inclusive playground environment that best fits the unique needs of those in your community.

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Some students need to watch a video to learn. They maybe a visual  learner.
Amanda Smith

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Playground Flashcards - Let's Play on the PLAYGROUND! by ELF Learning

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Playground & Recess Rules Book, Posters, & Student Certificates

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Playground Rules poster, read aloud, cards, and student certificates for back to school are ready to go. Using visuals to teach routines helps our preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten students a ton!

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Mikaela Slighter:
There are lots of good memories on the playground, but there's also some bad memories as well. The buddy bench can be very beneficial! If a student wants to take a break from playing, they can sit on the buddy bench with a friend and talk with them. Or, if a few students get into an argument, the teacher can take the students to the buddy bench to talk out their issues.

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Ocean View Elementary School - Christian's Buddy Bench

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This beautiful bench at Ocean View Elementary in California was a "labor of love" that was built by a father of one of their teachers and was painted by one of their parents. Those are two very talented people! According to the principal, their bench has been so well received by the students, staff, and parents, ...

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MaKayla Lewis: This was a poster a teacher made of the playground rules so students know what to do and not to do on the playground.

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Playground & Recess Rules Book, Posters, & Student Certificates

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Playground Rules poster, read aloud, cards, and student certificates for back to school are ready to go. Using visuals to teach routines helps our preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten students a ton!

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Abby Terlecki:
This website provides pictures and descriptions for accessible and inclusive playground ideas. This would be good for students to look at to enlighten ideas for their playground that will be inclusive and fun for all students including their SPED friends.

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All children deserve to experience the thrill and escapism of meaningful physical play. What's more, it just takes a bit of thought and planning, and everyone can enjoy the exhilaration and magic that arguably only playgrounds can produce. Of course, more than anything it's about social interaction - and in this respect no child should be left on the sidelines.

Play parks without proper wheelchair access and equipment suitable for all visitors - including those with special needs - are starting to seem like relics from the past. Here we look at 30 of the most impressive accessible and inclusive playgrounds from around the world.

30. A Dream Come True - Harrisonburg, Virginia
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PlayCore's Play & Park Structures and Southern Playground teamed up to create the A Dream Come True playground in April 2010. Located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, the project was the brainchild of a group of Girl Scouts whose dream it was for there to be a space where all kids could play alongside one another, regardless of their abilities. The Girl Scouts embarked on a mission to acquire the necessary funding, approaching local religious groups and companies for donations while also applying for grants and selling cakes and cookies. It took almost a decade, but eventually enough money was raised for the $1.4 million facility to be built. The brightly colored equipment caters to different age groups, and there are special Made-for-Me swings designed for kids who need extra body support.

29. Westchester Recreation Center - Los Angeles, California
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Los Angeles' Westchester Recreation Center features a colorful inclusive playground that gives kids the opportunity to cavort amongst lifelike marine creatures and seabirds while enjoying ample shade to keep cool on hot days. The city teamed up with custom playground company GameTime to design the facility, which was unveiled in 2012. The equipment includes access ramps, so that children in wheelchairs can play with ease, as well as a pair of adaptive swings. As GameTime state on their website, "Our playgrounds are built for fun, inclusiveness, and to help build great communities."

28. Brooklyn's Playground - Pocatello, Idaho
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Named after Brooklyn Fisher, a little girl with spina bifida, Brooklyn's Playground in Pocatello, Idaho opened in October 2011. When Brooklyn was a toddler, her dad sat her in a swing at a play park, and as it had no back support, she fell out and hurt her head. It was then that her parents conceived of the idea for a playground that kids of all abilities could enjoy. Funds from grants and donations flowed in, and within less than a year the park was built for $560,000. Apparently, 11 percent of the schoolchildren in the area have a disability, and the ramps, smooth surfaces and therapeutic swings at the facility allow them to hang out with their able-bodied peers on a level playing field. Visitor Amanda Bakker took her child to the park and placed her in a swing, then noticed a girl in a wheelchair playing on the pirate ship with her friends. "This is what it means to be included," she said.

