The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is an independent federal regulatory agency that protects the public from unnecessary harm or death due to use of consumer products. One way they do this is to establish and enforce standards against dangerous consumer products. On August 14, 2008, Congress passed the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008. This law was necessary to “establish consumer product safety standards and other safety requirements for children's products and to reauthorize and modernize the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.”1

• 1. “An Act.” Public Law 110-314-Aug. 14, 2008. 122 Stat. 3016. Consumer Product Safety Commission. < http://www.cpsc.gov/cpsia.pdf > 22 June 2011.

U.S. Toy Company is a family-owned company that specializes in novelty toys, seasonal decorations, stuffed animals, balloons, educational toys and teaching aids, and magic tricks and supplies. Seeking to “inspire learning, creativity, and fun” through the play value of their products, they market their products through retails stores, catalogs, and online websites.1

• 1. “News and Events.” U.S. Toy Company. < http://www.ustoyco.com/news.htm > 26 Jan. 2012.

Caroline Pratt, an American innovative educator who was part of the progressive movement in the early 1900s, is credited for developing wooden blocks, called unit blocks. They were similar to the blocks used by Friedrich Froebel in his kindergartens.1 Using play with physical objects as the basis for learning revolutionized early childhood education at that time, and unit blocks continue to be used in classrooms today.2

• 1. “Caroline Pratt. wooden unit blocks.” Froebel Web. < http://www.froebelweb.org/web2027.html > 30 Nov. 2011.
• 2. Hewitt, Karen. “Blocks As a Tool for Learning: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives.” Young Children. January 2001. NAEYC. < http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/Hewitt0101.pdf > 30 Nov. 2011.

As a division of Universal Precast of Redding, California, UPC Parks specializes in linked climbing boulders, rope bridges, and rock and log stepping stones for children’s playgrounds. Dedicated to providing “active play, movement, exploration and challenge,” UPC Parks also offers customized playground designing, sculptured creatures, sand and water play features, and nature themed site furnishings.

An urban area is an area with a high population density. Jersey City, New Jersey was reported to have the highest density of people per square mile at 13,043, according to the 2000 U. S. Census Bureau. American cities are rapidly growing with the top 50 metropolitan areas having a million or more people living in them. Americans living in urban areas currently number 79 percent of the population, and it is projected that by the year 2050 that percentage will rise to 90 percent. This demographic shift makes urban parks often the sole connection to the natural world for an increasing number of children who live in large cities.1

• 1. Lindstrom, Lane. “Keeping Urban Play In Your City.” Playground Magazine. Fall 2010. p. 10-11.

The 2011 Conference on the Value of Play was held February 6-9, 2011, at Clemson University’s Madren Conference Center. The US Play Coalition is a partnership to promote the value of play throughout one’s life. It consists of individuals and organizations that recognize play as a valuable and necessary part of a healthy and productive life.

The over 200 attendees represented a very diverse group including people from the medical profession, health, education, child development, kinesiology, architecture, parks and recreation, manufacturers, professional organizations, parents, advocacy groups, and many other proponents of play.