Playground Ideas was formed in 2007 in northern Thailand when Marcus Veerman lent a hand, helping a local organization build a public playground. By the end of 2009, Playground Ideas had built 40 playgrounds in Thailand and was receiving enquiries from underserved all over the world. Marcus realized that using recyclable materials and volunteer labor made playgrounds affordable to everyone, but a lack of knowledge and training stopped many communities from building play equipment. To make playground construction information accessible, Marcus created an online, open-source repository of equipment designs, safety standards and best practices. He began to understand that spending unstructured time on the playground was essential to healthy child development. WHY PLAY? Playground Ideas does not simply work toward smiles and swingsets. Its efforts are driven by decades of research indicating that unstructured play is an integral part of healthy child development. Without sufficient access to safe play space and dedicated free time, children are less likely to excel academically, physically, emotionally, socially and cognitively. In low-income communities, children are less likely to receive classroom attention, peer mentoring and lessons unique to their skills and challenges. Handmade by www.wondros.com