27. Hadley's Park - Potomac, Maryland
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Shelley Kramm established non-profit organization Hadley's Park, Inc. in 1996 with the express purpose of building a park where her daughter Hadley - who has cerebral palsy - could play with other kids. Kramm succeeded in raising $750,000, and in 1999 the original Hadley's Park opened in Potomac, Maryland - the first playground of its kind in the state. The facility came complete with high-specification accessible play equipment such as swings, seesaws and slides, plus wheelchair-friendly surfaces, and a wildflower meadow for a sensory experience. After the park opened, Kramm found herself in demand from communities throughout the U.S. that wanted similarly inclusive play parks near them. And while Hadley's Park, Inc. was shuttered in 2003, the playground - part of Falls Road Park - is still open, and Kramm continues to help people who want to build accessible facilities.

26. Fairmount Carousel Playground - Riverside, California
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Nestled within the 250-acre Fairmount Park in Riverside, California, the Fairmount Carousel Playground was unveiled in June 2010. As its name suggests, the playground's design evokes a merry-go-round theme. It features a slide, musical equipment, a splash pad, a carousel, and special panels that kids can push down on to make noises. The Riverside Renaissance project was endorsed by the City Council, while Landscape Structures and Coast Recreation got together to build the park - which was conceived by non-profit organization Shane's Inspiration. According to Mara Kaplan of Let Kids Play, inclusive parks can help allay false assumptions and ensure that all children have fun together. "A typically developing child who's never seen a child with a disability will just start playing with them because they haven't been told that person is different or weird or strange," she said.

25. Millstone Creek Park - Westerville, Ohio
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Spearheaded by the City of Westerville, Ohio, Millstone Creek Park opened in May 2010. The $1.6 million facility combines colorful inclusive equipment, designed by Playworld Systems, with a nature-inspired concept featuring bushes-cum-tunnels and wetlands overlooked by a wheelchair-friendly boardwalk. The play equipment includes accessible swings, musical instruments, and a slide that's fine for children with cochlear hearing implants. Still, the star of the show is arguably the NEOS 360, which is essentially like a huge video game with lights and noises. According to Mara Kaplan of Let Kids Play, playgrounds shouldn't be limited to just having ramps; she says it's better to add adapted swings and sensory apparatus, which make for a more valuable experience. Interestingly, kids were involved in the design of Millstone Creek, as they were asked to pitch in on plans before it was built.

24. Friendship Park - Ra'anana, Israel
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Nestled in Ra'anana, Israel's City Park, Friendship Park was designed to accommodate visitors with various special needs. Sensory therapy expert Michele Shapiro oversaw the design of the acclaimed nine-acre playground, which was funded by the local municipality, the Jewish National Fund and the Jewish National Fund U.K. Shapiro explained that the social and physical aspects of the outdoor recreational space operate in tandem. Opened in 2005, Friendship Park made history as the first inclusive playground in Israel. In 2011 then-Ecuadorian vice president Lenin Moreno, a paraplegic, was so impressed by the park that he expressed a plan to construct 200 inclusive playgrounds in Ecuador.

23. Everybody's Tree House - Germantown, Tennessee
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Situated in Riverdale Park in Germantown, Tennessee, the Everybody's Tree House inclusive playground was opened in July 2010, and over 150 volunteers turned up on its community build day. The first phase of the project cost $380,000 - with significant funding coming from the Baptist Memorial Hospital Foundation and the City of Germantown. Meanwhile, play and recreation company PlayCore set up the equipment and provided free design and technical help. In 2011 Everybody's Tree House garnered an "outstanding achievement award" from the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The tree house is positioned amongst native trees and plants and is designed to be accessible to all kids. Moreover, in progress are further plans for the park, including raised sandboxes and interactive gardens.

