NATURE: A Walking Play -> Sep 24 - Oct 3

"NATURE: A Walking Play is coming to Bird Park! Don’t miss this immersive and family-friendly performance that highlights the natural world and Emerson & Thoreau’s love for nature.  

Walk along with the actors as the play’s scenes unfold throughout beautiful Bird Park.  

Performances at the park run from September 24-October 3. Please visit https://thetrustees.org/program/nature-play/ to order tickets. 

Performances also take place at Fruitlands Museum in Harvard and Appleton Farms in Ipswich."

Shared from Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/187390667963129/posts/4516651385037014/

NATURE: A Walking Play  -> Sep 24 - Oct 3

“Play is not frivolous”

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Imagine a drug that could enhance a child’s creativity, critical thinking and resilience. Imagine that this drug were simple to make, safe to take, and could be had for free. 

The nation’s leading pediatricians say this miracle compound exists. In a new clinical report, they are urging doctors to prescribe it liberally to the children in their care. 

What is this wonder drug? Play. 

“This may seem old-fashioned, but there are skills to be learned when kids aren’t told what to do,” said Dr. Michael Yogman, a Harvard Medical School pediatrician who led the drafting of the call to arms. Whether it’s rough-and-tumble physical play, outdoor play or social or pretend play, kids derive important lessons from the chance to make things up as they go, he said."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/zz/news/20180820/doctors-orders-let-children-just-play

“Play is not frivolous”

Franklin Recreation (@FranklinRec) has sent you a direct message on Twitter!

via Twitter, I can share that the opening ceremony for the tot lot being added to the Fletcher Field Playground will be held on Tuesday, Dec 23, 2014 at 11:00 AM

@FranklinRec - Tuesday 11am Fletcher playground opening ceremony

Steve Sherlock, You have a new direct message.   Franklin Recreation @FranklinRec Tuesday 11am Fletcher playground opening ceremony 12:55 PM - 19 Dec 14 Keep the conversation going. Message @FranklinRec Twitter, Inc. 1355 Market St., Suite 900 San Francisco, CA 94103

The progress of the playground from hole in the ground to the current finished product is shown in this series of photos

Fenced off hole in the ground

Fenced off hole in the ground - 1

the playground comes with 'some assembly required'

it starts to take shape

pieces to the puzzle come together

a second structure is added

a few days later, more progress is evident

assembly complete, now the mulch is getting filled in

DelCarte Playground - December update

A walk around the new playground being set up at DelCarte Open Space along Pleasant St here in Franklin, MA.





Photos from the prior visit (includes links to prior DelCarte posts as well)
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2013/11/delcarte-playground-construction.html

Summer is the time to play

Updated 7:00AM This was an interesting idea. I found some other navigation features that made this a pain to use for me so I have already removed this new layout.

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Yes, school is out and there is time to play. I will be taking advantage of some vacation time to do some fun stuff this week too. Not that I don't have fun during the normal week. I do, really. Between work and volunteer efforts for this site and the Food Pantry, you probably see that I like to keep busy. I also like to have fun!!!

One of the play areas for this week is with the layout on this website. Google's Blogger software which drives this site has some features that I'd like to test. For those of you reading this during the week, I'd like you to play along.

Dynamic views is one of the templates that I can use which also gives you the reader a choice for how you would prefer to read this site. I have it currently set to default to the Magazine view but you can change it. One of the decision points will be does this new view really allow you to read this page better?

As I tested with Internet Explorer I found this view:

IE shows the dynamic view

with Firefox I found this:

Firefox shows the dynamic view

and with Chrome I found this:

Chrome shows the dynamic view

Statistically you come to read this page with Internet Explorer (29%), Firefox (25%), Chrome (20%), Opera (10%), Safari (10%) and all others (16%).

One key difference among the views shown above: Only Chrome gives you the option of changing the view and only Chrome give you the option of navigating among the sidebar links I provide for you.

(Note in the screen shots above that IE and Firefox show a black line across the top with no text visible. The visible text is only shown in the Chrome view. This text allows you to change the view and to navigate among the tabs.)

The numbers tell me that giving this full functionality to only 1 of 5 of my readers is probably not going to work. However, you do get to have your say in this matter.

• Many of you read via the daily email updates and hardly ever come to the web site itself. 
• Many of you read via Facebook and only when the link is really interesting come here to get the full set of details. 

So who wins in all of this? 
You should. You are the ones reading.
Leave a comment or send me an email on what you think I should do with this layout test.


Do you like the dynamic views or should I return to the previous layout?

Updated 7:00AM This was an interesting idea. I found some other navigation features that made this a pain to use for me so I have already removed this new layout.

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Do you believe in the power of play?

As one who believes in the power of play, the Healthy Futures Franklin is a cause to seriously consider:




Join us for this meeting, Wednesday evening from 6:00 - 7:00 PM at the Franklin Food Pantry.

