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Church Sports & Recreation

How to Choose Safe Playground Equipment

  By Michele Breakfield Installing a new playground is an exciting endeavor for a church! However, it can be difficult to know how to choose safe playground equipment that is right for you. If you’ve started shopping for a playground, you know by now that there are thousands of options. So, how do you know

Play for All

  By Jill Moore Author’s note: In recognition of the varying language preferences across the disability community and experience, throughout this article, I’ve used person-first language (i.e., children with disabilities) and identity-first language (i.e., disabled children) interchangeably. When children step onto a playground, they embark on more than just a journey of play. They dive

How Playtime Can Contribute to Confidence

  By Jaden White “I don’t think I can do it. It’s too tall,” my younger sister said, as her eyes were placed on the tower that was a part of the newest playground in our city. “Of course, you can! You got this,” I said, trying to calm the worries in her young mind.

Today’s Sports and Recreation Ministries

  By Kevin Cook Basketball practice for my church youth basketball team took place in one of two places for us back in the late ‘70s. The first practice location was the top of a barn. There was a door on the floor that opened so we could enter after climbing a ladder. Finger holes

Recreation Without a Building

  By Rick Mitchell Are you looking for space for recreation activities in your church? Want to build a recreation building? Have you thought about using the already existing space your church has or the space that is in the local community just waiting for you to discover and use? Utilizing existing space is a good way

4 Reasons to Add a Youth Ministry Play Area to Your Church     

  It’s no secret that getting kids involved in a church can be a challenge. In today’s world, so many things compete for their attention. That’s why having a dedicated space for them to play and have fun is so important. These are four reasons you should consider adding a youth ministry play area to

Why Add an Indoor Playground to Your Church?

  Indoor playground equipment might not seem like the obvious addition to your church, but there are several great reasons you might want to consider it. It Will Attract More Young Families Okay, we’re not going to say that indoor playscapes are the only reason young families will choose your church, but if they’re already

5 Unique Design Concepts for Your Church Playground

  By Michele Breakfield Church playgrounds bring families together in creative ways. They support a young congregation and help churches grow their communities. It’s important to thoughtfully plan your church playground, as it will be used by many different individuals and families. In fact, the right playground design might even be the reason why families

3 Tips for a Safer Playground

  How safe is your church playground? While it’s expected that kids may scrape their knee or get a few bumps playing outdoors, a poorly maintained playground can cause serious injuries. According to the CDC, more than 200,000 children visit the emergency room each year for playground-related injuries. Nearly half of these are severe. Use

Six Reasons to Run a Volleyball League

  By Eddie Becker Now, more than ever, the church has a tremendous opportunity to make an impact on teenage girls. But with all the different things capturing their attention, how can you find a voice to reach them? There’s a way to engage tween and teen girls in a fun way that makes a

How a Recreation Center Adds Value to Your Church

  A recreation center or sports complex can be a great investment to your community or organization. For churches and other faith-based organizations, a recreation center creates more room for both your congregation and the surrounding community to have access to different activities and events throughout the year. Room for Additional Events Most churches do

Tips for Selecting the Right Playground Equipment

  Building playgrounds for children is an important job. However, it can be difficult picking out equipment that all the children will enjoy. Here are some tips for selecting the right playground equipment. Consider the Expected Age Group of Your Playground Users Before you research playground equipment, make sure that you know how old the

Playground Planning and Budgeting

  By Mark Lang You want to build a playground. Great! Now what? Let’s start from the very beginning and assess your needs and budget. The first step to a successful playground project is to assess your needs and budget.  The big question is: How much does a commercial playground cost? And, knowing that a

The Tool of Sports

  By Bob Schindler Tools. Go into any hardware store and you see lots of them. There are good tools and bad tools, depending on the job you are trying to perform. You can use a screwdriver to chisel wood, but it isn’t the best tool to do so. A good tool is an asset

Installing a Playground and Picnic Shelter Can Help Your Church Grow

  If your church is ready to grow, you should give some serious thought to having both a playground and a covered shelter installed. Not only would these amenities be good for your church to use and enjoy on their own merits, but they could also help your church to be more relevant and engaging

Sports Ministry and the “New Normal”

  By David Waddell It was the weirdest of times, it was the worst of times. My apologies to Charles Dickens, who famously penned the original quote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” as the opening statement in his book, A Tale of Two Cities. The revision I offer

