Oakville North General
Failing the Grade
Last week, the Community Foundation of Oakville released a report that explored a number of issues deemed important to ensuring a healthy, happy, strong and well-balanced community. Entitled “Vital Signs” the report measures the vitality of our community, identifies significant trends, and assigns grades in 11 areas critical to quality of life. This particular report is part of a series of similar studies coordinated nationally by Community Foundations of Canada. The purpose of these studies is to encourage dialogue, increase awareness and, hopefully, develop a desire to deal with these important issues. You can read the whole report here, but let me point out a few things I found particularly disturbing about how we are failing our kids.
Falgarwood
Playground Review - Sheridan Valley Park
Sheridan Valley Park reminds me of a little playground I used to frequent when I was a kid. Nestled deeply among the trees and in the heart of the neighbourhood, this little park is wonderful. Located just south of Upper Middle Road at the intersection of Grand Boulevard and Fleetwood Road, the park boasts direct links to a number of other parks, natural spaces and walking trails in the area - Fleetwood Park, Iroquois Shoreline Woods, Lancaster Woods and Valley Brook Park.
Playbourhood
Homework doesn’t work!
Alfie Kohn is a Boston-based author who regularly speaks about educational and parenting issues. He was in Toronto this week to talk about his belief that homework just doesn’t work. It’s the kind of argument that’s been made here before on Playbourhood. Our contention is that kids need time to just be kids - to play and develop in an unstructured manner. It isn’t necessary to restrict formal learning to the classroom - after all there are all kinds of educational toys, games and activities that reinforce and benefit the academic foundations. But they also need a healthy dose of social and emotional interaction that can be gained by spending time with their families around the dinner table and friends outside playing in the neighbourhood.
Playbourhood
Why Didn’t I think of that?
”
A Club for Active Kids. Outdoors! Clearly the kind of thing that we’ve been promoting here at Playbourhood is not an isolated concern. The folks over at Active Kids Club have taken up the challenge and are putting the concept into action. Here’s a quote from their web site expressing the importance of playing outdoors starting at a young age: “Increasing your child’s exposure at an early age to outdoor play doesn’t just benefit their physical development. It enriches all aspect of early childhood development, mind and body. By exposing your child to both structured activities and unstructured play not only are you are building the foundation for a healthy active lifestyle that the child will embrace life, you are supporting their mental and emotional health as well.
from Playborhood
Luddite or Visionary?
Here at Playbourhood, we talk a lot about kids playing outdoors, doing things on their own in an unstructured environment and putting away their GameBoys. There’s nothing wrong with television, computers or organized sports - they all have a valuable role to play in our kid’s development. But it’s only one part of the bigger picture. Providing a good balance is what it’s really all about. Mike Lanza talks a little bit about this over on the Playborhood site in this great post about “shunning technology” in favour of more “face time” with family and friends.
College Park
Playground Review - Martindale Park
Martindale Park is located in a wonderful spot. It’s smack dab in the middle of a thriving and well-established residential part of town just south and east of the Trafalgar and Upper Middle intersection. The park is large and backs onto the main campus of Sheridan College. That means the area has a great mix of people of all ages which makes for a healthy Playbourhood atmosphere.
Playbourhood
Streetlights and Hypocrites
This week I’ve found myself wondering if I’ve become a hypocrite. It stems from a struggle between a sincere belief that a living in a Playbourhood is both desirable and vital for our children’s healthy development and the natural instinct as a parent to protect my kids.
Looking around my own neighbourhood, I see plenty of kids interacting with each other, playing in the street and having a great time just being kids. Recently the kids a few houses down invented a game of tag played on their scooters. They race up and down, back and forth, around and around. They’ve found a way to make their own fun. And, by their laughter and the loud droning hum of little rolling wheels, it is apparent they are enjoying themselves. It has become a nightly ritual that lasts until well after the streetlights come on. I’m elated by the opportunity this presents for my own children, when they get a little older, to get involved with this sort of fun with their neighbours. And that’s where the problem begins.
Oakville North General
Little Geeks Need You!
