Everyone Needs a Safe Place to Play!

even this little guy!

Playgrounds, yesterday and today

This strikes a little close to home....

This is one reason why the Friends of Pheasantbrook project for this year has been to  rebuild and restore our playgrounds. 

We want to give our children and grandchildren a better option for their time each day.  An option that is safe and encourages creativity, even family and neighborhood bonding!

Caution, Time on the Playground May Lead to:

CREATIVITY!!!!

We will definitely have to include a slide

(or 2 or 3 or 5) 

in our final design

Any other suggestions of what this final design needs, because we literally are days away from having the final design ready to go.  Speak now, or forever hold your peace.

What a Community Build Looks Like

One of the money saving endeavors we plan to put in place for the playground project is to host a community build.  The video below shows what a build looks like.  

Hundreds of volunteers, divided into teams, with specific assignments, working together all day.... and then, piece by piece, the playground starts to come together.  Friendships are made or strengthened, pride and ownership in the community and playground is instilled, and a playground is built.

It.Is.Awesome.

Thank You!

We don't say thank you often enough to those people who serve on the playground committee and donate large amounts of time to pull fundraising goals together.  Thank you for sharing in the same dream as the Friends of Pheasantbrook!

May your Thanksgiving Day be filled with Peace, Joy, Family and Laughter!

P.S. Start the laughter now by reading about one person's great Thanksgiving Day prank here.

How can a park be more than a place to play?

I recently read a short story on KaBOOM!'s website about a community completing their playground project that held one simple, important truth! You can read the story here, but here are just a few highlights.

It was a father of 3 little girls who spear-headed this project in Arizona.  For many who are already involved in the playground committee and various fundraising plans, this quote is very easy to relate to. We are motivated by our children and our grandchildren, we have desires to give them a safe and creative place to play:

"My three little girls were my biggest motivation and inspiration. They can spend all day long at a park playing and having fun - but it's not just that, they are exploring, pretending, socializing, leaning new things about themselves when they have the space and quality equipment to engage in unstructured play."

But, here's the part I would hope motivates us all to get involved in our own playground project, it is one major reason I am motivated to make our playgrounds better:

"For me, more than anything, a good park means more quality time together for families and friends. We are all losing too much of our lives fixated on a TV, computer or cell phone screen - unengaged with our loved ones and the world around us."

What are your reasons for supporting the playground project?  If you don't support it, why not?  We want to know. We want to be successful.  And we can't be successful without your full support!

Leave us a comment or send an email to phoafriends (at) gmail (dot) com.

What Kids Want in a Playground, the last of the series

Here we are, the last of this series of posts showcasing our children's designs of what "the-best-playground-ever" would look like.  

By  now we've all noticed a few trends (slides to swings to climbing and spinning).  Even if we are done with posts on the designs from our children, that doesn't mean the discussion has stopped.  

Keep talking to us about what you want to see.  Nothing's final until the build day, be a part of this exciting process!

The first 3 pictures are Baige's design.  I had to take a picture of it because she created her design in 3-D.  I love the work she put into it and scanning, as you will see, simply takes away from how awesome it is.

Oh scanning...I had to scan the design in two parts, and it's just not as cool.

Page 2 of scanning, but at least you get the close up of the toys she's selected.

 Here is another design by one of our kids.  This one also extends beyond the 8.5x11 paper that was made available.  There are no limits for these children, I love how they can dream big!  It's very inspiring.

I scanned her images too, but this picture is so much better than the two-part scan.

 Last but no least, if you would like to receive a copy of the equipment catalog from our vendor, BigTReceration, send us an email right away!  We would really like to know what you think is important to include in our new parks.

phoafriends (at) gmail (dot) com

The "Together We Can" Hand Mural

You've heard us talking about this for a long time now, but perhaps we should officially introduce to you our

"Together We Can" Hand Mural. 