The Food Pantry is located in the Rockland Trust parking lot in Downtown Franklin. The lights will be on. We'll meet in the conference room on the 2nd floor.

Make time to play!

Children play whenever they can – as soon as their most urgent needs are met, and whenever they are not prevented from it. That ability to stay in the moment, to grasp opportunities for exploration, joy and challenge whenever possible, is probably what most people mean by the word “childlike”.  Morgan

Talking about play and fostering play. Sit in on this conversation with Bernie and Morgan. Listen to the passion around play! (full video = 45 minutes)





What can you take away from this?

"people with disabilities can actually use it"

The Milford Daily News writes about the ribbon cutting on Friday for the new playground at the JFK Elementary School. This was a great example of a community effort and every community effort begins with a core group of people.

The mothers — Renatta Gilarova, Sandy Brown, Ariel Doggett, Tisha Arffa and Nikki Wisniewski — were honored on Friday afternoon during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the school’s new playground. 

They spearheaded an extraordinarily successful fundraising push to replace the 12-year-old wooden one.

The drive was "extraordinarily successful" because they were determined and persistent. What they did can be used as a text book case study for another group to try. They combined all the tools they had available. They found the Pepsi grant online and leveraged Facebook to drive that. They used email, they used Twitter. They also relied on the 'old fashioned' feet on the street visiting the ball fields on the weekend and the commuter train platforms during the week.

Regular readers here saw some of their efforts. They found this webpage and our Facebook page and we helped frequently. It was a worthy cause, a great effort with excellent results. My thanks to the core group for showing how it can be done!



Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x264118100/Five-determined-Franklin-moms-bring-new-playground-to-JFK#ixzz27C5hJD7K

Related posts
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/09/kennedy-community-playground-can-use.html

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/09/2-kennedy-playground-fund-raisers.html

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/11/action-j-f-kennedy-playground-and-pepsi.html

“It was so important to take an active role"

The Kennedy Playground Committee’s fundraising goal was $85,000, but through individual, family and local business donations, car washes, bake sales, snack tables and several grants, the group has raised $95,000 so far. 

Arffa said the project will continue to raise money because the initial estimate left out pieces of equipment that the committee didn’t feel were completely necessary — like ladybug statues (the school’s mascot) and seats. The initial number also didn’t include the price of demolition or preparing the current space for new structures. 

“You want the parents to help,” said mom Karen Kerns. “Especially when you talk about raising this much money ... It’s really been a grassroots effort.”

Read more: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x2023107415/Moms-at-work-in-Franklin#ixzz1hpT4kgal


Related posts on the Kennedy Playground Committee:

September
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/09/kennedy-community-playground-can-use.html

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/09/2-kennedy-playground-fund-raisers.html

November
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/11/action-j-f-kennedy-playground-and-pepsi.html

December
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2011/12/kennedy-elementary-4th-grades-help.html

Help my kids school - PLEASE. It just takes a second to help

PLEASE!!  I need more help!! We are #11 in the Pepsi Challenge and need to be in the TOP 10 to win.

As many of you may already know, my children's school is trying to raise money for a new Inclusive Playground. Our current one is deteriorating quickly despite the efforts of our DPW to keep it maintained. In deciding to rebuild we have designed a new Inclusive one, where all children of all abilities can play together.

I am asking for your help - it only takes a few seconds and cost you nothing. I am just asking that you vote for our project in the Pepsi Refresh Challenge. We are in the running for $50,000 and just need to reach the TOP 10 to win. We are currently at #17. We started at 43, moved quickly to 22, then 19, 17 and now we are at 11!! We need more votes and support!!!

Go to the Pepsi Website - If you click on this link it should take you directly to us - www.refresheverything.com/kennedyplayground - There is a wonderful video that the KennedyKids are in!
ALSO you can vote a 2nd way by Texting in a vote - TEXT 109738 to 73774

Vote EVERYDAY until Nov 30th to help us!

Any and all help would be appreciated. If you could ask friends and family to help too, we would really appreciate it! Anyone 13 and older can vote! Please help my kids school!!! Our website is www.kennedyplayground.com if you would like to learn more about this project.

Thank you
Sandy Brown
Kennedy Playground Committee

You don't need to help, but the kids would like you to!

The JF Kennedy playground campaign is summarized in this video.



You don't need to help, but the kids would like you to!

You can vote for this idea here http://www.refresheverything.com/kennedyplayground

The Playground website http://www.kennedyplayground.com/

The Playground on Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002123222791


Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the video

Action: J F Kennedy Playground and the Pepsi Refresh Grant

Hi Steve,

As education budgets continue to shrink nationwide, the Pepsi Refresh Project is giving grassroots organizations opportunities to improve their communities.  Our school, J F Kennedy Elementary in Franklin, MA is trying to build an inclusive playground so that all children can play together in our community.  We are hoping that you can tell your readers how they can easily help J F Kennedy Elementary School win $50,000 grant to build an inclusive playground.  Our playground will have slides, climbing structures, ramps for access, and sensory panels for children with sensory integration concerns so that all children can play together.