22. Signal Centers Therapeutic Playground for the Arts - Chattanooga, Tennessee
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The Signal Centers Therapeutic Playground for the Arts is situated in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This recreational area is intended for kids of all ability levels and was opened in August 2010. At least $215,000 went into the project, an amount generated by Friends of Special Children. Childcare specialists, teachers, staff, and professionals in the fields of licensing, safety and accessibility teamed up on the design, which included plenty of natural elements - not least over 50 species of shrubs, plants and trees - for a truly multi-sensory experience. As a result of all this, the playground achieved certification from NatureGrounds. "Children need interaction with nature during outdoor play," said Signal Centers CEO Donna McConnico. "It stimulates the mind, strengthens the body and helps to develop a sense of wonder and imagination."

21. Rocket Park - Grand Junction, Colorado
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The out-of-this-world Rocket Park in Grand Junction, Colorado has an interesting history. In the 1960s a rocket-shaped jungle gym was built on the site - formerly known as Melrose Park - and despite it being popular with the locals, in 2009 it was deemed unsafe and put out of service. However, rather than the rocket being consigned to the scrap heap, it was spruced up before being installed as a piece of art at a new inclusive playground, which was opened in May 2010. The new park has a cool space theme and was designed by Play & Park Structures. Its budget: around $200,000. The facility has plenty of ramps so that all kids can play on the equipment, while the smooth surface is decorated with retro-looking rockets and stars. Other attractions include interactive games, "rocket control" panels, multi-sensory toys, and accessible swings.

20. Jacob's Park - Boynton Beach, Florida
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Jacob's Park in Boynton Beach, Florida is a tribute to Jacob Rappoport, who in 2002 passed away as a result of spinal muscular atrophy, when he was less than a year old. To raise awareness about his condition, his parents established the Jacob Isaac Rappoport Foundation. They also used this organizational framework to set up a play area where children of different abilities could have valuable interaction with one another - because if Jacob had lived, he would have faced a lot of physical challenges. Jacob's parents teamed up with GameTime, who designed the inclusive playground. Unveiled in September 2010, it features ramps, slides, sensory equipment and smooth surfacing. The project cost $193,000 to develop, and a group of volunteers helped to put the apparatus together.

19. Stewart Vincent Wolfe Creative Playground - Yuma, Arizona
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Budding princes and princesses will be itching to explore the castle-themed Stewart Vincent Wolfe Creative Playground, which opened in February 2007 in Yuma, Arizona. Stretching over more than three acres, the mega play zone was partly funded by Ron Martin and was named after a friend of his. Designers Leathers & Associates worked with the local community to bring the park to life. Over 8,000 volunteers assisted in building the facility, while 5,000 school kids shared ideas for its design. The playground boasts Pebble Flex surfacing suitable for wheelchairs, lots of slides, a special swing for youngsters with disabilities, and even a "fighter jet."

18. Reese's Retreat - Pasadena, California
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This fabulous pirate ship play park was opened in April 2011 and is to be found in Pasadena's Brookside Park. Reese's Retreat stretches over almost half an acre and is the city's first accessible playground of its type, featuring ramps, wheelchair-friendly flooring, and fun multi-sensory apparatus with sand and water for play. The play park cost $1.2 million to build and was largely funded by a grant from the state. A number of companies and groups contributed to the project's design, including non-profit organization Shane's Inspiration, which works to help disabled kids. The park is named after the late Reese Elliott, who had special needs and used to adore playing pirates. Some 2,600 of Pasadena's children have special needs, and now they can enjoy having fun with their friends in what has been dubbed "the best playground in Southern California."

17. Zachary's Playground - Lake St. Louis, Missouri
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In 2007 Zachary's Playground was unveiled at Hawk Ridge Park in Lake St. Louis, Missouri. It's named after Zachary Blackmore, whose mother, Natalie, helped set up non-profit organization Unlimited Play to procure funds for the park. Unlimited Play teamed up with St. Charles Developmental Disabilities Resource Board to make the $750,000 facility happen, while Landscape Structures designed the equipment, which runs along a castle and maritime theme. The park includes accessible swings, a water play feature for warm days, a music space, slides, and a net for climbing - complete with special seating. The playground also features all-important surfacing for wheelchair users, as well as an accessible picnic area. According to pediatrician Phil Reichert, it's just as important for disabled kids to get exercise, and they really enjoy inclusive playgrounds such as Zachary's.