This is not an exact replica of what we plan to build, but it puts across the idea of what our hand mural will be.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 5th, 2012. This will be our Community Build Day when we will gather residents, neighbors, friends and family together to help us build our new playgrounds.  In addition, we will also be creating a special work of art to honor the many wonderful people who have donated to our project.

All persons making a $20 donation will receive a reserved spot on our wall where to leave their mark in the Pheasantbrook community. In addition to making a hand print, each donor will also be able to leave their name, or the name of a loved one whom they choose to honor in making this donation.

There it is, simple as that: 

Make a Contribution (on the donate link above)       and Forever Leave Your Mark!

Officially a Non-Profit!

We've alluded to this already, but...

BIG NEWS!!!

We have received non-profit status with the IRS.  Do you know what this means?  All donations are now tax deductible!  That's big time!  

So make your tax deductible donation now by clicking on the 'donate now' link found on the top right, or by contributing to someone's team for the $10 Challenge, which is the 2nd to top link also on the right.

What Kids Want in a Playground, part 3

Here we are again, another Friday, which means more playground designs- inspiration from the children of our community.

We'd love to hear your thoughts on the toys our children are selecting.  Please leave us a comment if your noticing trends or your own "must have" toys!

As always, we have extra catalogues from BigTRecreation if you would like to create your own dream playspace.  In fact we welcome it! Email us at phoafriends (at) gmail (dot) com to found out how you can get a copy of your own catalogue!

The $10 Challenge...it's on!

We are proud to announce the latest in fundraising efforts

The $10 Challenge! 

It's pretty simple really. All you need to do is create a team of 10 people and have each person raise $10 from 10 people by December 15, 2011. (If we had 15 teams, we'd match our grant!)

Suggested Steps:
1. Gather a team of 10 enthusiastic people willing to be on your team (we suggest you talk to friends, family, neighbors and coworkers)

2. Give yourself a motivating team name (My team's name: Kids n Play!).

3. Ask each member of your team to raise $10 from 10 people by December 15, 2011.

4. Decide if you want to create a team fundraising page to collect online donations. Click here to get step by step directions on how to create your own fundraising page with StayClassy.org.   A Friends of Pheasantbrook fundraising page is especially helpful when people want to donate using a credit card and it's a great way for family and friends who live out of town to donate conveniently, safely and securely. You'll also be able to share your page easy with your Facebook friends and followers on Twitter.

A few incentives you can offer:
1. We have acheived nonprofit status, so all donations are tax deductible!
2. Any donation of $20 or more will receive a space on our "Together We Can" hand mural, to be created at our Community Build Day, scheduled for Saturday, May 5th, 2012. That's one way to leave your mark!

So...what are you waiting for!  Follow these instructions and set-up your team now!

What Kids Want in a Playground, part 2

We are back again with more playground designs created by the children in our community.

Are you noticing any trends yet? Are you finding toys that are a "must have" for you?  Let us know in the comments section!

And of course, if you are interested in creating your own playground designs, we do have extra catalogues from BigTRecreation.  Email us at phoafriends (at) gmail (dot) come to find out how to get a copy.

Swings = Happiness

What Kids Want in a Playground

In KaBOOM! language, the Children's Halloween Fun Run was actually our "Design Day" where we try to gather as many volunteers and ideas as possible. 

In the post-race celebrations we had a space set up for the children to design their dream play space by choosing pictures of different playground equipment straight from the vendor's catalogues  (BigTRecreation).  The hope was that there masterpieces would give us an idea of what the kids want to see when we build their new playgrounds coming up in May 2012.

 We ended up with designs from 10 different children, with great ideas from all of them.  Over the next couple of Fridays, we will highlight 2-3 designs on the blog.  

What trends do you notice?

Adelyn's dream playground is so large, she had to use both sides of the paper!

Page 2 of Adelyn's playground

Diana's playground - she's incorporated a little bit of what we already have and then brought in some of the best BigTRecreation has to offer!  I love it!

