Where Every Kid Can Play with Lysa Ratliff

Where Every Kid Can Play with Lysa Ratliff

From Purpose 360 with Carol Cone by TruStory FM

March 24, 2026 · 43 min · Episode 221

About this episode

Lysa Ratliff discusses the importance of playspaces and KABOOM!'s mission to ensure equitable access to safe play for children.

Playspaces are often dismissed as “nice-to-haves” with their colorful swings, slides, and monkey bars, but KABOOM! was founded on the urgent belief that they are an essential community infrastructure. The organization’s origin traces back to a tragic moment when two children lost their lives playing in an abandoned car because there was nowhere safe to play in their neighborhood. That devastating inequity sparked a movement to ensure that where a child lives does not determine whether they have access to safe, joyful play. Today, as KABOOM! celebrates 30 years, the organization has evolved from building individual playgrounds to advancing a data-driven, systems-level strategy to end playspace inequity for good. We invited Lysa Ratliff, CEO of KABOOM!, to talk about why play is a critical investment in children’s futures and how meaningful, lasting impact happens when communities shape the solutions themselves. In this episode, Lysa shares how KABOOM!’s co-creation model ensures that playgrounds are designed with kids and neighbors, not simply delivered to them, leading to deeper stewardship and significantly higher usage. She also explores how collective action by residents…

People in this episode

Guest: Lysa Ratliff

Topics covered

  • playspaces
  • community infrastructure
  • child safety
  • play equity
  • co-creation model
  • environmental health

Keywords

  • playspaces
  • KABOOM!
  • child safety
  • community
  • play equity
  • co-creation
  • public health

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: KABOOM!

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