Play is Healing! Help Us Build a Playground for Our Children!

Play is Healing! Help Us Build a Playground for Our Children! image

WHY ARE WE BUILDING A PLAYGROUND?

  • Our Rec-n-Respite program in Milford, DE is in need of a safe, outdoor area for our children to play!
  • Children use play to help them cope with and heal from the most emotionally impactful events in their lives.
  • Encouraging children to run, climb, jump, stretch, and swing, allows them to release energy in their bodies which reduces the long-term impact of trauma on vulnerable brains and bodies.
  • Trauma creates feelings of helplessness and overwhelm in children.
  • Play builds resilience by allowing them to regain a sense of control through opportunities to make choices.

THE EFFECTS OF PLAY ON THE BRAIN
Climbing, swinging, and hard landings (like when you reach the bottom of a slide and your feet hit the ground) are good sources of proprioceptive input. Kids who participate in proprioceptive activities tend to have better self-regulation and lower anxiety levels. This is because engaging in these activities helps children improve their cognitive skills, sensory processing, and emotional awareness.

Play helps children affected by trauma by:
● Helping them learning social-emotional skills
● Developing an awareness of body sensations
● Naming, managing, and expressing emotions
● Strengthening problem-solving skills
● Making friends

CHANGE LIVES! Be a Part of Our Movement!
Your donation goes beyond building a playground—you are building resilience in young minds and bodies, promoting healing from unimaginable trauma, and providing a chance for youth to reach their full potential.

Accessibility is a top priority for our future playground. Our design features pour-in-place surfacing for maximum ADA accessibility, harnessed swings, and ground-level sensory activites. These features impact the budget substantially but we believe all children should have access to the therapeutic benefits of play.

View the full project proposal and budget here.


Watch the Video: A Day at Rec-n-Respite
Meet Rec-n-Respite program coordinator and Child and Family Specialist Pam Starling, as she shares details about the program and why our kids need this playground. Hear from some of our amazing kiddos and see where they are currently playing.