BigTRecreation has given us extra catalogues for anyone who is interested in seeing what our options are.  If you'd like to take a look through a catalogue please email us! 

phoafriends (at) gmail (dot) com

Fun Run Recap

October 15th we held our first ever Children's Halloween Fun Run/Walk.  We had a great time and were so pleased with all our runners - the young and old, the princesses, X-men and all the families who came out to support everyone.  Thank you to all who participated, you've helped us get closer to our goal of restoring the playgrounds in our community.

It was awesome to see neighbors and friends running through the beautiful streets of the Pheasantbrook community.  We had a lot of fun and felt the event was a great success.  We will definitely hold the event again next year...so keep your running shoes ready!

Our Fun Run Sponsors

We are really excited about the Fun Run this Saturday!  Have you registered yet?  Sign up now, from our blog.  Do it now so your sure to get your free breakfast!

Our Fun Run would not be successful without the generous support of the following businesses who have agreed to be our partner in supporting healthy, balanced lifestyles.  Huge thanks to these "Friends" of Pheasantbrook:

1K Fun Run Sponsor

www.southdavisrecreation.com

Runner's Breakfast Sponsor

www.freshmarketstores.com

 Grant Sponsor

Thanks to the Bountiful Lion's Club for their support in helping us receive our grant from KaBOOM! & DrPepple/Snapple

Prize Sponsor

www.kangaroozoo.net

The Bounce House Sponsor

www.saratogarentalcenter.com

 The UPS Store in Bountiful

www.theupsstore.com

Children's Halloween 1k Fun Run/Walk

Join us for the first ever

Friends of Pheasantbrook 

Children's Halloween 1K Fun Run/Walk

DATE: Saturday, October 15th, 2011

TIME-FRAME 

8:00-8:45am - Check-in and late registration 

($5.00 - early registration, $8.00 - to register the day of)

Sign up online!
1) Click the 'Buy Now' button on the right to register now (and to reserve your free breakfast!)
2) Click here to download the registration form. Bring the completed form to the check-in that morning.
This form must be completed and turned in to participate.

8:45am - Group warm-up begins 

9:00am - the Fun Run begins!

The race will start at the east end of Brookfield Lane and then travel south on Pheasantbrook Drive on to Pheasantbrook Circle, finishing at the Pheasantbrook Tennis Courts.

Click here to see the map.

Post-race Celebration

Held on the tennis courts, get your free breakfast (for the runners, cheap for family and friends) play a few games and design your dream play space! (Some booths will require a small fee.)

All registration fees, breakfast purchases, and game fees go towards our project for 2011-2012, building new playgrounds in Pheasantbrook to encourage healthy balanced lives for our children..


Come have fun, be healthy, &support a good cause!

We'll see you there!

Wenner boats

Hey this a really cool resipe that is easy and healthy.

- cook how many hot dogs you need
- make mashed potatoes while the hot dogs are cooking
- when the hot dogs are done cut them in half not all the, cut it like a hot dog bun.
-put mashed potatoes in the middle and top with cheese
- get a fork and knife and enjoy

Have a GREAT weekend!

Whatever you do, make sure to enjoy it as much as this cute little girl is enjoying her ride on the swing!

Ways to Play #4

Our 4^th post in the series

 “Ways to Play”

Was Meant To Be!

Lets-Explore.net

Amy, the author of this blog, provides a monthly series called “10 Ways to Play.”

Click here to read her 10 Ways to Play in July

Such as a backwards day, building a fort, and trying a new fruit or veggie!

Lets-Explore.net may be the end-all resource for children…the end-all.  I can’t even begin to explain all the awesome information available on this blog.  If instilling play, reading, laughter and joy into your child's life you have to see this site; my words will not do justice to what Amy has created. Her hope behind the website is to help "encourage you to create, discover, build, experiment, and connect with your kiddos.” I already know that this site will be a useful resource to our family for a long time to come.

Ways to Play #3 - Make up for last week!

In our 3^rd post celebrating

“Ways to Play”

We are Excited to Highlight

ParentsConnect.com

Specifically for their 125 Ways to Celebrate Summer on-line forum.

