By William Rowen Healthy Roar reporters | Kids look forward to summertime with no school and no homework. But those of us who live in a city may be stuck indoors without a safe place to play. To solve that problem, Philadelphia has Playstreets, a city program that closes some smaller streets to traffic during the middle of the day and opens them to kids for play, according to phila.gov.

Volunteer supervisors monitor Playstreets, and food is delivered for the kids on the block to eat.

Healthy Roar reporters considered what it would be like to have a Playstreet in their own neighborhood. Here are their opinions on the impact:

I do want a Playstreet on my block because I could just come outside and play and get fresh air and run around with my friends or cousins. We like to play tag. It’s important that we have Playstreets because some kids can’t play outside because it’s dangerous in some neighborhoods. Playstreets are important because some communities are dirty or dangerous to the point that kids can’t play outside or go to their nearby playground. —Azala

I think my street should be a Play-street because there are kids on my street who want to play outside and my street doesn’t have a lot of cars that pass by. My street is a small street and people can still get past because there is a driveway behind the houses. And also kids and parents can communicate with each other. Having a Playstreet will benefit my community by kids getting more time outdoors and more fresh air. Kids can get along with others and make new friends. Another benefit is less pollution from traffic. —Brittany

I want a Playstreet because kids can play without cars going by. And we can play and make friends and kids will like it. It will benefit our community because kids can get lots of movement in, but still play and have fun. Kids can communicate with each other and make new friends and get fresh air while getting out of the house and not just sitting on the couch. —Josslynne

If I had a Playstreet on my block, it would encourage people to come outside and have fun. It would also get people to meet new people. It also stops people from being on the internet or playing video games all day. It can be fun for children who a re young and have nothing to do all summer. —Ahmed

I want my Playstreet to be a fun place for children and for my neighborhood so kids can have a good time with other kids. Having a Playstreet would benefit my community because parents always want kids to have fun and make their health better. My neighbors could have fun, even if they’re young or older. My Playstreet would be for everybody. —Samantha

Illustration by Brittany, Wm. Rowen E.S., 2023–24.