If you’re reading this post, there’s probably two things that are certain. First, you are reasonably computer literate and can appreciate the value and importance of having access to the resources and information they can provide. And, second, you are most likely a parent who is concerned about the welfare of your children. So, let me introduce you to a wonderful organization that puts these two things together. Little Geeks is a charity that collects, refurbishes and re-distributes donated home computers to children in need. These computers are given free of charge, and are coupled with an Internet connection at the child’s home. The Mission of Little Geeks is to provide free computing technology and education to children and families who cannot afford this resource on their own. If you can donate your old computer equipment, you won’t have to worry about trying to sneak it into the trash. Please, consider helping them out.
Playbourhood
Get Active!
Yet again, reports and studies show that a rising number of children are becoming obese because they are not active enough. They are spending far too much time in front of television screens, at computer terminals and with game consoles in their chubby little hands. Here’s an article from Parentcentral.ca which talks about this very problem.
Iroquois Ridge
Playground Review - Glanashton Park
When we first arrived at Glenashton Park, I was struck by the quiet silence. Despite being located next door to the busy Iroquois Ridge Community Centre, there wasn’t a soul on the playground. That’s a shame, because it’s a great park. Lots to do for all ages with both low and high slides, tons of swings, and a variety of things to climb including two low rock walls. The only drawbacks are the pea-stone play surface and the liberal use of metal used for construction. The problem is that the park is far in off the road and in the middle of a large green space. Homes area a bit of a walk away, so the only easy access is really through a trip to the community centre. Most people going to the community centre, however are on their way to an organized activity (swimming, the gym, etc.) And while you’d think that when little Bobby is in the pool, his baby sister could go play in the park, it’s just a little too far away to make it convenient. I guess the problem is that there are too many distractions to make the park work. Why it is that the Park isn’t the distraction for kids to begin with, is a shame. And part of the story behind this web site. Our kids should be using our playground more, not the community centre. I encourage you all to try out Glenashton Park. It’s a lot of fun - as long as you aren’t distracted!
from Playborhood
High Gasoline Prices are Good for Children
Adults drive cars. Children don’t. They walk or ride bikes.
In suburban areas built mostly for cars, adults in cars dominate. On the other hand, children suffer. They usually stay inside or wait to get driven by their parents because: 1) most places of interest are not within walking or biking distance, and 2) the streets are unsafe for young pedestrians or bicyclists.
Fortunately for children, high gasoline prices are making adults less interested in driving their cars, and more interested in walking.
Continued on Playborhood
- by Mike Lanza
Playbourhood
Walking News
The folks over at Safe Routes to School have just released their latest newsletter. I previously mentioned this excellent group and praised them for their efforts in encouraging kids to walk to school. It’s an important concept on many levels - walking is good excercise, it promotes social interaction and it connects kids with their neighbourhood surroundings. Read the newsletter here. Oh… and look at the nice “plug” they have on page 4 about this Playbourhood site.
Glen Abbey
Playground Review - Nottinghill Park
Nottinghill Park can be found adjacent to the soccer pitches and ball diamond at the corner of Pilgrim’s Way and Nottinghill Gate. It’s in the Glen Abbey area of North Oakville. An older playground, it is small and intimate and well sheltered among the trees, which is great for those hot summer days. The problem, however, is that it’s tucked away at the north end of the park and hard to access.
from Playborhood
Why Are Cruise Ships Better Communities Than Our Neighborhoods?
[ED. Note: Mike Lanza posted this interesting take on his family vacation...]
My family and I have been on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean for the past week. It’s my first cruise, and I’m amazed at how quickly and effectively community develops. I’ve become cordial with dozens of people. Why is it that we’ve gotten to know more people here in one week than we’ve gotten to know in our neighborhood in a year?
Continued on Playborhood.
- by Mike Lanza
West Oak Trails
Playground Review - Valley Ridge
Valley Ridge park is located in the Upper Glen Abbey Greens area of West Oak Trails. It’s at the corner of Valley Ridge Drive and Highvalley Road just a block west of Bronte Road (Highway 25). Having recently been built in a new development, the park is clean and well-kept, the equipment all in great shape and of the latest design and features. The park also has a soccer field and the kids coming and going between games took full advantage of the playground area. I was there with my two young children (aged 5 and 2) last weekend and the playground was jam-packed with kids.
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