16. Taylor's Dream - Fort Wayne, Indiana
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Taylor's Dream is situated in Krieger Park in Fort Wayne, Indiana. PlayWorld Midstates conceived the play park's design, which stretches over 16,530 square feet and cost in excess of $1 million to build. Amazingly, an 11-year-old girl, Taylor Reuille, came up with the idea for the inclusive playground, and after many years of funds being raised and grants and donations procured, the facility was opened in June 2011. As park visitor Sherry Woodman pointed out, it's not just children who can benefit from accessible equipment, either. "I'm a disabled parent and I couldn't come [to parks] when they were little," she said. "Parents with disabilities are going to be able to come here and feel like normal parents and be able to just enjoy their kids." The park features ramps, a sensory play area, an AeroGlider, a cool-looking water play section, and more.

15. Clemyjontri Park - Fairfax County, Virginia
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The playground at Clemyjontri Park in Virginia's Fairfax County is tough to miss. It stretches across two acres and is decked out with an eye-catching rainbow color scheme. The playground opened in 2006 and is split into four areas, with each section featuring different apparatus, helping kids to learn about colors, read, find out about the world, and exercise their imaginations. There are also plenty of opportunities to get active on accessible equipment, which includes ramps, various special swings, and more. The play park's centerpiece is a carousel, which children can even use while still seated in wheelchairs. This unique park was the dream of Adele Lebowitz, who donated land to the local authorities on the condition that it be used to create a playground for disabled children. Landscape architect Grace Fielder, who helped develop the park, said, "Its imaginative design really gets all kids into the outdoors expending energy. There is even a wheelchair drag strip."

14. Tony Stewart Playground - Columbus, Indiana
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Budding racecar drivers will love the Tony Stewart Playground in Columbus, Indiana, as it has adopted a cool racing theme. Decked out in a slick red and black color scheme, the park, by GameTime, was opened in May 2013. Children of all abilities can play on slides, swings and a Rock-N-Raft, before zipping down ramps and under a set of checkered finish-line flags - with the playground also boasting a wheelchair-friendly surface. The Columbus Park Foundation teamed up with city local and NASCAR champ Tony Stewart to set up the Race2Play initiative, which aims to get kids playing together, regardless of their capabilities. Race2Play drew from over half a million dollars in funding to improve four playgrounds in the area and ensure that "kids of all physical abilities have a good, safe place to play."

13. JT's Grommet Island Beach Park and Playground for Every"BODY" - Virginia Beach, Virginia
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JT's Grommet Island Beach Park and Playground for Every"BODY" opened in May 2010 and was the brainchild of Josh Thompson and his family. Thompson loved the beach and surfing from childhood, but in 2006, while still young, he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease - which causes weakness and wasting away of the muscle. After Thompson hung back from a family trip to the beach because of the challenge of negotiating the sand in a wheelchair, his father approached the City of Virginia Beach with the idea of an accessible beach park. City authorities agreed that it was a great idea, and the nation's first such beachfront park was built for about $1 million - with funding for its upkeep and maintenance coming from sponsors' donations and events. Unsurprisingly, the park is decked out with a beach theme; it also features elevated tables for making sandcastles, a "sway board," and a sensory panel that provides entertainment for visually challenged children.

12. Harambee Park - Boston, Massachusetts
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The inclusive $740,000 playground at Boston's Harambee Park was unveiled in May 2009. Its funding was furnished by the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust and through a program set out by Thomas Menino, the city's mayor at the time. The facility was developed by Boundless Playgrounds and is the first of this type in Boston. What's more, it was certainly a welcome addition, since at the time of its opening a fifth of the city's public-school enrolled youngsters were getting special assistance for a disability. "It allows all kids to take part in the fun and will offer many of them new perspectives and activities that may not have been attainable until today," said Menino. As well as the all-important ramps and wheelchair-friendly surfacing, the playground features high-backed swings, plus play panels and a vibrant purple and yellow color scheme.

