Let's Make Our NYC Parks and Playgrounds Organic!

Let’s make our parks and playing fields organic! Learn more to make change locally to protect our children from pesticides! This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Stonyfield® FIELDS Initiative.

Rain or shine, we have a weekend event. It involves 2 parents, 1 baby, a swing set and a box of chalk. Do you know what time it is? It’s playground time!

Since Enceladus took her first swing on a swing set (in January!) she’s fallen in love with the playground at our local park. Now many months later, if we stroll by a playground, she immediately starts kicking her legs and pointing to it. Looks like it’s time for a pit stop!

Living in NYC, you work with what you have in regards to play spaces outside. We have beautiful parks (Fort Greene and Prospect Park are our favorites!), but we also have wonderful neighborhood playgrounds. Not only is it a place for little ones to run around and be kids, but it’s also a great place to meet your neighbors!

Although it would be wonderful if all play spaces and parks were safe, sadly a majority of them are not. Great strides have been made in the organic food movement over the past 35 years, but unfortunately, those same strides aren’t happening in all of our neighborhoods to protect our kids from environmental issues specific to the use of pesticides in parks and playing fields.

If you don’t want your kid to eat pesticides, why would you want them to play in a park that’s just been sprayed with them?

One of my favorite brands, Stonyfield, is helping to bring awareness to pesticides being used in our neighborhood parks and playgrounds. By doing this, they are continuing their role as a mission-first brand.

You might know Stonyfield as the yogurt brand your kids love, but they also have a deep commitment to helping bridge the gap between healthier people and a healthier planet. That’s why I’m teaming up with them to share the information on how you can become involved to make change locally to protect our children and our environment!

Most parents don’t think that their local sports fields or playing fields are unsafe. In fact, in a survey Stonyfield did, 67% of parents did not consider their children’s local parks to be a concern. On the flip side, 69% of parents wanted to lessen their children’s exposure to pesticides in food and when buying organic food,68% of parents’ said their primary reason is to avoid pesticides. See how that doesn’t match up?

Over 21 million kids play in public parks and playing fields each year, many of which are managed using herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. Think of your child at the playground. Think of everything they touch. Think of everything that goes into their mouth.

Research shows that pesticide exposure can affect neurological, respiratory, immune, and endocrine systems in humans and children. Children, especially are more vulnerable to this exposure due to their developing organs and permeable skin.

That’s why it’s important that kids are playing on organically managed fields and play spaces The good news is, managing play spaces organically can protect our families and has been successful in communities throughout the country. And that’s why Stonyfield is on a mission to make every field in America ORGANIC by stopping the use of harmful pesticides where our kids play with their Stonyfield® FIELDS Initiative! You can find out more information here as well as take a look at the steps on how to change your community.

If you’re not quite ready to tackle the problem in your own community, you can change your backyard too! It’s easy to make small changes to remove pesticides and harmful chemicals right where you live. You can learn more on how to change your backyard here: https://www.stonyfield.com/playfree/change-your-own-backyard

I hope you find this post helpful and it encourages you to get involved locally!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with Enceladus at the playground!