Playing is essential for healthy growth and development of children. Physical play, in particular, is associated with a decreased risk of obesity, improved self-esteem, and improved academic performance. Playgrounds can play an important role in supporting physical activity and maintaining a healthy BMI in children, especially in dense urban environments like Chicago. The quality and accessibility of play-grounds influence both their safety and use. Children are more likely to play on recently renovated playgrounds and playgrounds located near their homes. Poorly maintained playgrounds are less likely to engage children and have been shown to contribute to higher injury rates. Injuries sustained on play-grounds are common, leading to .200000 emergency department visits annually. Many of these injuries are severe, including fractures, dislocations, and concussions. Improvement in playground quality can be an effective method to prevent these injuries. Concern about playground quality and safety in Chicago, Illinois motivated local park advisory council members to request inspections from A.L.H., a certified playground inspector, to document safety hazards that could then be used by the Chicago Park District to make repairs or to build a replacement playground. This has led to a collaborative effort of the Injury Prevention and Research Center at Ann and Robert H. The objectives of various projects are to improve the safety of Chicago Park District playgrounds by

(1) building partnerships to promote safe play environments

(2) creating a surveillance system to monitor the safety of all park district playgrounds

(3) identifying playgrounds in greatest need of improvement and areas of neighbourhood disparity

(4) developing system-wide policies to improve playground safety through maintenance and new development.

The various analysis aimed to assess playground safety scores over multiple years and to identify any areas of disparity in play-ground access and quality. By identifying the areas most in need of improvement, and sharing this information with stakeholders, play-ground scores will improve between study years. If an education system is conceptualised which utilises and manipulates play-based learning teach children, the many subjects they are required to learn. It will greatly impact the way things are done. Every child learns differently and that is true for adults. By introducing play-based learning, we can maximise the academic standards by having more than one way to teach the same concepts.