What is Play Streets Long Beach?

What if there was a simple alternative where every child in Long Beach could walk outside their front door and play safely and freely with their friends?

Play Streets Long Beach is a new resident-led initiative that empowers neighbors across Long Beach to temporarily transform their streets into accessible, car-free environments for neighbors of all ages to play safely and freely. Play Streets LB encourages kids & residents to get off of their screens and to get on a scooter, skateboard or bike for a few hours and play together. It is a space where kids are able to embody healthy, active play, and where the shared street creates fresh opportunities for neighbors to connect and to belong to their community.

One thing we love about Play Streets LB is that it creates a space for intergenerational play, where aging neighbors can connect with children on their blocks. It could be through playing a game of connect four, catch, or even doing a puzzle together that lasting bonds can be created and friendship begins. We think that these intergenerational relationships have been lost in many places, and it something that we promise to recover through activating regular Play Street throughout Long Beach.

Last year We Love Long Beach activated 5 Play Street Pilots in 5 different Long Beach neighborhoods. Our goal for 2020 is to introduce Play Streets to more neighbors with the ultimate hope in the next few years is to see thousands of children playing safely and freely outside again, which will strengthen our neighborhood’s social fabric, and allow us to love Long Beach even more. 

If you are interested in hosting a Play Streets on your block our in your neighborhood, please reach out to us. Our email is info@welovelb.org. If you believe in this new work of Play Street LB, please go to this link: Play Streets Donation and make a donation to help Play Streets spread to every neighborhood in Long Beach.