[Mpls] The PARKS - Kids Activites FOUND

[Annie Young]

>At 06:27 PM 4/2/05 -0600, you wrote:
>>
>>Annie Young wrote:
>>
>> >  Thanks to Joan for mentioning that each park has its own
>> >  different type of play equipment.  I have my grandson for
>> >  a couple of weeks and guess what we do almost every day -
>> >  go to a different park - talk about the great
>> >  equipment we have been putting in the last few years.
>>
>> >  He loves it, so with over 60 tot lots and playgrounds seems
>> >  that is at least two months of activities - just visiting
>> >  each park and see if you can find all 178 pieces of parkland
>> >  if you need something else to do and visit,
>>
>>Well there goes one vote.
>
>Sorry to lose your vote, Michael.
>
>>  I and others suggest that indoor
>>parks and play areas are something that the Park Board should
>>consider
>
>Michael, I agree that an Indoor play park might be very cool! Finding the 
>money to build it and operate and maintain it, is a more difficult problem.
>
>
>>and the wise and reasoned suggestion is that we could
>>visit all 178 existing pieces of parkland in the city. Gosh,
>>why didn't I think of that before?  The first reason might be
>>because it's been winter and those 178 pieces of parkland
>>have been covered with snow.
>
>I would by no means be suggesting that you visit these in the winter and 
>certainly not in one winter.
>I have been doing this job a lot of years and I keep finding places in the 
>park system I haven't been.  I was just suggesting it
>as a cool game like say for the lifetime of your kid while at home... like 
>the goal of not missing a day of school - one could have a goal to visit 
>all the parkland.
>
>>Okay, call me a Reganite, but if
>>you've seen one swing set you've seen them all.  Well almost,
>>but after the 40th set of playground equipment I think that
>>the novelty will have warn off.
>
>You haven't seen our park playlots - There are not many that replicate 
>each other and are in different configurations and  colors. Believe it or 
>not, since we have citizen groups that help us design them they just 
>really aren't the same anywhere.
>Such a problem we should have that the novelty wears off after 40 of them. 
>That's one a week for the weeks you can stand to be out doors.
>Not bad entertainment.
>Have you ever seen a swing you didn't want to swing in even if all swings 
>look alike?
>
>>Besides the fact that I don't
>>see the overwhelming educationally value visiting multiple playgrounds.
>
>I have seen toddlers and others up to whatever age that learn all kinds of 
>different ways they can use their bodies and learn about heights and 
>balance and many things.  There is nothing the matter with physical 
>knowledge of how to make your body work better and do different things in 
>different situations.
>
>
>
>>I will admit that this might be a beneficial activity for a
>>Park Board member and in fact as soon as I'm elected as a
>>write-in candidate I'll make it my goal to visit all 178.
>
>Why wait.  There is nothing special about being a Commissioner that 
>doesn't keep every citizen from visiting every nook and cranny in our park 
>system - there are some amazing spectacular little groovy places all over 
>the system.  And you paid for it and it is yours to enjoy.
>I am elected to take care of it so I do feel the need to check it out but 
>you are free to do so at your own free will.
>
>
>>Meanwhile, as a parent, I'll continue to suggest that having
>>a large open and engaging space for my children to play during
>>the winter might be a valuable goal for our Park System.
>
>Again, not the worst idea.
>
>Annie Young
>current and candidate, Minneapolis Park Commissioner - citywide