The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), headquartered in Reston, Virginia, is the largest of the five professional organizations within the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). As a nonprofit membership association they “enhance knowledge, improve professional practice, and increase support for high quality physical education, sport, and physical activity programs.”1 The association offers an array of informational conferences, valuable resources, and grants and awards to its members.

• 1. “Mission and Strategic Plan.” National Association for Sport and Physical Education. < http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/about/mission.cfm > 14 July 2011.

The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) was founded in 1921 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. What started with 51 principals grew in the next five years to include 3,000 members. Today NAESP, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, represents nearly 30,000 elementary school and middle school principals.1

• 1. “History.” National Association of Elementary School Principals. < http://www.naesp.org/history-1 > 21 Sep. 2010.

In 1985, the National Research Council (NRC) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) establish a program addressing the problem of injury directly. With funding from the United States Department of Transportation, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) was begun in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 1990, the Injury Control Act of Congress placed the NCIPC directly under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) where it remains today. The NCIPC is also known as the CDC’s Injury Center. They are organized with a Director over three main divisions:  Division of Injury Response, Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention, and Division of Violence Prevention.

The National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity (NCPPA) is a network of organizations that are working together to establish policies that “improve the public's health and prevent and manage chronic diseases through increased levels of physical activity.”1 While they don't believe they can mandate or regulate changes in individual's behaviors, they do believe that local, state, and national policy changes can make communities more conducive to physical activity.2

• 1. “Policy Framework & Platform.” National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity. < http://www.ncppa.org/policy/platform/ > 30 Sep. 2011.
• 2. “National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity.” National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity.

The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) is a national probability sample of emergency room visits involving injuries. From this sampling, a national estimate is made concerning the total number of injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms.1

• 1. “National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) On-line.” US Consumer Product Safety Commission. < http://www.cpsc.gov/library.neiss.html > 29 June 2011.

The National Institute for Play was founded by Dr. Stuart Brown. Dr. Brown trained in general medicine, internal medicine, psychiatry and clinical research. He first realized the importance of play when studying a group of homicidal males. He concluded that the absence of play could have dangerous long-term consequences.1

Dr. Brown also became aware that the actual science of play was expanding. However, at that time, the play-related research was disorganized and deficient in measuring factors that were clinically easy to observe. It was obvious to Dr. Brown that a larger and more professional organization was needed.

• 1. “Our Founder, Dr. Stuart Brown.” National Institute for Play. < http://nifplay.org/about_us.html > 16 Aug. 2010.

The National Museum of Play is one of America’s largest history museums and the nation’s second largest children's museum.1 With a vast collection of dolls, toys, and games, it is dedicated to exploring “play and the ways in which it encourages learning, creativity, and discovery and illuminates cultural history.” The museum also seeks to communicate the “critical role of play in human physical, social, and intellectual development.”2

• 1. “Margaret Woodbury Strong.” The Strong. < http://www.thestrong.org/about-us/margaret-woodbury-strong > 4 April. 2011.
• 2. “Mission.” The Strong. < http://www.thestrong.org/about-us/mission > 4 April 2011.

With the new guidelines for public playground equipment being published during the 1980s, the need for a playground safety training program became apparent to Fran Wallach, Ken Kutska, and Monty Christiansen. As members of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), these three industry leaders met with the NRPA Executive Director in 1989 concerning a training program under NRPA to establish the playground safety standards of the ASTM International (ASTM) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) as “best practice” for safety compliance in designing and operating public playgrounds.

The National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS) was founded in 1995 by Dr. Donna Thompson of the University of Northern Iowa with a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As a non-profit organization, NPPS is committed to research and safety education for both the public and the playground industry. NPPS is guided by the following goals:

The National Recreation and Park Foundation (NRPF) is a nonprofit organization that advances parks, recreation, and environmental conservation efforts. Their mission is to “support research and public awareness of the economic, social, and physical value of parks and recreation in creating healthy families and communities for all populations to include educating and reaching the underserved.”1

• 1. “National Recreation and Park Foundation: Who Are We and What Is It That We Do?” National Recreation and Park Foundation. < http://www.nrpfoundation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=2 > 28 Feb. 2011.

The National Recreation Foundation (NRF) began as the War Camp Community Services (WCCS), Inc. that was formed during World War I to provide recreation and services on the “homefront.” After the war ended, the NRF was organized in 1919 with the remaining $1.5 million from the WCCS funds.

As a nonprofit foundation, the National Recreation Foundation is dedicated to enhancing mental, physical, social, and spiritual health.1 A deliberately diverse citizens' Board of Trustees was formed with a common love of and respect for recreation as well as the belief that high quality recreation fosters social stability in communities.

• 1. “Our History.” National Recreation Foundation. < http://www.nationalrecreationfoundation.org/history > 13 April 2011.

Ed Sobey, who was the first director of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, founded the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1998.1 Originally located in Salem, Oregon, within the A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village, the National Toy Hall of Fame was purchased in 2002 by the Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum, later known as The Strong, and moved to Rochester, New York.2 It is one of the five play partners of The Strong.

• 1. “About Us.” Northwest Invention Center. < http://www.invention-center.com/about.php > 19 June 2011.
• 2. “History.” The Strong. < http://www.thestrong.org/about-us/history > 19 June 2011.

