Find and rate playspaces near you!

In every community, there is probably at least one playground, skate park, athletic field, or public ice rink. But how do you know where to find them?

KaBOOM! has an awesome utility called the Playspace Finder, which allows you to find playspaces near you, rate them, and even add additional ones. Currently, the database contains over 6,000 playspaces -- most of them with photos.

Ultimately, this database can be used as a tool to advocate for better playspaces in your community. If you notice that you have a lot of low-rated playgrounds in your area, call your park and rec department to ask why. Push for more funding to improve and renovate playgrounds that are in disrepair. Studies show that the unstructured play kids experience on the playground is vital for their physical, cognitive, and emotional development. In other words, play is not a luxury -- play has purpose.

I'll bet everyone reading this has some memory involving a playground, where they learned something important that shaped them. As for me, I remember the first time I got up the courage to try sliding down the fireman's pole. I had been eyeing it for a year, and finally climbed up to the platform, tremulously reached out my arms, and quickly wrapped my legs around it and slid down. When I got to the bottom, I was shocked -- this was fun! Why had I been so afraid of this? I learned that taking risks and confronting your fears pays off.

What's your best playground memory? Post it in the comments!

(And if you have a little extra time, rate the playgrounds near you and add the ones that are missing to the Playspace Finder.)