On Tuesday, September 9, children from the Stoneham community put crayons to paper and drew their dream playground, which will ultimately become a reality with help from Zoo New England’s Stone Zoo, Baystate Financial, MetLife Foundation and organizers from national non-profit KaBOOM! Elements from their drawings will be incorporated into the design of the playground that will be built on Friday, October 31, at Stone Zoo in Stoneham, Mass. Design Day is also the first meeting for the playground committee that will determine how best to create and catalyze the new playspace for kids and families in the area to enjoy.

The project is part of Baystate Financial, MetLife and MetLife Foundation’s ongoing commitment to serving the greater Boston community. 125 MetLife employees from the Boston region will be volunteering their time to build a KaBOOM! playground.

About the project:

A playground is more than a playground. It’s a brain-expander, friend-maker, and muscle-builder. Play is central to a child’s ability to grow into a productive adult. It can transform children from sedentary, bored and solitary to physically, mentally and socially active. Since 1996, KaBOOM! has been dedicated to the bold goal of ensuring that all children get the balanced and active play they need to thrive because #playmatters.

Play is critical to a child’s health and development. It allows them to continue learning beyond the classroom and practice problem-solving, teamwork and creativity to develop core 21st century skills they need to succeed. Kids and families in the local community would embrace the opportunity to provide a fun, safe playspace for children to grow, explore, imagine and create. In building this new playground together, more than 90,000 kids in the greater Boston community will have access to a new playspace where they can learn, play and thrive.

The playground will be the 23rd built by MetLife Foundation and KaBOOM!. Through this partnership, more children will have the joyful childhood they deserve. MetLife Foundation supports KaBOOM! in promoting and protecting a child’s right to active play at home, at school and in the community.