11. Can-Do Playground - Wilmington, Delaware
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Can-Do Playground in Wilmington, Delaware was the brainchild of Rotary Club members in the area who thought it would be a great way to commemorate the organization's 100-year anniversary. Opened in July 2007, the 26,000-square-foot facility cost just under $1 million to build, with GameTime and Boundless Playgrounds overseeing its development. Can-Do is positioned in the city's Alapocas Run State Park and features gardens, mazes and games, as well as plenty of special play equipment - such as adapted swings and raised sandboxes. It is classed as a NatureGrounds park thanks to its abundance of plants and trees, which give added value to children's play. As one visitor said, "One of the coolest playgrounds we've ever been to, and I think that can be said for kids of any skills and abilities!"

10. Livvi's Place - Five Dock, New South Wales, Australia
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Livvi's Place in Five Dock, New South Wales has the enviable accolade of being the first all-inclusive playground in Australia. It is situated in the Sydney suburb's Timbrell Park and was unveiled in November 2009. The idea for Livvi's Place started with John and Justine Perkins, whose daughter Olivia died when she was less than a year old as a result of a rare condition. The Perkinses established the Touched by Olivia Foundation, which - among other things - works within local contexts to develop inclusive play parks. The facility in Five Dock features swings, musical equipment, a wheelchair-accessible carousel and more. In 2010 the playground received a tribute from Parks and Leisure Australia for being the country's top play space. Then the following year the Touched by Olivia Foundation picked up the Innovation Prize from World Leisure International.

9. Lake Macquarie Variety Playground - Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia
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This massive inclusive playground at Australia's Lake Macquarie is alleged to be the biggest play park in the southern hemisphere. Lake Macquarie Variety Playground was commissioned by the local city council and covers almost five acres of land. It features an array of swings - including a wheelchair-accessible Liberty Swing - plus touch-friendly totem poles for kids with visual disabilities, an enormous slide, musical apparatus, a play boat that can be enjoyed by wheelchair users, a maze, a secluded area for quiet time, and much more. "I have a child with a disability. This park is both fun and great for developing the motor skills she requires," said one visitor. The $5 million facility was unveiled in October 2011, and during the same year it received the Best Play Space in Australia accolade from Parks and Leisure Australia.

8. Hope Park - Frisco, Texas
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Children got to experience Hope Park in Frisco, Texas for the first time in May 2013. The facility was the vision of Jenni Jensen, who had to deal with a lack of fun amenities in the area that were suitable for her daughter with Down's syndrome. Jensen connected with Rene Sinclair and Shannon Swarbrick, and together they pressed ahead with the idea for Hope Park, which is believed to have cost almost $600,000 to build. Designed by Leathers & Associates, the recreational space includes ramps along with a smooth, squashy surface for people in wheelchairs. It also comes set with special swings, a roller slide, sensory equipment and musical instruments. Interestingly, local author Kristan Olfers produced a children's book called One Park for All whose profits went towards the playground's development.

7. Matthew's Boundless Playground - Kissimmee, Florida
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Matthew's Boundless Playground is situated at Give Kids the World in Kissimmee, Florida, and its grand opening took place in July 2008. Give Kids the World is a fun resort that can be visited by children with potentially fatal conditions plus their families at no charge. Based on the board game Candy Land, Matthew's Boundless Playground invites visitors to the park to wind along a path that takes them via Gumdrop Pass and Lollipop Forest to the magical Candy Castle. The playground was donated to Give Kids the World by Hasbro and was named after Matthew McGowan, who suffered from cancer and passed away in 2007 at the age of eight. As well as boasting special swings and slides, the play park is home to elevated walkways for wheelchairs - and all in delicious candy-colored hues. Excitingly, on Sunday evenings children get to be the "pieces" in the "world's largest Candy Land game."

