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Safe Kids USA started as the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, a U.S. nonprofit organization, which was founded by Martin R. Eichelberger, M.D. and Herta Feely in 1988. Dr. Eichelberger, as head of the emergency trauma unit at the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC, saw many injuries to children that could have been prevented.1 Unintentional childhood injury is the leading cause of death and disability for children under the age of 14. At that time, there were no programs to prevent childhood injuries before they happened. The organization’s founding sponsor was Johnson & Johnson.

• 1. Hunter, Jeff. “National Safe Kid Campaign looks to Expand into Playground Safety.” Today’s Playground, March 2001. p. 50.

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) National Partnership is a network of organizations dedicated to creating “safe, convenient, and fun opportunities for children to bicycle and walk to and from schools.”1 In doing so, they seek to reduce traffic congestion, improve the air quality around schools due to the reduction of traffic, and to increase children's activity and thereby reduce the risk of obesity and obesity-related health problems.2

• 1. “Quick Facts.” Safe Routes to School National Partnership. < http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/mediacenter/quickfacts > 10 Oct. 2011.
• 2. Ibid.

The Säjai® Foundation was formed in 2006 by Barb King to “educate and motivate youth ages 6 to 11 to make healthy choices that will serve them for a lifetime.”1 As a Minnesota based nonprofit organization, the foundation works with local communities in educating children to include “healthy eating, physical activity, and outdoor exploration” in their lives.2 The Säjai Foundation is also using these key lifestyle choices to combat childhood obesity.

• 1. “Who We Serve.” Säjai Foundation. < http://sajaifoundation.org/aboutus/whoweserve.html > 27 Feb. 2011.
• 2. “Welcome to the Säjai Foundation!” Säjai Foundation. < http://www.sajaifoundation.org/ > 14 Dec. 2010.

Sand is a granular material composed of fine rock and material particles. Geologists use the term sand grain as a particle ranging in diameter from 0.0625mm to 2 mm; with the next larger size class being termed gravel and the smaller size class is silt. Sand is graded as fine, medium, and coarse.1

• 1. Hopen, Thomas J. “What Is Sand?” The International Sand Collector’s Society. < http://www.sandcollectors.org/What_is_Sandx.html > 14 July 2010.

Sandbox Summit is a series of conferences that undertake the mission to discover how technology affects the ways children play, learn, and connect with others. As technology becomes more pervasive in the lives of children, the goal of Sandbox Summit is “to ensure that the next generation of players becomes active innovators rather than passive consumers of technology.”1

• 1. “About Us: The Sandbox Summit Story.” Sandbox Summit. < http://www.sandboxsummit.org/aboutus.html > 19 April 2011.

School Specialty is an education company that provides proprietary products, programs, and services to help educators engage and inspire students of all ages and abilities to learn. The company designs, develops, and provides preK-12 educators with curriculum, supplemental learning resources, and school supplies. Working in collaboration with educators, School Specialty reaches beyond the scope of textbooks to help educators, guidance counselors, and school administrators encourage students to reach their full potential.1

• 1. “Corporate Profile.” School Specialty. < http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=72100&p=irol-homeProfile&t=&id=& > 8 Feb. 2012.

Self-esteem can be defined as what a person’s unconscious believes to be true about his value, worthiness, and competence. Messages received from others are unconsciously accepted as facts no matter how legitimate or based in reality they are. Therefore, one’s self-esteem is continuously constructed and reconstructed by others’ verbal and non-verbal messages.1 Children’s self-esteem affects how they approach their world.

• 1. “A Three Factor Operational Definition of Self-Esteem.” California State University, Los Angeles – Classroom Management Resource Site. < http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/jshindl/cm/Self-esteem.htm > 08 Sep. 2010.

The interaction of the mind and the body comes through the experiences of the senses. These experiences then contribute to brain development.1 Countless amounts of sensory information enter the brain all the time from not only the eyes and ears, but also from every area of the body. The brain organizes and integrates all of these sensations to help the person function normally.2

• 1. Frost, Joe L., Pei-San Brown, John A. Sutterby, Candra D. Thornton. The Developmental Benefits of Playgrounds. Olney, MD: Association for Childhood Education International, 2004. p. 208.
• 2. “Basic Sensory Development.” Incredible Horizons.com. < http://incrediblehorizons.com/sensory-development.htm > 17 Sep. 2010.

Shlomi Golan founded ShapesInShape, Inc., a fitness research firm and developer of exercise programs, in 2000. As a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Shlomi conducted research on wellness and effective exercise programs.1 He also formulated indoor and outdoor exercise programs for weight control and for strengthening muscles.

• 1. “Our Founder.” ShapesInShape. < http://www.shapesinshape.com/AboutUs.aspx > 25 Feb. 2011.

Dorothy Singer is a research scientist, professor, consultant, and author who focuses on early childhood development, the effects of television on youth, and the importance of imaginative play.1 She believes that “play is crucially important to children's intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development” and is seeking to “reintroduce play and joyful learning into our schoolrooms and our living rooms.”2

• 1. “Dorothy G. Singer.” A Mandate for Playful Learning in Preschool. < http://www.mandateforplayfullearning.com/about.html > 15 Nov. 2011.
• 2. “Play=Learning Conference.” Play=Learning. < http://udel.edu/~roberta/play/press.html > 15 Nov. 2011.

