The Arlington Public Library has been awarded an Imagination Playground in a Cart, an innovative playground equipment system, thanks to a grant provided by Target and KaBOOM!.

KaBOOM!, the national non-profit dedicated to giving all kids the childhood they deserve through play, is working with Target to increase access to play across the country. Grants for Imagination Playgrounds are helping to achieve that goal by bringing active play to more than 430,000 kids across the country.

Imagination Playground in a Cart is an innovative design in play equipment that encourages creativity, communication and collaboration in play. With a collection of custom-designed, oversized blue foam parts, Imagination Playground provides a changing array of elements that allow children to turn their playground into a space constantly built and re-built by their imagination.

"We have wanted an Imagination Playground for the library for a few years, so it was wonderful to receive this," said Bethany Fort, Library Services Manager for youth programming. "The library is a space to read, learn, and play. These giant blue blocks will definitely encourage creative play and fun for our families."

The library encourages opportunities for creative play through programs and resources like storytimes, Family Place, and Summer Reading Club. Play is crucial for a child's healthy development and the Imagination Playground allows for creative play and innovation. Thousands of children will experience the Imagination Playground at branches and library events. In 2018, Arlington children will find them in the new Downtown Library.

Unstructured, child-directed play has proven to help kids develop physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually, yet today's kids have less time and fewer opportunities to play than any previous generation. The grant is part of Target's ongoing efforts to help make wellness more affordable, accessible and inspirational for its team members, guests and communities.