Imagine your friends, family, and neighbors enjoying a fabulous day of fun, laughter, and good times with the latest and greatest water-play attractions at Lincoln's public pools! Lincoln Parks Foundation will use Union Bank & Trust's Big Give grant to add new play features such as climbing walls, zip lines, floatables, and a wiggle bridge to create more fun and excitement for all ages at selected public pools located throughout our community.

These new play features create an opportunity for "risk-taking" play, one of 12 key types of play identified by the Alliance for Childhood publication, Crisis in the Kindergarten. Through risk-taking play, children extend their abilities and learn to master challenging environments. Regrettably, most current play spaces are designed to be as risk-free as possible, giving children little chance to assess risks and set their own boundaries.

Studies have shown that risk-taking (and safe) play has a significant effect on mental health of children and adolescents ages 6 to 18. Children learn critical life skills by facing their fears, navigating difficult situations and mastering challenging environments. These studies demonstrate that on average, young people who exercise more have lower levels of depression, stress and psychological distress, and higher levels of positive self-image, life satisfaction and psychological well-being. In other words, the more they move, the better their mood!