CLIF BAR’s energy snack bar brand for active kids, Zbar, announced a significant $1M partnership with nonprofit KABOOM! to help communities nationwide build nature-based play spaces for kids, focusing on areas that are lacking access to green space or opportunities for outdoor recreation. Zbar brand’s multi-year contribution will also support KABOOM!’s goals to create more sustainable play spaces by investing in research and new programming focused on climate-forward playground design. This includes introduction of climate-friendly architectural elements such as adding trees and other shade structures and replacing heat-retaining materials like asphalt and metal with cooler options.
On average, children in the U.S. spend only 7 minutes each day engaged in unstructured outdoor play—less than previous generations—and nearly 30 million kids live farther than a 10-minute walk from the nearest park. At the same time, climate change is making traditional playgrounds and schoolyards, which can act as “heat islands,” dangerously warm.
Launching this program during back-to-school season, Zbar brand’s new initiative plans to address these problems by working with KABOOM! to create modern outdoor play spaces. Building on its legacy as a leader in organic and the first kid’s snack bar brand to be Climate Neutral Certified, Zbar will also serve as a signature partner, investing in KABOOM!’s capacity to influence and build a more sustainable playground industry.
“At Zbar we strongly believe in the physical and mental benefits of spending time outdoors, and in empowering the next generation to better connect with nature,” said Valerie Van Arkel, Director of Marketing at Zbar. “We’re proud to partner with KABOOM! to give more kids the opportunity to spend time playing outdoors and help create nature-friendly play spaces in communities where they’re needed most.”
Zbar’s outdoor play initiative will also focus on driving awareness about the value of active outdoor play and advocating for state and federal government to invest in providing equitable access to outdoor play spaces. This will include engaging with the White House Council on Environmental Quality to plan a series of outreach events as well as advocacy for the Living School Yards Act, EXPLORE Act and other legislation aimed at improving opportunities for outdoor recreation.
“Places to play are critical to kids’ health and well-being. Spending time outdoors in nature-inspired playspaces helps kids build social connections, increase physical activity, improve mental health, and develop a love for the environment,” said Lysa Ratliff, CEO of KABOOM!. “We are excited to partner with Zbar to try to ensure that every kid everywhere has access to what they need to have a happy and healthy childhood.”
Additionally, to encourage families to spend more time in nature during the back-to-school season, Zbar will be sponsoring a “Calling All Outdoors Experts” sweepstakes featuring the chance to win* a $500 gift card to REI for outdoor gear or a year’s supply of Zbar snacks, among other prizes. Parents can enter by snapping a photo of their kid playing outdoors (no need to show their face) and sharing their photo to the sweepstakes pinned post on Facebook @zbarofficial with the hashtag #zbarsweepstakes, or by posting with the hashtag #zbarsweepstakes on Instagram. Parents must also follow @zbarofficial on the social platform used to enter so we can notify you if you win!
The Zbar partnership with KABOOM! will kick-off on Tuesday, July 23 in Oakland, CA with a “Nature Design Jam Day,” where local kids will have the opportunity to play with nature play materials like logs, sticks and “tree cookies” and offer ideas to help shape the future designs of KABOOM! nature play spaces.
For more information on Zbar’s partnership with Kaboom and the sweepstakes, visit https://clifbar.com/kaboom-sweepstakes.