Missoula trying to become Playful City USA

Missoula Parks and Recreation is leading the effort to have Missoula declared a Playful City USA.

Playful City USA is a national recognition program honoring cities and towns across the nation that are creating an agenda for play.

It is a program of KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit that empowers communities to build playgrounds with the idea that play has purpose, and that unstructured play in particular helps make children happier, smarter, more fit and more socially adept and creative.

Playful City USA status would help Missoula improve its ability to raise outside funding and business sector support, receive honors and recognition at national conferences of our peers, gain special incentive opportunities and highway signs, be included in a national media campaign, and receive priority status in accessing all KaBOOM! resources.

Full Story: http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2009/05/19/bnews/br47.txt