125 ways to celebrate summer is a lot, so you are sure to find some great ideas here!  A few of my favorite ways to play from this site include learning a dance routine, and decorating the neighborhood with sidewalk chalk (even making your own chalk!) and taking summer snapshots! Also check out flashlight tag, learn how to whistle with a blade of grass,  and the water balloon obstacle course. There are so many ideas, I couldn't narrow it down.

ParentsConnect.com is one of many sites hosted by Nickelodeon. But the thing that’s different about this site is that the focus is entirely on parents, from being a support through the job of raising your kids from pregnancy all the way through the teenage years to finding ways to have fun and be successful in other parts of your life. 

Tell us how you like to Play!

Click on the label “Ways to Play” to read all editions of this special feature.

The Kids Corner, 1st Edition

Okayz. This is Madi here. I was voulenteered to do the blogging for every other Monday. Uhmm ... when writing an informal document like this one, I tend to use a lot of slang and enjoy using computer faces. I'll wait to see whether Andrea gets mad at me or not about it. Okay, to the blogging point, I was told this was supposed to be titled: "What Do You Do in the Summer?" which automatically brings my thoughts to the LDS primary song: "What Do You Do in the Summertime?" which lists a ton of recreational activities for people to do. Some of which are:
Fishing
Making Lemonade
Singing
Daydreaming
or Watch/Make Shapes out of Clouds
Some other ideas that I brainstormed are:
Boating
Vacations
Camping
Hiking
Biking
Swimming
or Voulenteering/Service
I'll know if I need to change this post if I get a call with somebody yelling at me over the phone. (I'm just kidding ... I think)

Ways to Play #2

We are Proud to Present

Education.com

In the 2nd Edition of our Special Feature

 “Ways to Play”

Quoting from their About Us page, “From kindergarten readiness through college prep, Education.com gives parents the information they need and the ideas they want to help their kids reach their full potential and make learning fun.” The founders of education.com “share a passion for family and empowering parents with tools to help teach their children.”

This is what makes education.com one of the websites we’ve chosen to highlight in our “Ways to Play” special feature. We are passionate about families too and we believe there is power in play that not only helps children and adults reach their potential but to also bring families closer together.

Education.com has a page dedicated specifically to Outdoor Summer Play. Some ideas they’ve come up with include: holding a lemonade stand, building sandcastles, playing tag of all kinds (like water tag, freeze tag, elbow tag, snake tag) and my personal favorite: crab soccer!!!!

Other features we liked from Education.com include:

• Summer Reading List 
• 30 Ideas for a “Screen-Free” Week
• And the very helpful, user-friendly way to search their site by topic, age or grade-found right on their home page!

Tell us how you like to Play!

Click on the "Ways to Play" label to read all editions of this special feature.

The 1st of Many "Ways to Play"

One of the core principles of the Pheasantbrook Kids Club is“Leading a balanced life by HAVING FUN.” With this in mind, today begins a 10-week series highlighting different websites and activities that encourage "Ways to Play." Come back every Wednesday over the next 10 weeks to find new ways to play. In some case,You’ll even be reminded of old ways to play!

Self-described as

“the mother lode of unique outdoor games”

Funattic.com had to be first on our list of

“Ways to Play”

The many ways to play listed on Fun-attic’s website help people develop co-ordination and cooperation as well as teaching team approaches to resolutions-all while having fun. What I like is how they talk about using play as a spontaneous tool for building relationships anytime, anywhere. Even more reasons why this site fits perfectly with our goals to revitalize Pheasntbrook beginning with play.

A great feature on Fun-attic is their Game of the Month page.  July’s game of the month is the Dolphin Relay, a water game perfect for all residents of Pheasantbrook during these hot summer days while cooling off at the pool.  June’s game of the month was Greased Watermelon Polo. And yes, I will be trying both of these games, don’t you worry.

Other features I like from www.Funattic.com

• They offer a free monthly newsletter to help you find more ways to play
• The Great Game List…it quite possibly is the “mother lode”  list of games and activities
• A specific list of games for youth groups, look at Kids Club!!!