6. The Play Park - Exeter, U.K.
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The Play Park is nestled in King George V playing fields in Exeter, England and contains everything needed for a great day out. It was opened in March 2009, with children from both ordinary and special schools assisting in shaping its design. The park came into being through the initiative of Miriam Guard from British learning disability charity Mencap. She felt strongly that a playground should be built for kids of all abilities after hearing about the difficulties of a mother with an autistic child. The Play Park has received funding from foundations, trusts, private contributors and business donors together with the U.K.'s Big Lottery Fund. This facility features a roundabout, a trampoline, a seesaw and a swing unit, all of which are suitable for children in wheelchairs or with restricted mobility. There's even a gadget that plays happier sounds the higher a child swings.

5. Helen Diller Playground - San Francisco, California
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The Helen Diller Playground was named for a local philanthropist, and the facility was ready for action in March 2012. Situated in San Francisco's Mission Dolores Park, this impressive play area came into being thanks to contributions from the Mercer Fund and a couple of key city funding sources, to the collective tune of $3.5 million. The pastel-colored park - designed by Koch Landscape Architecture - includes an enormous 45-foot-long slide, plenty of swings, bongo drums, a giant xylophone, an array of climbing facilities, a raised sand table and more. There's even a pair of wheelchair-friendly play boats, so that kids of all abilities can play pirates and other make-believe games. "Everything here is fun," exclaimed a seven-year-old visitor to the playground. "Everything!"

4. Playground Without Limits - Houston, Texas
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The Playground Without Limits is handily located at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center in Houston, Texas. The facility - whose budget totaled roughly $330,000 - was unveiled in April 2011 as part of a daylong festival that included, among other activities, wheelchair tennis and basketball. The play park features various ramps, so wheelchair users can enjoy 90 percent of the equipment, and there is also an accessible "Sway Fun" glider, sound play devices, and a rehabilitation trail for improving skills. Local philanthropist Dr. Carolyn Farb spearheaded inclusive play parks in Houston through her Playgrounds Without Limits campaign, and the park was funded by way of a grant from the Vale-Asche Foundation. "Play is a vital part of how children grow," explained Farb. "Playgrounds are where children learn to explore, build friendships, and develop social skills they will use throughout their lives."

3. Jake's Place - Cherry Hill, New Jersey
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Jake's Place in Cherry Hill, New Jersey was unveiled in October 2011. The park is named for Jake Nasto, who passed away in 2008 at the age of just two. His parents decided to form Build Jake's Place with the purpose of raising the money needed to develop an all-inclusive playground for children. CVS Pharmacies provided a notable portion of the playground's funding, while the rest came through contributions from local people and companies. The park cost roughly half a million dollars to build. Boundless Playgrounds chipped in with the design, which includes sensory sections, a ramp, wheelchair lifts, slides and more. Plus, there are special areas in which autistic kids can spend time by themselves or spin around.

2. Tatum's Garden - Salinas, California
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Tatum's Garden in Salinas, California opened in December 2013. Inspired by three-year-old Tatum Bakker, who has spina bifida, the project took 14 months to come to fruition. "I'm so proud of everybody... We took a dream and we made it reality," explained Tatum's beaming mother Amanda. The surface of the 20,000-square-foot playground is covered in cushioning rubber, and the park is filled with wheelchair-friendly ramps and structures as well as adaptive swings. Taking Brooklyn's Playground in Idaho as their leading example, the Bakkers turned to accessible play park experts Leathers & Associates - the company behind Brooklyn's. They also had the backing of the Salinas Circle for Children together with the support of their local community.

1. Shiver Me Timbers Millennium Park - Lake Charles, Louisiana
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Lake Charles, Louisiana's Shiver Me Timbers Millennium Park was originally unveiled in September 2000. The charming accessible playground was paid for by donors and was constructed by more than 6,000 willing volunteers. Sadly, the play park was burnt to the ground in a suspected arson attack in January 2011. However, the community rallied together and rebuilt the park, which reopened in time for Christmas the same year. This time, Leathers & Associates - who also developed the original park - incorporated plastic rather than wood into the design. The new, 20,000-square-foot playground is double the size of its predecessor and includes a 40-foot pirate ship, an adaptive swing, and the standout Crying Eagles Nest Treehouse - which, like the other big structures, is wheelchair accessible.

