By Kids,
For kids.
The Fun-Raiser Urban Mobile Playground is a decked out, kid painted, bright yellow box truck equipped with items like hula-hoops, hopper balls, bubbles, yoga mats, stilts, chalk, dress-up, fort-building, frisbee-golf, kites, corn hole, trains and legos, life size pick-up-sticks, art supplies and imaginative play items, safety cones and energetic dance music to keep everyone movin' and groovin' in a trauma informed environment that makes sure that everyone is safe and included! Our Play Stops are made BY KIDS, FOR KIDS!
The Fun-Raiser Urban Mobile Playground was the brain child of a group of youth from East Wheeling who wanted to help kids of the Ohio Valley have access to free, safe, fun and creative play places that used trauma informed principles.* The children then asked youth from South Wheeling, the Island, Hil-Dar, and more to join them in making the idea of “The Fun-Raiser Urban Mobile Playground” a reality.
Together, the youth formed a group they call “The Never Bored Board” and they submitted their idea to organizations for help! Soon they began receiving grants to buy the truck, yellow vests, and plenty of Popsicles. HoH-Share inc., a local non -profit, now oversees the project under the guidance of the Never Bored Board youth. The kids are not only Decision Makers when it comes to Play Stops, Change Makers when it comes to community, but also are Community Educators giving presentations on ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and why Trauma Informed environments are so important!The Fun-Raiser and Never Bored Board is dedicated to supporting youth visionaries, leadership, healthy kids and relationships, and fun of course!
Trauma-Informed principles:
Safety.
Trustworthiness & transparency.
Peer support.
Collaboration & mutuality.
Empowerment & choice.
Cultural, historical & gender issues.
Where We Go
The Fun-Raiser loves to take its beaming yellow truck to all kinds of places, but we focus on the communities that need us most. Our summer schedule prioritizes areas that are considered in need or at risk, such as areas that lack playgrounds, mentors, or community resources. The rest of the year we find ourselves hula-hooping the day away at schools, daycares, conferences, and community events!
Check our Events tab for info about upcoming stops!
How Play Helps
We believe there is no better way to build a friendship than by building a box fort together. It just so happens that science agrees with us. We use research to inform our community building, relationships, and activities to be trauma informed, restorative, inclusive, and mindful.
Did you know that play reverses the effects of childhood trauma on a cellular level?
