Family Matters: Providence’s Big Play Day

Friday, August 31, 2012

Anisa Raoof, GoLocalProv Family Expert

The city of Providence, recently lauded as a Playful City, will host a weekend full of citywide events for kids.

The City of Providence was recently honored as a “Playful City USA” by KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated to saving play for America’s children. The national program recognizes cities and towns that make play a priority and use innovative programs to get children active, playing and healthy.

To celebrate this designation, Providence parks and other recreation venues will participate in a citywide weekend of play, beginning with a Playful Providence Kickoff Celebration held on Friday, September 7, 4:30 – 6:30 PM in Burnside Park. The celebration will feature playful activities by Providence Children’s Museum, RI Parkour, RI Museum of Science and Art and more plus lively music from the Brown University Band, collaborative art projects, and short presentations by Mayor Angel Taveras and other speakers.

Playful Providence

Playful Providence activities will continue throughout the weekend, to encourage families to visit new parks and explore new ways of playing. Events will be held at 21 neighborhood parks and 6 other play and recreation venues throughout the city and include collaborative art, crafts and games, bubble blowing, music, dance classes and other playful fun.

Playful Providence is planned by the Partnership for Providence Parks, a new group committed to providing opportunities for children (toddlers to teens) to have structured and unstructured play in safe, healthy spaces that reflect the identity of the neighborhoods in which they live, in collaboration with Providence Department of Parks and Recreation; Providence Department of Arts, Culture + Tourism; Providence Children’s Museum; Rhode Island School of Design; Providence parks groups; and other partners. The weekend of events will promote the Partnership for Providence Parks and draw attention to the important role that volunteer groups have in making great places to play.

Schedule of events

Friday, September 7

3:00 – 9:00 PM
Events planned at various location around the city.
Visit the Playful Providence website for details and full list of events happening ALL over the city.

4:30 – 6:30 PM
Playful Providence Kick-Off
Burnside Park (Greater Kennedy Plaza)
Featuring playful activities by Providence Children’s Museum, RI Parkour, RI Museum of Science and Art and more plus lively music from the Brown University Band, collaborative art projects, and short presentations by Superintendent Robert F. McMahon and other speakers.

Saturday, September 8

9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Events planned at various location around the city.
Visit the Playful Providence website for details and full list of events happening ALL over the city.

Sunday, September 9

10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Events planned at various location around the city.
Visit the Playful Providence website for details and full list of events happening ALL over the city.

4:00 – 6:00 PM
Playful Providence Closing Event: “Peter and the Wolf” by RI Philharmonic
Neutaconkanut Hill (Silver Lake)
Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf Concert by RI Philharmonic. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and a picnic and prepare to unwind from the playful weekend with the best views in Providence and some playful music.

To learn more about the Partnership for Providence Parks and for a detailed listing of events, visit www.providenceparks.org.

Anisa Raoof is the publisher and founder of Kidoinfo, the parents' guide for Rhode Island and beyond.

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Family Matters: Providence’s Big Play Day

Playful Providence

Schedule of events

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