Miracle Recreation: Bringing a Best Buddies Playground to Your Community – November 13th @1PM ET

Best Buddies is the world’s largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical, and emotional isolation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. One powerful way to advance this mission for children and families is through inclusive playground design. In partnership with Miracle Recreation, Best Buddies has developed a model playground framework that fosters belonging, accessibility, and meaningful interaction. This session will introduce the inclusive strategies embedded in Best Buddies playgrounds, the support available to communities that choose to build them, and how thoughtful design can transform play spaces into welcoming hubs for all.

At the end of the course, the participants will be able to:

• Analyze how dividing playgrounds into specific play areas promotes inclusive engagement for children of all abilities.
• Evaluate the physical, sensory, and social needs of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in playground settings.
• Identify essential site amenities—such as seating, shade, and accessible circulation—that support a truly inclusive playground experience.

Playworld: Designing Cross-Generational Parks – November 20th @1PM ET

Parks that truly serve a community must engage people in all stages of life—not just children or fitness enthusiasts. This session, grounded in research conducted in Australia, explores how thoughtful design can entice visitors of all ages not only to come to the park but also to stay, move, and connect. Through real-world strategies and design examples, participants will discover how to create environments that spark physical activity, social interaction, and a sense of belonging for children, teens, adults, and older adults alike.

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Evaluate how the design of walking paths and circulation systems influences accessibility, comfort, and multi-generational use.
• Identify design strategies that transform playgrounds into social hubs where adults and caregivers actively participate rather than remain on the sidelines.
• Apply three design approaches for programming and shaping open fields to foster meaningful cross-generational play, recreation, and gathering.

Little Tikes Commercial: PLAY with Purpose: The Global Value of Play – December 4th @1PM ET

This course explores Kids Around The World’s PLAY program. Specifically, how repurposed playgrounds contribute to transformative opportunities for children in underserved communities around the world. Participants will examine the process of repurposing decommissioned playgrounds, review research findings that highlight the measurable impact of play spaces, and gain insights into the social and emotional benefits of play for children living in refugee camps, orphanages, and other communities burdened by daily hardships. By connecting sustainability, research, and child well-being, this session equips landscape architects with knowledge of how a simple playground can generate lasting local and global impact.

At the end of the course, the participants will be able to:

• Understand how decommissioned playgrounds are sustainably repurposed and replanted in underserved communities by KATW and volunteers, reducing environmental waste while creating new opportunities for play.
• Gain evidence-based insights that validate the social and community-wide benefits of playgrounds in diverse cultural and economic contexts.
• Evaluate the role of play in fostering hope and well-being among children facing poverty, displacement, or trauma.