Closing Streets for Play: Play Out!
Closing the streets for play, I love this idea! There is a new organization called Playing Out that is letting kids take back the public realm of their streets. I wish this was a US initiative. But, I can see it working anywhere where kids live and motorists usually dominate the street. Check out the video. There are so many kids out on that block, pretty amazing.
I have had discussions with other parents about the lack of free play space in our dense urban neighborhoods. We had a block party and I was surprised to see how many kids live on our block. It is kind of sad that I don’t know them all by name and see them daily. Maybe consider organizing a Play Out on your block, I know I will.
I love to see parents empowered to provide outdoor experiences for their child whether they live in rural or urban areas. I spent many days playing games in the streets, with children yelling, “car” as a neighbor carefully navigated the street play area.