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30 Most Impressive Accessible and Inclusive Playgrounds

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Image Source All children deserve to experience the thrill and escapism of meaningful physical play. What's more, it just takes a bit of thought and planning, and everyone can enjoy the exhilaration and magic that arguably only playgrounds can produce.

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Alex Pluemer:
This source gives a glimpse into the types of physical impairments that people live with every day. This will help the students determine what type of playground equipment they can select to inclue the SPED students.

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TALK TO ME | Physical Disability Awareness

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Hannah McManus:
The students will be given a real life scenario. The teacher can pass out fake money and calculators for students that need them; but the goal for the students is to budget their money enough to buy the things they want, and then calculate their change.

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Find information, resources and relevant links for teacherpayteacher.com. This domain may be for sale.

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Deanna Morris:
This website has step by step instructions on how to teach a lesson on budgeting money. It has the required amount of time you would need and it also provides guided questions to ask the students.

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Lesson 1: Budget Basics | Scholastic.com

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In this Plan, Save, Succeed! lesson, students use sample student monthly expense and income information to understand how a budget is created, and how it can be analyzed using percentages. This exercise is designed to encourage students to consider the role saving plays in financial planning.

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Hands on Activities for Area and Perimeter 

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Hands on Activities for Area and Perimeter 

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Mikaela Slighter:
Some students like hands on actives to help them remember the material. Your students could build what they think the new playground should look like, along with learning area/perimeter. This is also a great way to get them to be creative!

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Have you ever hung wallpaper? If you have then you know a very simple truth. You have to understand the measurement of the area to get the right amount of paper for your walls! To make it even more complicated you have to deal with matching the wallpaper patterns so it usually requires figuring for extra lengths. It's a nightmare.

I have hung a lot of wallpaper and my favorite part is not the measuring. I love creating the corners and wraparound parts. It's great problem-solving! Speaking of problem-solving, have you ever hung plaid wallpaper? Let's not even talk about that, okay!

Let's talk about kids and measurement! Especially perimeter and area!

In this post, for your convenience, you may find Amazon Affiliate links, which means Amazon passes tiny amounts on to me- if you purchase something through that link, at no extra cost to you.

Perimeter = Per-RIM-eter

This is the way I always talked about perimeter with kids. I stressed the RIM part of the word and let them know (repeatedly) that this means the rim, the outside edge of something. Like a fence.

You know that hands-on experiences are the best teachers with our students so here's a STEM challenge we have completed a few times that really worked on the perimeter.

In the first part of the challenge students practice finding the perimeter of several shapes. I use my projector to make the shapes on the board and we learn to mark each line of the grid paper to count accurately.

Then the kids have to find all of the ways to create a shape using a given perimeter. They work together to draw rectangles and label them with the perimeters.

Then we find the area of each and with your smallest engineers, you might have to actually let them count those grid paper boxes. They will eventually see that these arrays work by using times facts!

This is the really fun part! Students use their data- the arrays they have drawn- and pick the shape that will make the best dog run. They make that choice and then write reasons why it is the best.

Then, they build a tiny version of it! Check the photos of our tiny dog run models!

Above, the team made a dog food bowl out of pipe cleaners with pipe cleaner food. That is also a real rock sitting by their tree. The grass is shredded paper. The actual dog run is made from one of the grids they drew!

Above, you can see real rocks and sticks. The doghouse is made from craft foam and the small disc is either a dish or a frisbee.

Above, this team made a palm tree- even though we don't have those near us! I guess it could be a banana tree and we can grow those! They have a grid paper house and grid paper dog bowl. The string is a toy rope for the dog.

So, what about using area to design?

In another challenge, students must find at least 10 polygons that all have the same perimeter, but the area of each will be different.

