DOUBLE TAP TO ZOOM WITH PHONE OR TABLET OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTS / SAFETY Provide children with playgrounds that are safe and fun Whether you’re creating a new playground or maintaining an existing one, this handbook is designed to help you move through the many details and stages of making safe yet challenging playgrounds and play areas a reality. Written by the founders of the National Program for Playground Safety, with over 80 years of combined professional expertise, this guide spells out the four elements of SAFE playgrounds • Supervision • Age-appropriate design • Fall surfacing • Equipment and its maintenance Active outdoor play is important for children’s healthy cognitive, social- emotional, and physical development. With the tips and strategies in this guide, playgrounds can have a positive and fun role in children’s development. 3 Heather M. Olsen, EdD, is executive director of the National Program for Playground Safety. She has spent her professional career providing education and training for safe and engaging playgrounds across the country. Dr. Olsen is also a professor at the University of Northern Iowa in the College of Education. Susan D. Hudson, PhD, has been an educator, consultant, and practitioner in the field of leisure, youth, and human services for over 39 years. She is a McElroy Professor, one of only three such endowed professorships in the country, and the former education director for the National Program for Playground Safety. Donna Thompson, PhD, founded the National Program for Playground Safety and established the NPPS SAFE program for playground safety used by many organizations today. Dr. Thompson has been a professor at the University of Northern Iowa for over 35 years and continues to educate on playground design and safety. Ages 6 months to 12 years ISBN 978-1-60554-460-1 COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL $29.95