National Program for Playground Safety

If you’ve ever wondered whether a playground is actually safe or just looks fine at a glance, this is the organization you want to know about. Based out of Cedar Falls near the University of Northern Iowa, the National Program for Playground Safety is really more of a research and education hub than a traditional play space — but that’s exactly what makes it worth knowing. They’re the people setting the standards that playgrounds across the country are supposed to meet. Handy resource if you’re a parent, school administrator, or anyone who’s ever side-eyed a rusty climbing structure and thought “is this okay?”