News of the movement to get kids back outside seems to be everywhere these days, but this event in New York City is worthy of special mention! A coalition called Play for Tomorrow hosted a Giant Block Party, expecting to attract 10,000 people. To their surprise, 50,000 showed up to participate in games like I Spy and drawing on the sidewalk with chalk (hop scotch, perhaps!). Read about it here.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has invited Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, to speak at their national conference in October, 2010. This is evidence of the growing recognition of the critical role that nature plays in healthy childhood development. The AAP also recently published a paper, "Build with Recreation in Mind". An estimated 32% of American children are overweight, and physical inactivity contributes to this high prevalence of overweight. This policy statement highlights how the built environment of a community affects children's opportunities for physical activity. Read more...