Las Cruces is a playful city....

Las Cruces, New Mexico is one of 151 cities in the US that has earned the title, "Playful City." What does that mean? It means Las Cruces has made play a priority by creating programs that encourage kids to get active.

It also means the city is eligible for $20,000 construction grants to use the community-build process. The community-build process relies on community volunteers in the building of playgrounds. The $20,000 grant money is used for the purchase of playground equipment. The labor to build the playground is donated.

In addition, there are $15,000 and $30,000 access grants for joint use agreements. These grants are partnerships with local school districts to open school recreation facilities to the public during non-school hours.

The $15,000 access grants are open to citiies of less than 100,000 population and require that at least four school playgrounds be made available to the public. The $30,000 access grant is for cities over 100,000 population that open at least 8 playgrounds to the public.