How green spaces can help get kids outside and keep them cool
For Saul Maldonado, planting with his 7-year-old son, Nicholas, isn’t just a hobby — the family is putting down roots in their Los Angeles community while transforming the playground at Nicholas’ school.
“Kids stay indoors,” Maldonado told CBS News. “They want to be on the tablet. They want to be on the phone because there’s nowhere safe for them to be outside and play.”
Outdoor play isn’t always easy to come by. An estimated 28 million kids in the U.S. don’t have easy access to parks or green spaces, according to the nonprofit Trust for Public Land.
“If you look around our community outside these walls, what we really have is a concrete jungle,” said Adriana Abich, who runs Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, where Nicholas is a student.
Until recently, the school’s playground was mostly asphalt, which had drawbacks beyond its look. Blacktops absorb and trap heat, and can reach up to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Abich said it was a drain on the students.
