Blue Bag Media
Play area promotes ‘No Kids Left Inside’

GREENVILLE – “What I like about this is it gets kids off their computers… no carpal tunnel with thumbs,” said Darke County Parks Director Roger VanFrank. “It’s a text-free zone.”

The Natural Play Area at Shawnee Prairie was Parks Naturalist Rob Clifford’s idea. He was happy to demonstrate a part of it… jumping the tree stumps. Clifford said nearly 1,000 kids of all ages had visited the ‘playground’ since it opened on April 26 (Nature Day). VanFrank was pleased to note there were even two kids playing there in the rain that morning. He grinned and pointed at the two sitting in his office. The previous day, on June 3, two families came in late in the day, plus several kids from the high school. They were playing on top of the pile.

“I should have taken a picture,” VanFrank said.

“This is a growing trend at other parks,” Clifford said. He was at a conference where they talked about trying to get kids outdoors. “It’s okay to get out into the area, jump around… get dirty!” He added the challenge was getting to the parents. “They seem to have this fear, things like poison ivy – this is a safe area. They can sit back and relax; let their kids be kids.”

More than 200 kids played in the Natural Play Area on Nature Day alone. “After it was over we went home; when we came back on Monday someone had built a large debris shelter. No idea who did it,” Clifford said...

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