Blog Updates!

We've added two new pages to the blog, check them out:

"Fundraising Calendar" Tab
May 25th is our deadline to order match our grant and order equipment. This tab outlines our fundraising plans in these the final months.

"Building the Playground" Tab
The Build Day tab outlines how we are going to utilize volunteers to build our playground.  If you are available to help on any of the days listed, please sign up! Or if you have connections for any of the items needed, we'd love your help in that way to!

Check back often
Details are still being worked out, so each tab will be updated as it all continues to fall into place.

Together WE will make this happen!  Be a part of WE.

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 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

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!

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

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

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

Why Start with Play? Part 1

When the Pheasantbrook community was built 30 years ago, we won awards for how beautiful it was. Even though we are now one of the older communities we know we can still be the heart of Centerville, representing all that is positive about our city- unity, safety, responsibility, hard work, ingenuity… you get the idea. 

While the HOA diligently takes care of the communities needs such as roofs, fences and keeping our lawns green; the Friends of Pheasantbrook is helping to revitalize the community by focusing on the amenities that have began to fall apart or are no longer useable.

Each Monday over the five weeks, we will post reasons why the Friends of Pheasantbrook has chosen to start our Pheasantbrook Revitalization efforts with the playgrounds. 

So, without further ado… Why do we start with play? I will tell you why…

The Playground Project will Help us Revitalize Other Community Amenities

The project to revitalize Pheasantbrook is about taking advantage of an opportunity to create amenities that will meet the needs of our community today. 

A park can be much more than slides and a swing set. We can incorporate a variety of options based on the interests of our community.  We can include murals, benches, gazebos, even a fitness trail for adults- the opportunities are literally endless. We want our community to reflect all that is unique about Pheasantbrook, while incorporating all that is desirable about Centerville.

Additionally, as we experience success with the playground project we will have created a pattern for the future. Not only will Pheasantbrook benefit over the years to come from the program created by the Friends of Pheasantbrook with the playgrounds, but other communities will be able to follow our same program in revitalizing their neighborhoods as well.

This is an opportunity for the residents of Pheasantbrook to demonstrate the power of unity in making a large impact by small measures.

Updates on the last few weeks

A couple of updates on the progress the Friends of Pheasantbrook is making toward new playgrounds:

Final results from the Pheasantbrook Yard Sale are in....

We raised over $1,000!

This kind of success is a real tribute to all residents, family members, and friends of Pheasantbrook. With out the donations of your items and time we could not have been so successful.  

Thank you for your help.

Since the yard sale, we've been working on grant applications... unfortunately, we have not been awarded either grant. We are not worried though.  There are many more grants and we have established a grant committee who's sole purpose is to make our grant applications awesome!

On Tuesday night, we are having a committee meeting. We are still accepting committee members, if you are interested send us an email at:

phoafriends (at) gmail (dot) com

New playgrounds are within reach, WE are making it happen!

$15,000? I'll take it!

I just finished putting together a 60-second movie to be entered in KaBoom.org's most recent contest.  They are giving away $15,000 to five winners!  $15,000 is enough to buy equipment for one full playground!!!! 

I know it's kind of late (or early) to be making a post, but I'm really excited about how the movie turned out. I really wanted to give a special shout out and say thank you to all the kids and parents of Pheasantbrook who showed up at my last-minute-request to help film shots for our one-minute movie!  We lucked out that it was Spring Break this past week!  We had a great turn out and everyone was so cooperative. Thank you, thank you for your willingness to be a part of this adventure! This is exactly what I mean when I say "this playground is definitely going to happen, but it can only be as great WE, TOGETHER can make it!"

The movie is in the final editing stages and will be submitted later today. If KaBoom selects our movie as one of the top 10 finalists, we move on to round two where the general public gets to vote for their favorite video.  We will need lots of help voting during that round so please, please!!! come back to the blog to get updates and to see the final version!