Tell us how you like to play?????

Why Start with Play? Part 5

To Help our Property Values

This is the last of a five part piece on why revitalizing Pheasantbrook has begun with play. Click to read the first, second, third and forth pieces.

Let’s be honest, property values are a big topic among homeowners today. If the following statement is true: “Houses that overlook a well maintained lawn stand a better chance of their property value getting higher preference and value as compared to one that has not (1)” then what type of positive impact will updated playgrounds have on our property values?

At www.realtor.com the question was asked ‘How do I increase my home value?’ Among the common answers of fresh paint and appliance updates, they also stated “Of course, amenities appropriate for your area can help (2).”

The playgrounds are a visible indication of our pride and our diligence in maintaining our property. The members of the HOA board and our maintenance crew are working hard every day to maintain our property; the current condition of our playgrounds does not represent their efforts well.  The playgrounds are sending the wrong message to anyone entering our community.

Pheasantbrook is beautiful, award winning, and at the heart of Centerville. As we begin our process of revitalizing our community with play, we will begin to see our property values show greater resistance against current market trends.

References:

(1) http://ezinearticles.com/?Lawn-Care---Increase-the-Value-of-Your-Home-Or-Property&id=4199072

(2) http://www.realtor.com/home-values/homevaluesfaq.aspx?source=web#HowDoIIncreaseMyHomeValue

Gardenwalk Pictures and....and...and...

Pictures of the 2011 Gardenwalk are ready!  

This year's Gardenwalk was another great event.  Did you see how big the poppies were ?  What about the square garden??? Amazing!!  Hopfully you discovered a new kind of flower you've never seen before, for me it was the English Daisy. And after visitng a few of the gardens I've got new ideas for a rock garden at my place combined with some container gardening. And I have to mention how each patio felt like a private sanctuary were I wanted to sit and rest for a time--so inviting and so hard to leave. I couldn't stop taking pictures of all the flowers, they were big, bright and beautiful!

These are only a few of the highlights from our 2011 Gardenwalk.  But my favorite part is and always will be walking through our community and seeing so many of my neighbors out as well, enjoying our beautiful neighborhood. I love taking a minute to chat with all of you, whom I am glad to call my friends.

Thank you to each person who participated in the Gardenwalk, whether as a patio-host or a garden-walker. It takes both to make this event happen.

Looking ahead, next year is our 5th Gardenwalk, to celebrate the occasion we have exciting things planned and are putting things together for it already! Mark your calendars for June 23, 2012!!!

Click here  to see these pictures and more!

and...

Our Lemonade Stand/Bake Sale was also a fantastic success.  The Kids Club put together a great fundraiser, raising almost $140 to go towards our playground project.  We are getting closer and closer to our goal.  It is so encouraging to see everyone come out to support us!

This playground is definitely going to happen.  We keep saying it can only be as great as WE, TOGETHER can make.  As each fundraising event happens, I see that the "WE" part grows bigger and stronger!  Thank you for being a part of WE!

and...

Don't forget to celebrate the 4th of July this weekend with all the folks in Centerville.  We are hosting a booth to raise more money for the playgrounds.  If you like Strawberry Shortcake, Brownie Sundaes, and waffle cones, this is not an event to miss!  Click here for more information about the festivities.

and...

Starting Wednesday, July 6th, we will feature a 10 week series on different ways to play throughout the summer.  As our "Why Start with Play?" series described, play is important to each of us in more ways then one! 

Why Start with Play? Part 4

For Public Health & Safety

This is the fourth of a five part piece on why revitalizing Pheasantbrook has begun with play. Click to read the first, second, and third pieces.

For years we’ve had reminders in the community newsletter to keep our children out of the ponds due to concerns about the chemicals used to treat the water.  With broken down playgrounds, where else do they have to go? All nearby parks require crossing major streets. Our townhomes are, by nature of the time they were built, not very big.  Rebuilding our playgrounds is a solution to the keeping our children safe and out of trouble while playing outdoors in our community.