After finding 10 polygons, they must join together three of them to design the floor plan of a doghouse. The arrangement of the polygons has to follow some specific design rules which include where they can touch and what the final area can be.

It's a fabulous set of STEM challenges all about perimeter and area, but here is the best part!

We tackle these two challenges after reading a picture book!

This is the story of Lisa who is given a homework assignment to go home and measure something. She decides to measure her dog, Penny. She does this in such creative and unusual ways it makes the kids laugh. It sparks a discussion of what it takes to care for a pet- which leads to creating the dog run and the floor plan for the doghouse.

Total fun! It works on two important math skills. And, I added two homework tasks to these two products that will allow even more extensions of the skills! Perfect - and so much easier than hanging wallpaper!

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Have you ever hung wallpaper? If you have then you know a very simple truth. You have to understand the measurement of the area to get the right amount of paper for your walls! To make it even more complicated you have to deal with matching the wallpaper patterns so it usually requires figuring for extra lengths.

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Kaitlyn Kinslow:
This PDF document has a lesson plan on recycling. On the website it lists questions, videos, in class activities, homework activities, and books to help teach the students about recycling.

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Alex Pluemer:
This source has a video teaching the concepts of Perimeter and Area. It also has a link that has the entire lesson and worksheets for that lesson.

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More info: http://classroomcaboodle.com/product/area-perimeter-worksheet-lesson-bundle/ Perimeter is the first thing to teach students because they get it easily. With that mastered, we move on to area using these steps and insights from Betsy Weigle. Classroom Caboodle

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Mikaela Slighter:
Through this website, you can apply for grants to get money for your school's playground.

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School Playground Grants

Use this listing of school playground grants to secure funding for your school playground. Planning a school garden? Check out our listing of school playground grants for school gardens as well. Additional materials for writing your grant are available on our grants resource page to assist you.

Do you need some sample grant templates for writing school playground grants? Fill out the form below and sample grants will be delivered directly to your email address on the spot.

UPDATED July 21, 2016

Organization: New Balance

Purpose: We know that thousands of schools have experienced the benefits of adding walking and running to the school day. Active kids simply do better - better in the classroom, better attendance, better health, and fitness. We want thousands of more schools to experience the same. That's why we are uniting the efforts of schools across the nation to walk and run one billion miles. Yep, that's right, billion with a 'b'.

Amount: Walk/Run Equipment Grant $500

Grants must be submitted by Sept 30, 2016, Website: http://www.billionmilerace.org/grants

Organization: Kids in the Game

Purpose: Jump-start more movement at your elementary school with the GO! Grant. $1,000-$5,000 GO! Grants support more minutes on the move before, during, and after school through funds and gear for new classroom and playground programs.

Website: https://www.kidsinthegame.org/go-grant-school-activity-grants/

Funding : Ended for 2016. Sign up for newsletter for 2017 notifications

Amount: $1000-$5000

Website: http://ussoccerfoundation.org/grants/

Purpose: The U.S. Soccer Foundation awards grants on both an annual basis (Program grants) and through a rolling process (Safe Places to Play Grants) to support soccer programs and field-building initiatives nationwide. Grants are provided to support all aspects of the beautiful game - from assisting programs with operational costs to Creating Safe Places to Play. - See more at: http://ussoccerfoundation.org/grants/#sthash.fhviN7Wq.dpuf

Funding Cycle: Quarterly

Organization: Walmart

Website: http://foundation.walmart.com/apply-for-grants/state-giving

Purpose: Support health and wellness in communities

Funding Cycle: 2 times per year in Jan and June The State Giving Program application is currently closed. The application will reopen on August 29, 2016.

Amount: $25,000- $250,000

Eligibility: organizations with a current tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code

Shade Structures

Trees

Garden Grants/School Nutrition Grants

Bullying Prevention Grants

General Capital Improvements

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School Playground Grants Use this listing of school playground grants to secure funding for your school playground. Planning a school garden? Check out our listing of school playground grants for school gardens as well. Additional materials for writing your grant are available on our grants resource