Resource Library

Research in Action

CORE’s Resource Library is a collection of evidence-based publications including best-practice design guides, planning tools, advocacy tools, case studies, and standards-based curricula. Every resource is fueled by the research from our Research Institute, time-tested, and put into practice by organizations around the world.

A Comprehensive library for all your play and recreation needs. Our team supports the validated research of our Research Institute to publish and disseminate relevant knowledge through our resource library.

Best Practice Design Guides

Our evidence-based design best practices help communities turn research into practice to promote high-quality designs. The design guides are based on validated, scholarly research and can inform your play and recreation project, taking it to a level of success.

7 Principles of Inclusive Playground Design
NatureGrounds®

Putting Nature Into Play

Outdoor Adult Fitness

Best Practices for Promoting Community Health by Increasing Physical Activity

Pathways for Play®

Infusing Play Into Pathway Networks to Encourage Active Lifestyles for Children, Families, and Communities

Play On!®

Promoting Physical Activity & Fitness Through Active Play

Planning Tools

CORE’s planning resources help practitioners thoughtfully advocate and plan recreation projects across a variety of categories. These guides offer suggestions for effective approaches, tips for soliciting community engagement, and case examples of successful projects on a wide range of topics, including intergenerational play, dog parks, bicycle infrastructure, maintenance, and more.

Make a Stand®

A Practical Planning Guide to Spectator Seating

Natural Harmony™

An Instrumental Guide to Blending Music and Community

Shift Into Gear®

A Bicycling Advocacy Resource

Strong Foundations®

Planning, Purchasing, and Protecting Play and Recreational Surfacing™

Transformational Impact™

Designing Public Spaces to Promote Intergenerational Play & Recreation

Unleashed®

Off-Leash Dog Park Design Trends and Planning Tips

Advocacy & Impact Tools

When seeking support for a project, education builds advocates. Our resources help people who are working hard to advocate for new play and recreation projects through leadership and empowerment tools which arm them with validated, citable references and funding resources so they can advocate with authority on the issues affecting the community, and the actions needed to bring about change.

Beyond the Minimums

Disability Park Awareness

Placemaking

A PlayCore Digest

Playful Placemaking

Community Engagement Strategies Using Social Science in the Design Process

Playground Inspection and Maintenance Guide

Preserving the Play Environment, Promoting the Value of Play, Protecting Children

Playground Supervision Guide

Preserving the Play Environment, Promoting the Value of Play, Protecting Children

Power of Urban Play

Unleashing the Role of Play Environments as Community Assets

The Science of Play™

A treatise of articles by Dr. Stuart Brown, National Institute for Play

Unified We Play®

Partnership Best Practices for Play and Recreation

Water Immersion Works®

Research-Based Health Benefits of Aquatic Immersion and Activity

Words on Play™

A Treatise on its Value by Leading Play Scholars

Curricula

While best practice design helps create a high-quality environment, programming helps increase usage and engagement. Our standards-based curricula help maximize a community or school’s playground investment by offering programming that teaches character education, promotes learning and education, and helps develops physical fitness in a fun way that children of all ages and abilities embrace.

2Play Together®

Playground Programming to Foster Friendships Through Inclusive Play

Outdoor Creative Play and Learning

Standards-Based Playground Activities That Stimulate Creativity, Imagination, and Learning

Play On!®

Promoting Physical Activity & Fitness Through Active Play