Defining the New Normal of Play

  As churches begin to open back up, we can help kids resume a healthier level of physical activity and enjoy playing in public facilities once again. With the right equipment and safety measures in place, you can create a play area that helps kids enjoy a sense of normalcy again, provides a place for

The Evolution of Gym Design: Retractable Wide Deck Platforms

  By Matt LaLonde As the role of school and church gymnasiums continues to evolve, institutions must consider several factors when planning and designing a facility to make it dynamic and adaptable to meet ever-changing needs. From serving the church and school population to the local neighborhood community, it is imperative for gymnasiums to be

5 Life Lessons Learned from the Field of Play

  By Kevin Cook Sometime during 1994, in the middle of a t-ball game on a dusty Florida field, the importance and immense value of athletics began to take root with me. My son Spencer, barely 40 pounds soaking wet, was at bat. The oversized baseball pants and cap were straight out of a Norman

What to Know About Your Playground Equipment Warranty

  When you check out a playground equipment company’s warranty, make sure you look beyond the headline. Headlines are designed to catch your attention. Whether it is a newspaper, online post, or warranty, the headline copy is interesting and easy to understand, but the true meaning of the headline requires a bit more digging. The

City Road Chapel Extends Their Focus on Quality to Their Playground

  By Eric Torrey City Road Chapel United Methodist Church in Madison, Tennessee, started with the building of a house of worship in 1848. The church moved to a new location in 1872. After that building burned down in 1899, a new church was built at the present site. Since then, the church has continued

4 Questions You Should Ask When Choosing New Gym Flooring

  By Hayden Delia Purchasing and installing new gym flooring in your facility is a huge investment. Not only do you want to make sure your floor lasts, but you want to love the way it looks and performs. These four suggestions will help you properly prepare to ask the right questions about your new

Why Do You Need a Gym Floor Cover?

  A gymnasium floor is a major expense for any church, typically costing $50,000-$100,000. Athletes and coaches generally prefer maple hardwood flooring with a shock-absorbing subflooring. However, in addition to its initial cost, hardwood flooring requires regular cleaning and maintenance to retain its professional appearance. Gym floor manufacturers and refinishers recommend that you only allow

Church Playground Equipment and Ideas

  Churches play many important roles within a community. One of those roles is as a place for families to gather and spend quality time together. Given that churches often host people of all ages—from the very young to the very old—it’s important that their facilities are designed for such duty. To cater to the

Planning an Indoor Playground

  When you decide to create an indoor playground, you may be thrilled and ready to jump right into the process. It’s also perfectly normal to have a lot of questions. Questions are actually a great sign. They show you’re taking this investment seriously and planning ahead to create the best possible play space for

Growing Membership by Attracting Young Families

  By Eric Torrey Church attendance numbers in America are declining. According to Pew Research and Gallop Polls, it has been declining for several decades. This is particularly true for mid-size churches. A recent study noted that from the period 1994-2004, while the smallest churches (attendance 1-49) and the largest (2,000 plus attendees) experienced membership

Play Will Always Shape Us

Play has an invaluable role in encouraging child development. But play isn’t just one thing. It’s an invitation to explore, learn and grow. Play opens up a world of possibilities. Play—on a playground, in a soccer game or at an art studio—teaches kids how to not only exist together, but accept people of all ages,

How to Buy Gymnasium Flooring

By Amber Stromberg Gym flooring is key for a safe and efficient environment, so you need to find a flooring system that perfectly suits your needs and purposes. Gym flooring needs to be strong and durable (to support heavy equipment), must provide excellent resilience and shock-absorbance (to protect athletes and prevent injury), and should be

How to Find the Best Commercial Playground Equipment Manufacturer

By Grant Riley What does it take to create the most awesome playground in town? It takes the best commercial playground equipment. It seems like a no-brainer, right? Actually, finding the right equipment for your fun-filled playground can seem pretty daunting. This is especially true if you’re unsure of which manufacturer to choose. The principle

Creative Hardwood Flooring Considerations for Your Sports & Recreation Space

When a church invests in a new sports floor, two things are expected: the floor should offer quality improvements and enhance or complement the look and feel of the facility. The art of balancing an aesthetically pleasing facility while achieving maximum performance is easy when you specify a sports floor from a manufacturer that takes