The Natural Energy Park is an experiential playground design that focuses on how movement, the sun, magnets, and water create power to operate different parts of the play equipment. Through moving a spinning wheel children can cause LEDs on a kite string to light up, and by pointing a solar panel toward or away from the sun they can cause the optical illusion plate to speed up or slow down.1

• 1. “Green.” reddot. < http://www.red-dot.sg/concept/porfolio/o_e/GR/B004.htm > 18 Aug. 2011.

The Natural Play and Learning Areas Guidelines Project is dedicated to “bringing nature back into the daily lives of children” and thus to improving children's health, happiness, and scholastic achievement.1 The Guidelines Project identifies the key design elements of natural play and learning environments for schools, childcare centers, homes, museums, zoos, nature centers, parks, botanical gardens, arboreta, and public lands.

• 1. “Natural Play Learning Area Guidelines Project.” National Wildlife Federation. < http://www.nwf.org/~/media/PDFs/Be%20Out%20There/Natural%20Play%20Prospectus%20v7.pdf?dmc=1&ts=20130121T1306089883 > 10 Nov. 2012.

Rusty Keeler's Natural Playscapes, Creating Outdoor Play Environments for the Soul, published in 2008 by Exchange Press,is an explanation of and a workbook for creating children's outdoor play areas. These natural playscapes utilize “art, hills, pathways, trees, herbs, open areas, sand, water, music” so that “children will find places to run, climb, dig, pretend, and hide, with opportunities to bellow or be silent.”1 Believing the children need “a variety of rich, stimulating experiences and environments that support a wide range of play,” Rusty prefers the idea of a “landscape for play” or a “playscape.”2

• 1. Keeler, Rusty. Natural Playscapes, Creating Outdoor Play Environments for the Soul. , Redmond, WA: Exchange Press, 2008. p. 15.
• 2. Op.cit., p.

Nature Explore is dedicated to assisting children and families “develop a profound engagement with the natural world, where nature is an integral, joyful part of children's daily learning.”1 Realizing that connections with nature are part of a healthy childhood and noting that many children no longer “spend unhurried hours exploring the natural world,” Nature Explore provides educators, designers, and families research-based resources and play space design consultations to bring nature back into children's daily lives.2

• 1. “About Nature Explore.” Nature Explore. < http://www.arborday.org/explore/about.cfm > 29 May 2012.
• 2. “What is the Nature Explore Program?” Nature Explore.

Children & Nature Network and ecoAmerica founded Nature Rocks in 2009, a national program to facilitate families in playing and exploring nature together.1 They were initially funded and/or supported by The Nature Conservancy, REI Inc., The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the American Heart Association. Later these partners were joined by The American Camp Association, Richard Louv, and The Flora Family Foundation.2

• 1. “Nature Rocks.” ecoAmerica, start with people. < http://www.ecoamerica.org/programs/nature-rocks > 26 June 2011.
• 2. “About Nature Rocks.” Nature Rocks, Let's Go Explore. < http://www.naturerocks.org/about.aspx > 7 June 2011.

PlayCore, a playground designer and manufacturer, and the Natural Learning Initiative (NLI), a design and assistance program of the College of Design of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, joined together to create the program NatureGrounds: Putting Nature Into Play. Their mission is to “create a dramatic shift in the standard playground development process by deliberately designing nature back into children's lives.”1

• 1. “Press Release: Unique Playground Initiative 'Puts Nature Into Play'.” NatureGrounds. < http://www.naturegrounds.org/news.html > 22 June 2011.

In October 2007, the National Football League (NFL) started a youth health and fitness campaign called NFL PLAY 60. In an effort to combat childhood obesity, NFL PLAY 60 focuses on increasing the wellness of young fans by encouraging them to be physically active for a minimum of 60 minutes each day. The plan was implemented through NFL’s in-school, after-school, and team-based programs. The initiative is prominent during key NFL events, such as the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl Draft, Kickoff, and Thanksgiving Day games. Numerous players and coaches support the program year round.1

• 1. “About NFL Play 60.” Play 60 The NFL Movement for an Active Generation. < http://www.nfl.com/play60 > 9 Feb. 2011.

On September 18, 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the No Child Left Inside Act, H.R. 3036. The legislation was authored by U.S. Representative John Sarbanes of Maryland and passed with a bipartisan vote of 293 to 109. The NCLI Act was initiated partially because of the consequences of the No Child Left Behind Act, which narrowed the focus of the schools on standardized testing and left children with little or no outdoor or environmental experiences.1

• 1. “House Approves Legislation to Strengthen Environmental Education for America’s Schools.” Committee on Education and Labor Press Release, September 18 2008 U. S. House of Representatives. < http://www.house.gov/apps/list/speech/edlabor_dem/091808NCLI.html > 4 Aug. 2010.

Bert and Shaun Patrick came to realize in 1984 that their local Nottinghamshire County Council had developed a range of synthetic grass surfaced sport and play systems for their schools. Gaining exclusive rights to sell these patented systems, including ChildsPlay, the Patrick family formed Notts Sport to sell the systems to other local authorities. Headquartered in Leicestershire, England, Notts Sport’s mission was “to introduce ChildsPlay and therefore Children's play to a Global audience in a fun and friendly way.”1

• 1. “Notts Sport Ltd Information for the Playground Encyclopaedia.” Communication with Playground Professionals. 11 May 2011.