                                          

Starting now through Nov. 30^th you can help support our children by voting for our idea "Building an inclusive playground so all children can play together" at www.4jfkplay.com.

Anyone 13 years of age and older can vote once a day via the internet and text for the idea they believe is most deserving of a grant.   The top ten ideas that receive the highest number of votes, in our category of education/$50,000 will be awarded thegrant.

Here are three easy steps you and your readers can take to help our community get a new inclusive playground.

1.      Vote online

1.      Log on to www.4jfkplay.com

2.      Register to Vote

3.      Vote for "Building an inclusive playground so all children can play together" once every day!

4.      Spread the word!

and

2.      Text to vote - Text* 109738 to Pepsi (73774) to vote from your mobile (standard texting charges apply)

3.      Downloading the Pepsi Refresh Project App for the iPhone or Android and using it to vote.

We hope you'll share the story and link with your readers to help make a difference in our community. Please let us know if you have additional questions?

Best Regards

Tisha Arffa

Kennedy Playground Committee

tisha_arffa@comcast.net

www.kennedyplayground.com

781-389-3767

In the Globe - cross country, play

The FHS Girls Cross Country Team had an article in the Boston Globe West on Sunday featuring Alex Giese and Lauren Hagen.

For all ages, a day to frolic

by Kathleen Burge, Globe Staff

Shirley takes play very seriously. This year, the town of 7,200 was the only town in Massachusetts recognized by the national group KaBOOM! as a “Playful City USA.’’ This was the fifth year in a row Shirley has received the award, and this year the town also won a $20,000 grant to help build a new playground at the Lura A. White Elementary School. The town has an official Play Board and members oversee the annual “Day of Play.’’

Follow the link to the full article here

Kennedy Community Playground can use your help!

Background:
The current wooden structural playground at the Kennedy School services the nearly 500 students enrolled at Kennedy in Kindergarten through 5th Grade. In addition, the playground is a popular play spot all year long to the many residents and extended family members of the nearby neighborhoods.

The existing main structure shows evidence of wear and has several components with cracked, splintered and worn parts. The aging wooden structure and plastic components that are cracked or broken are contributing to splinters and other injuries to the children who use this playground.

The Principal has requested a new playground for several years in the budgeting process and it has been denied each time with funds going toward repairs of the school building itself. Additionally, with school funding challenges and reductions in physical activities, the playground is more important than ever in the physical well-being of the student population.

The Kennedy Parent Communication Council (PCC) is the parent community for Kennedy School and, based on widespread support and urging, has initiated a Playground Project to pursue replacement of the main playground area. The PCC has established a Playground Committee and has begun setting aside funds in a special account earmarked just for the playground. The Playground Committee is exploring designs from the same manufacturer as most other school playgrounds in Franklin.

Goals:
The Playground Committee is pursuing a new playground for Kennedy School that:
- is fun, challenging and supports the physical development and well-being of the Kennedy student population;
- is safe and accessible to children aged 5 - 12 years;
- utilizes certain elements of existing playground (ie. swingset and poured access path) to maintain costs.
- is cost efficient through use of local community volunteer support of demolition of the current playground and installation of the new equipment.

The Committee will seek funding from sources including:
- PCC donations from the Kennedy students' families;
- Corporate donations and sponsorships;
- Local community fundraising;
- Corporate, state and federal grant funds;
- Possible town funding support.

Installation of the new playground in Spring of 2012.


Visit their website for additional information and fund raising links
http://www.kennedyplayground.com/Home_Page.php



View Larger Map

Picking up on the idea of play, Maya Beiser really plays her cello!



what are you going to play today?


Note: email subscribers will need to click through to Franklin Matters to view the video

Designed by nature to play

In this TEDxBG Talk, Steve Keil advocates for play. The more you play, the bigger the brain.

So after watching this, you have permission to go out an play!




Can you imagine a world without play?

For more about play, you can visit Steve Keil's Play Manifesto Blog

"She asked the important questions"

Dunn helps clients visualize what they want in a variety of ways. Sometimes she helps them focus with meditation. Sometimes clients work on arts and crafts projects and clip pictures from magazines or draw to create collages, which helps them define their goals.

"In creating the collage, it all comes together and they can visualize where they want to go," said Dunn. "If they don't have the vision, they will repeat their old habits and get into a job they don't like.

"To get in touch with what we want, sometimes we need to play," said Dunn. "Part of it is finding the inner child. That's the part that needs to be exercised. Guys go out and play ball. Women don't tend to do that."

Franklin business helps people find themselves

from The Milford Daily News News RSS by Kathy Uek/Daily News staff

J W Tumbles - Franklin

J W Tumbles opened here in Franklin earlier this year. I stopped by their table/tent at the Harvest Festival to check in and picked up this flyer.

Schedule - Page 1

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

Schedule - Page 2

Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io

Additional information is available on their web site here