Why Moms Are Advocating for Better School Playgrounds—and How to Make a Difference in Your District

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School playgrounds can be a mom’s best friend. From being the perfect spot to let kids run off their unlimited energy to providing a place to meet other parents, they’re lifesavers — as long as they’ve been well-maintained.

A school playground is only beneficial if it can be safely used by families. For this reason, many moms, dads, and community leaders are advocating within their districts for better school playgrounds. After all, school playgrounds help the next generations prepare for the future.

This isn’t an exaggeration: Having access to a welcoming school playground both during and outside of school hours can have a profound effect on a child’s development. Case in point: Engaging in unstructured mental and physical activities in a natural setting helps children develop a stronger sense of self and practice their social skills.

There’s just one snag: Many families aren’t close to a school playground they can visit. According to reporting from the Trust for Public Land, tens of millions of children and adults can’t easily get to a park. Yet most live within a 10-minute stroll of a school. Consequently, if the school had a playground, those kids could have a welcoming place to climb, jump, learn, and simply have fun. If you’re in this situation, you may want to start advocating as well. Though it can be tough to know how to start a conversation and compel change, you can start with some simple steps.

1. Find out if your local schools have playgrounds.

To begin, drive or walk by the schools closest to your home. Do they have playgrounds? If so, are those playgrounds up to date in terms of equipment, outdoor furniture, or structures?

Many schools haven’t put any resources toward building a playground or keeping up with the maintenance of an existing play area. Commercial playground equipment provider AAA State of Play explains why this is a missed opportunity: When schools add or reinvent their playgrounds, they set themselves apart. Additionally, they show their support of the community they serve, as well as its youngest population. And even though the upfront costs may seem high, a professionally designed and installed playground should have a long lifespan, making it a worthy investment.

2. Start a committee of like-minded parents.

After examining the schools and playgrounds (or lack of playgrounds) in your area, talk to other parents. You might be surprised to find that other moms and dads are just as passionate as you are about transforming your neighborhood school. You could even contact business owners to see if they might be willing to provide in-kind or financial support for the installation or upgrade of a school playground.

This isn’t always a simple task and won’t happen overnight. Many people are reluctant to bring up these types of issues. A good place to start might be to target the playground space at your kids’ current (or future) elementary school. After all, that’s probably the school playground your family will most likely use the most.

3. Attend school board meetings.

While meetings of your community’s local public school board might not always be too exciting, they’re worth attending. That way, you can start getting a sense of the people who are involved in the decision-making process. It’s very difficult to advocate for any revisions to your local school playground if you’re not aware of the school’s leadership.

You don’t have to bring up playgrounds at the first meeting you attend. Instead, pay attention to the agenda and process, which may follow this procedural guide. The more you know about how your school board meeting operates, the more confident you’ll feel in getting on a meeting’s agenda to discuss your concerns.

4. Gather data to support a better school playground.

When you’re ready to actively advocate and speak at a school board meeting, be certain to gather recent statistics to back your argument. Without supportive evidence, you might find it challenging to make any inroads. Remember that your school board will be focused on spending the district’s money in other areas. Your role is to make them interested in supporting your cause, and facts will help your position.

For example, a 2022 study showed that school playgrounds had the capacity to profoundly and positively affect the mental and physical health of tweens. Likewise, another study noted a significant uptick in children’s physical activity after a year of being able to use a playground.

5. Offer to help with fundraising.

What if your school board turns you down despite your best attempts to argue in favor of a school playground that everyone can enjoy? You may want to talk with the administration and PTO about joining their ranks and heading a fundraiser to cover the costs associated with a school playground transformation.

If you’ve already amassed other parents, you won’t be alone in this endeavor. (It really does take a village in this case!) Instead, you can make it a project that you can share with other families. And when your efforts pay off, you can all celebrate by taking a trip to your newly built school playground.

Having a nearby school playground to visit can leave lasting impressions on your kids. Rather than feeling like you have to accept the reality that your local school playground is inadequate, you can become an agent of change and enhance the lives of countless individuals of all ages.

Photo by Norma Mortenson; Unsplash