Play Streets Kaua‘i Pilot Program: Connecting Communities Through Active Play

Play Streets Kaua‘i is a community engagement program that seeks to temporarily transform streets and spaces into activity and play spaces for keiki. Programmatic goals include the promotion of physical activity in areas with limited access to playgrounds, sidewalks, or parks, and to foster the development of community capital and social connections.

Play Streets Kauaʻi completed a pilot program with the goal of becoming a long-term island-wide program. Launched in Spring 2022, Play Streets Kauaʻi creates a uniquely Kauaʻi version of Play Streets by directly engaging our play “experts”—the keiki and ʻohana of Kauaʻi— in design and implementation. Play Streets Kauaʻi is community-driven, offering residents and community groups the opportunity to choose how streets or inactive spaces can be used as public spaces, temporarily, periodically, or long-term. Play Streets can be a one-time event or occur at multiple times throughout a year.

In addition to promoting physical activity, the implementation of a Play Streets event is an intervention with the goal of encouraging improvements to the built environment that promote shared uses and physical activity.

Play Streets Kauaʻi is an example of a community-led, government-supported initiative that leverages the flexibility of nonprofit organizations with the structural support of government.

One of the largest Play Streets events happens at the Rice Street Block Party! If you happen to be on Kaua‘i on Saturday, October 28^th, 2023, please join us! You don’t want to miss this free, fun, and exciting event! See flyer here.

The Play Streets Kaua‘i team is always looking for new opportunities for partnership. For more information or to contact the Play Streets Kaua‘i team. please reach out at www.playstreetskauai.com.

Play Streets Kaua‘i is possible thanks to a strong partnership between Get Fit Kaua‘i, Na Lei Wili AHEC, Toy Fit, the Kaua‘i Skate ‘Ohana, the State of Hawai‘i Department of Health, the County of Kaua‘i Planning Department, the County of Kaua‘i Office of Economic Development, and the Kaua‘i District Health Office.