Choosing the Best Equipment for Your Church Playground

Spending time outdoors is a vital part of children’s physical and mental development, which is why choosing the best playground equipment for your church childcare program is essential. The equipment installed on your playground should encourage physical activity and should be accessible to children with special needs. Whether your playground project is replacing playground equipment

The Ideal Choice for Recreational Flooring

Maple flooring has been the ideal choice for sports and athletic facilities for more than a century due to its strength, durability and beauty. It is also an excellent choice for multipurpose facilities that host more than sporting events. Maple’s versatility and aesthetic qualities make it a wise choice for elementary schools, middle and high

The Benefits of Child's Play

When you think about the most important part of a child’s day, what comes to mind? Is it reading? Science? Math or history? What about outdoor play? Children will likely mention outdoor play as their favorite activity, and new research shows that this free time is actually a fundamental component to their future development and

Community-Built Playgrounds Give Hope to Underserved Youth

The addition of parks and play spaces can have a transformational effect on an entire community. For example, Eyes On Me, Inc., which serves the Brookshire, Texas, community and surrounding areas through their facility, The Hangar Unity Center, was awarded a grant by Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS) and national non-profit KaBOOM! towards building a

Sports and Rec Flooring: Our Best Tips!

1. Don’t forget about acoustics. The right floor can help minimize sound so that it doesn’t travel to other areas. Bouncing balls or running feet should not be heard all along the hallway. Check the number of decibels the floor can absorb. If you choose the wrong flooring, you could be dealing with an acoustical

Choosing Playground Equipment

As the experts put it, a playground should be a hub for kids to enhance their social, physical and emotional skills. Having an open playground in schools, in parks or in the community will help kids interact and with other kids building social connection. They also note that playground facilities develop children’s flexibility and motor

Alongside Chooses ProGym Plan by Mateflex for New Gym Floor

Alongside Inc. – a counseling retreat ministry based in Richland, Michigan – provides renewal and growth programs for pastors and missionaries in need of such services. They offer a beautiful campus for clients to enjoy while on site. Always looking to better their programs, an expansion took place over the summer, as they decided to

Adult Recreation: Indoor Sports Flooring Options

There are numerous options for indoor sports flooring, with the most popular being modular athletic flooring, wood, and rolled sheet goods. While wood flooring is noted as top of the line, it does come with hefty installation, maintenance, and temperature controlled facilities, not to mention the need to strip and restore annually. Modular flooring is

Church Chooses Recycled Play Structure for Community Build

Based in Acworth, Georgia, Four Points Church was founded September 14, 2008. Their mission is to gain disciples and change the lives of people through spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They seek to do this through their four points: love, devotion, passion, and legacy. The church describes its worship as God-focused, authentic, and contemporary.

The Importance of a Church Playground

Your church is the pride of your community, a friendly place where families come to worship, learn, engage with each other, and enjoy a respite from their hectic lives. Adding a playground to your other amenities can enhance your image in the community, attract new families to your congregation, and offer additional benefits for the

10 Facts About PVC and Playground Equipment

  This article originally appeared in the August 2009 issue. By Eric E. Torrey Eric E. Torrey is director of marketing for Safeplay Systems, www.safeplaysystems.com. Many playground manufacturers tout their product as being PVC-free. Others don’t. Either way, why is this even an issue to be considered by potential playground equipment purchasers? The fact of

5 Necessary Elements of a Church Playground

Planning the perfect playground can be a fun and relatively easy task when you have the right tools and an experienced playground contractor to partner with. You can let your imagination soar about what all you would like to include in your new play space. However, there are a few things every playground should include.

Evaluating Playground Bids and Proposals

Unlike reviewing bids for a house, or pre-designed structure, comparing competing bids for a playground can be very difficult. In most cases, no two bids will ever be the same. It is important to understand some key points when reviewing the playground bids to make sure you are getting the best possible deal. Let’s take

How to Stretch Your Playground Budget

By Cristen Shepherd Faced with a playground project for a school, church, or childcare center? It is very normal to jump in and start a wish list, and then move right into shopping mode. We get it, commercial equipment is cool stuff to look at and dream about! Here’s a word of caution at this

How to Organize an Adult Sports League

By Brian Sigafoos Learn how organizing recreational sports can be done right. The good news is you don’t have to spend a fortune to start a sports league. The bad news is if it’s your first time organizing a league, there are costs you may overlook. Facility costs will likely make up about half of your