The Contest
We know that unstructured outdoor play leads to happier, healthier and smarter children! Leave No Child Inside wants to encourage a return to the joyful, creative outdoor play activities that should be the birthright of all children. Our Grow Outside Guide to Outdoor Play (available here) includes ideas for creating a Child-Friendly Backyard. The contest is a fun way to encourage parents to allocate space for these safe, unstructured play areas. To be eligible for awards, yards must be within a thirty mile radius of Downtown Cincinnati.
Guidelines
Since the key words for a Child-Friendly Backyard are "creative" and "unstructured", our guidelines are minimal! The measure of success for a Child-Friendly Backyard is that it will be a place your children and their friends will want to spend time playing, imagining and learning for many years to come! We will be judging you on your use of space, not the size of your yard. Here are some things to consider:
Safety
Free of lawn and garden chemicals, no poisonous plants, clear boundaries, child in view of parents.
Encourages Unstructured, Creative Play
Includes elements which offer opportunities for children to have "ownership" of the space; natural materials present for children to discover, learn from and use.
Invites Other Creatures
Includes elements which attract wildlife. Examples include plants which attract birds or butterflies or a compost area.
How to Enter
Download and complete the entry form below and submit it with photos of your Child Friendly Backyard no later than August 15, 2008.
» Download Entry Contest Information (.pdf)
» Download Entry form (.pdf)
Mail to:
Child-Friendly Backyard Contest
c/o Granny's Garden School
20 Miamiview Drive
Loveland, Ohio 45140
Finalists will be contacted and our judges will tour your Child-Friendly Backyard to determine winners.
Recognition
Photos of the winning Child-Friendly Backyards will be posted on our website. Winners will be recognized at the Cincinnati Horticultural Society Gardener's Recognition Awards Ceremony in the fall of 2008.
Leave No Child Inside-Greater Cincinnati is a collaborative of individuals and organizations educating the community that time spent in nature is essential for the physical, mental and emotional health of all children. The collaborative includes:
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