Day 60

The first Saturday of every month is National Play Outside Day. This National Day presents opportunity to remind everyone to get outside and enjoy the fresh air through play.

Today we are highlighting the playground that is located behind our sports complex, the Kids Zone.  This Outdoor Recreational and Learning Park was originally constructed for the students at the School for the Deaf but because of its location, has always been available for visitors to the sports complex to utilize.  The Kid Zone has three sections:  the play unit (including an area for younger children and an area for older children), the fitness loop, and the bench swings. 

When you hear the word education, you think of the three R’s:  reading, writing, and arithmetic.  You do not typically think of a playground.  But at the SC School for the Deaf and Blind (SCSDB) we are not just educating a child academically, we are educating the whole child—physically, socially, and emotionally.  So many of these lessons are learned, not in the classroom, but on the playground.  Playing outside with their peers has many benefits to children including increasing the development of brain connections, learning negotiation skills, exercising leadership, and being more physically active.  It also helps build relationships outside of the classroom that will increase cooperation within the classroom.  These benefits are not just limited to the students at SCSDB who use the playground; the children of our community who utilize this playground will also gain these important life skills. 

We are thankful to our funding partners for making this project possible:  Fluor Golf for Greenville, J M Smith Corporation Foundation, Women Giving for Spartanburg, and Downtown Sertoma Club of Spartanburg.

The picture on the previous page shows children playing on the fitness loop.  The picture at the top of this page shows more children playing on a different part of the playground.

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