Help us add an “Outlast” block set to the Ashland Farmers Market.
If you have ever visited the farmers market with young children you know that one of their favorite stops is the skatepark next door to the market. The skate park, intended for use by our local skateboard enthusiasts, lures our kids’ in with its undulating ramps and slippery, hard surfaces. While it serves as entertainment to our kids, it is a source of anxiety for parents and AFM volunteers. We need to provide another opportunity for children to play at the market. Please consider donating to this campaign!
As parents and volunteers at the Ashland Farmers Market, we saw a need to provide another opportunity for children to play at the market. We wanted something that would be affordable and portable, a little closer to the music and vendors, on soft grass instead of pavement. After researching the options, we found the best play equipment for our needs was an “Outlast” block set, created by Community Play Things. This series of interlocking blocks and planks has many loose parts, designed for open ended, imaginative play. It is made for outdoor use from non-toxic acetylated wood.
The theory of loose parts:
“In any environment, both the degree of inventiveness and creativity, and the possibility of discovery, are directly proportional to the number and kind of variables in it.”
-Simon Nicholson, Architect
The “Outlast” blocks provide a range of loose parts for building and dramatic play. They will support the STEAM initiatives in our schools, encouraging child-directed cooperative play, building social skills, and motor coordination.
We need your help:
We need to raise $1,620 to purchase one Toddler Outlast block set and a storage bin. Your pledge will go directly towards this purchase. We thought it was appropriate to ask the community to chip in for this project. In this way, all of us can own a piece, (or block), of the play set. The Ashland Farmers Market’s parent organization, Ashland Healthy Harvest, recently acquired 501c3 status. That means your donation will also be tax deductible.
http://igg.me/at/blocks4afm/x/4096301