A balance bike is a training bicycle that has no pedals, gears, or chains. It offers an easy transition from walking to riding for young children especially. The bike is low to the ground and children sit with their feet touching the ground and propelling themselves forward without help from others. This allows children to develop their skill in balancing and steering the bike before adding the need to accomplish the pedal action required for regular bicycles.1

• 1. Glide Bikes. < http://www.glidebikes.com/ > 29 Jan. 2013.

Coming from a diverse background of political science, English, writing, remodeling construction, painting, and sculpturing, Barbara Butler founded Outer Space Design in 1986. With Robert Forrest they specialized in artistic backyard designs, largely building unusual decks. A year later, while working for Bobby and Debbie McFerrin, they were asked to also design an unusual play structure for the McFerrin's two sons. That request shaped and refocused Barbara's company to combine building outdoors with wood using artistic designing and satisfying families who want to play together.

One of the oldest playground companies in the United States began in 1920 when John E. Burke incorporated the J.E. Burke Company in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. What started as a weather-stripping business built on the family farm changed drastically in 1920 when one of their friends asked them to build a slide.

With a love of designing and a growing family of their own, J.E. and Ethlyn took the challenge and started designing and manufacturing playground equipment, such as slides, see-saws, swings, carousels, and chinning bars. Very soon the playground products took over the focus of the company as well as the showroom. When it was warm in Wisconsin, the showroom was expanded to the outside lawn where local children could “test” the products.

Jay Beckwith, one of the “fathers of the modern playground,” attended Whittier College starting in 1961. He then went to San Francisco State University for a Fine Arts & Design degree in 1963 and did graduate studies at Pacific Oaks College in Child Development in 1965.

The Beyond Access program disseminates information on designing physically accessible and socially inclusive playgrounds for children of all abilities. They recognize that “no other activity in children's lives provides as much richness and experience as free play,” and yet “the typical playground may often be a place of failure for a child with a disability.” They believe the ideal playground “enables all children to use their individual strengths and abilities to engage in play independently and equally with their friends, siblings, and neighbors.”1

• 1. “Beyond Access.” Center for Persons with Disabilities. < http://www.cpdusu.org/projects/access/ > 14 June 2012.

Biophilia is a term invented by psychologist Erich Fromm to describe the love of life and living systems. Edward O. Wilson, a Pulitzer Prize winning author and Harvard biologist, expanded on the meaning and emphasis of biophilia believing that the human love of nature and animals is a genetic result of evolutionary processes. The love of nature, suggested to be genetically encoded in humans, was further investigated in The Biophilia Hypothesis, edited by Wilson and Stephen Kellert.1

• 1. Ellis-Christensen. “What is Biophilia?” WiseGeek. < http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-biophilia.htm > 29 Sep. 2011.

Blue Imp’s name was derived from Blue Implement, a company that manufactured steel farm implements, and was started in 1917 by S.F. Scott in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. At that time, the demand for farm equipment had dwindled, and there was an increasing demand for playground equipment.

During the depression years, the company had to use salvaged materials from decommissioned railroad cars in order to build the playground pieces, and in 1936 Blue Imp built its first swing set.

Blue Implement officially changed their name to Blue Imp in the 1950’s. At this time they were commissioned by the local Lion’s Club to build playground equipment for the city parks.

Bone fracture injuries account for about two-thirds of all injuries on playgrounds. Nearly all of these fractures (90%) involve upper limbs and come from falls from monkey bars or climbing frames.1 Woltzman also found that injuries in children ages 1-4 years old were more likely to involve bone fractures. Lillis and Jaffe found that most hospitalizations due to playground injuries were from fractures of upper extremities. They found that older children’s fractures were mainly from climbing apparatus, while younger children were generally injured on slides.2

• 1. Beaty, James H. and James R. Kasser. Rockwood and Wilkins’ Fractures in Children: Text Plus Integrated Content. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009. p. 303.
• 2. Ibid.

As a young woman, Amy Jaffe Barzach was distressed as she watched a little girl in a wheelchair crying because she couldn't join the other children playing at the local playground. Shortly thereafter, Amy’s second child, baby Jonathan, was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy. Jonathan passed away at the age of 9 months. She realized that if Jonathan had lived longer he would have been in a wheelchair, and she remembered the little girl crying because she could not join the others at the playground.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America provide a safe and affordable place for young people to gather during non-school hours and during summer vacation months. They seek to assist all young people “to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.”1 Their core beliefs include providing hope, opportunity, character development, stable relationships with adult professionals, and a safe place to learn and grow.2

• 1. “Who We Are.” Boys & Girls Clubs of America. < http://www.bgca.org/newsevents/Pages/Media_Kit.aspx > 10 Oct. 2011.
• 2. “Our Mission.” Boys & Girls Clubs of America. < http://www.bgca.org/whoweare/Pages/Mission.aspx > 10 Oct. 2011.

As the “voice of brain injury,” the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) is the oldest and largest brain injury advocacy organization in the United States. Advocacy, research, and educating the public have been the primary focuses of the Brain Injury Association through the years.1 There are more than 40 chartered state affiliates and hundreds of local chapters and support groups in the nationwide network.2

• 1. “About Us.” Brain Injury Association of America. < http://www.biausa.org/About-Us/about-brain-injury-association.htm > 23 Feb. 2011.
• 2. “Welcome to the Brain Injury Association of America.” Brain Injury Association of America. < http://www.biausa.org > 16 May 2011.

Brewer's Ledge, Inc. was founded by two cousins, Jeff Brewer and Conant Brewer, in 1990, making it “one of the oldest climbing US companies.”1 In the ensuing years, their creative climbing structures for schools, training facilities, rehabilitation, and playgrounds has spread from Boston, Massachusetts, to twenty-eight countries and five militaries.

• 1. Brewer’s Ledge Dealer Sheet, WingWall Q&A.

Dr. Stuart Brown grew up on the southwest side of Chicago, went to parochial high school, and received his BS from Wheaton College. He went on to medical school and took a rotating general internship and then settled on family practice. In order to strengthen his diagnostic skills, he went to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota, for a fellowship in internal medicine. He later became the Assistant Dean of Baylor and took a residency in psychiatry.

Bullying has been defined as a type of aggressive behavior that causes distress or harm, demonstrates an imbalance of power, and is repeated over time. The child being bullied usually has a difficult time defending himself, while the bully gets great satisfaction from his aggression, perpetuating the bullying cycle.1

• 1. Piotrowski, Debra and James Hoot. “Bullying and Violence in Schools. What Teachers Should Know and Do.” ACEI.org. < http://acei.org/wp-content/uploads/bullyingfulltext.pdf > 17 Dec. 2010.