Mountlake Terrace is being honored by National non-profit KaBOOM! with a 2017 Playful City USA designation for the fourth time. Playful City USA honors cities and towns across the country for putting the needs of families first so kids can learn, grow and develop important life skills. These communities are transforming ordinary places into playful spaces and using play as a solution to the challenges facing their residents. The 2017 Playful City USA recognition includes 258 communities from Richmond, Virginia to Richmond, California that make it as easy as possible for kids to play. In total, these communities feature more than 14,000 safe and engaging playspaces that serve more than 4 million kids. Mountlake Terrace was selected as a Playful City USA due to the variety of initiatives that are taking place in the city and schools. Examples of play were given from the youth programs that take place at the Mountlake Terrace Recreation Pavilion, the coming improvements and shore access to Ballinger Park and Lake Ballinger and the Basics of Bicycling program that takes place at schools in Mountlake Terrace. These are just a few of the reasons Mountlake Terrace was awarded as a Playful City USA. “It’s an honor for the City of Mountlake Terrace to receive this award,” stated Mayor Jerry Smith. “This shows how our city continues to support play and includes it in its plans for the future.” As cities are becoming hotbeds for innovation, communities across the country are creating inventive ways to attract and retain residents. Playful City USA honorees are taking action to ensure kids have great places to play – all with the ultimate goal of making play the easy choice for all kids, no matter where they live. In addition to the playground down the street, Playful City USA communities are turning grocery stores, vacant lots, crosswalks and sidewalks into opportunities for play. “We are thrilled to recognize Mountlake Terrace for putting kids first,” said KaBOOM! CEO James Siegal. “The well-being of our communities starts with the well-being of our kids, and play is critical for them to thrive. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that all kids get the childhood they deserve filled with play.” To see the full list of Playful City USA communities and to learn more about making play the easy choice for kids, visit kaboom.org/playfulcityusa. You can also take part in the conversation with leaders across the country using #PLAYceforkids on Twitter and Facebook. ###