The Slinky toy has been enjoyed by generations of children since its introduction in 1946. It is a simple toy made of a coiled spring that is advertised with words to describe the many actions children can make it do: walk, bounce, spring, juggle, flip, and jiggle. The Slinky is described with the slogan, “The original walking spring toy walks down stairs,” and this feat fascinates children and adults alike when demonstrated.1

• 1. “Slinky Spring Toys.” Poof-Slinky. < http://www.poof-slinky.com/Online-Store/Category/2/Slinky/ > 12 Jan. 2012.

Snug Play systems were inspired by the Experimental Playground Project that started in 2000 in the United Kingdom. The Project allowed children to try out new ideas for the design of their playground using wooden pallets, traffic cones, cardboard tubes, chalk, and fabric. What resulted was a highly innovative playground design that inspired other schools to experiment in the same way with their children.1

• 1. “Daubney Primary School. Experimental Playground Project.” Snug&Outdoor. < http://www.snugandoutdoor.co.uk/schools/daubeny1.html > 1 Aug. 2011.

According the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 60-70% of all public playground equipment injuries are falls to the surface.1 Sof’Fall® was incorporated in 1992 in order to help alleviate this problem. They began to manufacture engineered, crushed, wood fiber, which would cushion the fall and be safer if children fell off of the playground equipment. This fiber is composed of softwoods and/or hardwoods, free of any bark or organic materials.

• 1. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. “A Handbook for Public Playground Safety,” Volume II. p. 22

The Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids (SPARK) team of researchers and educators are focused on growing a healthier next generation of children1 through the development of healthy lifestyles, social and personal skills, motor skills, and movement knowledge.2 In 1989, they began to evaluate, create, and implement new approaches to elementary physical education.3

• 1. “FAQs.” SPARK. < http://www.sparkpe.org/what-is-spark/faqs/ > 17 Aug. 2011.
• 2. “Spark Objectives.” SPARK. < http://www.sparkpe.org/about-us/objectives/ > 17 Aug. 2011.
• 3. “About Us.” SPARK. <http://www.sparkpe.org/about-us/> 17 Aug.

Michael Spock began his career as the Director of the Boston Children's Museum in 1962. His unconventional educational background led him to approach revitalizing the museum with an experiential and informal platform. He began with a What's Inside? exhibit where children could see and explore the insides of ordinary objects, such as a toaster, baseball, or a drop of rainwater. At that time non-directive, open-ended exploratory exhibits were not common.1 That exhibit lasted five years and led the national transition to hands-on children's museums across America.

• 1. “Sidebar: What's Inside?” Boston Children's Museum. < http://bcmstories.com/stories-menu/chapter01-menu/103-sidebar-whats-inside > 5 Aug. 2011.

Michael Suk began his academic career with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in African-American History from Carleton College in 1990. From there he simultaneously earned a medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine (1997) and a law degree and a masters of public health degree from Boston University School of Law and School of Public Health (1995) with a special certificate in health care law.1 Michael's residency training was in orthopaedic surgery and his fellowship was in orthopaedic trauma.

• 1. “Michael Suk Biography.” US Play Coalition Conference on The Value of Play 2011. Keynote Speaker, 8 Feb. 2011.

Jim Dobmeier founded Surface America in 1993 in Cheektowaga, New York. As a subsidiary of ECORE, Surface America installs playground surfacing on approximately 500 playgrounds annually as well as gymnasium flooring, fitness flooring, indoor and outdoor surfacing, and trail and pathway surfacing. Their sister company, A-Turf, a synthetic grass surfacing company, was also founded by Jim and is also a subsidiary of ECORE.1

• 1. “Corporate Diversity & Financial Strength.” Surface America. < http://www.surfaceamerica.com/index.php/stand_alone_page/details/welcome-to-surface-america/ > 22 Oct. 2010.

Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) promotes land development and management practices that are sustainable through generating less waste, minimizing impact on the landscape, and by using less energy, water, and natural resources. SITES is developing a national, voluntary rating system for sustainable landscapes and thus defining and quantifying sustainability for “those who design, construct, operate and maintain landscapes.”1

• 1. “About Us.” Sustainable Sites Initiative. < http://www.sustainablesites.org/about/ > 3 Nov. 2011.

Whether trying to cool off in warm weather or competing in a sporting event, swimming is enjoyed by children and adults alike and is listed as the second most popular sports activity in the United States. Swimming is great exercise, offers physical and mental health benefits, and is fun for the whole family.1

• 1. “Health Benefits of Water-Based Exercise.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. < http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/health_benefits_water_exercise.html > 9 Feb. 2012.

When Thomas and Michelle Baer were looking for a quality backyard swing set for their family, they discovered that the only products available were very expensive, pre-cut wooden swing sets. Thomas decided to design a low-cost alternative wood swing set that included all the necessary hardware, except the lumber. They approached DRS Investment Group to suggest a partnership to manufacture and market do-it-yourself wooden home playground equipment kits and formed Swing-N-Slide in 1985 located in Janesville, Wisconsin.