Additionally, we frequently hear about the rise of childhood obesity as well as the elimination of recess and gym classes in schools. New playgrounds in our community will not only give our children a safe, fun place to play, it will also help facilitate physical activity for our children.

Why Start with Play? Part 3

Community Development

This is the third of a five part piece on why revitalizing Pheasantbrook has begun with play. Click to read the first and second piece.

We are using the tools provided by KaBoom.org to guide us through the playground project. Their method is a “community-build model,” meaning the playgrounds will be built by the efforts of the community. One of the great things about a community-build model is that it requires people to come together to plan, design, and build the playground, thus strengthening the surrounding community and building a solid foundation for the future community projects.

KaBoom! makes the following statement about their community-build model: “We like to say that the ‘achievable win’ of a playground build gives neighborhoods the hope, confidence, and inspiration they need to take control of their public spaces (1).”

And that is exactly why we have begun the efforts to revitalize Pheasantbrook with playgrounds. Having brand new playgrounds and happy, safe children throughout our community, will be a constant reminder of what we are capable of doing as we work together.

We believe that this reminder will enable powerful, lasting changes in Pheasantbrook.

References:

(1) http://projects.kaboom.org/projects/2813-phoa-playgrounds/teams/fundraising/tasks/111

Coming up! Gardenwalk and Lemonade Stand

Four years ago, Pheasantbrook residents opened their patios and gardens to friends and neighbors for a summer Gardenwalk. The event was such a success that this Saturday we are holding our 

4th Annual Gardenwalk

Three years ago a few children living in Pheasantbrook decided to hold a lemonade stand during the Gardenwalk to raise money for new sand in the community playgrounds. 

This Saturday, our Kids Club will be hosting another 

Lemonade Stand 

to raise money for the playgrounds.

The Kids Club will be selling lemonade and home made treats in three separate locations. Stands will be located at Main Street, Chase Lane and in the middle of Pheasantbrook.

Please tell your friends and family about our sale. This is a great opportunity to 

help us build safer playgrounds 

 We'll see you at the sale!

Pheasantbrook Gardenwalk

& Lemonade/Bake Sale

Saturday, June 18th

9am to 1130am

Why Start with Play? Part 2

Playgrounds Aid in Child Development 
   ...and in strengthening relationships with other members of the community

This is the second of a five part piece on why revitalizing Pheasantbrook has begun with play. Click to read the first piece.

The Pheasantbrook Community is a mix of single adults, young couples, retired couples, and families young and old. Regardless of where we fit in that list of descriptions, most of us have children in our homes for some amount of time. And to a child...play is crucial.  The people at KaBoom.org have put together the following information about how playgrounds help to aid child development:

“Playgrounds are a critical component in a child's physical, intellectual, creative, and social development. Did you know that 90 percent of a child's mental character is developed by the age of five? Through active play, children gain first-hand information about themselves, their bodies, their peers, and their environment. Without it, they're too often stuck indoors with mind-numbing video games and television shows.

Play also develops increasingly complex behaviors as children grow and socialize, preparing them to function as healthy, confident adults.

Finally, a community playground provides a meeting area where parents and other adults can gather to support each other's parenting needs and discuss family issues. This strengthens the adult relationships that parents need to be successful (1).”

I personally can attest to the facts stated by KaBoom! 

The playground outside my house is now an empty sandbox.  Ever since the unsafe equipment was taken out eight months ago, traffic to this area has increased. I have had a number of opportunities to meet and talk with neighbors I had generally only waived to from my car. My son has also gained many opportunities in building his fine and gross motor skills, nurturing his creativity, and in learning social skills as he works in the sand box with other children.

It’s not only about giving the children who come to our homes a safe place to play outside and aid in their development, it’s also about bringing members of the community together to develop friendships and create a safer place to live.

References:

(1) http://projects.kaboom.org/projects/2813-phoa-playgrounds/teams/fundraising/tasks/111