Just released. Second edition Peaceful Playgrounds Activity Guides. New Guides contain many new items such as : Play Nice Parent Pages, playground behavior forms, equipment check-out form, playground safety rules poster, student injury form and much more!

Activity Guides for a Consistent Set of Rules

The Activity Guides provide a consistent set of rules for each game and give a program overview as well as playground report forms and equipment li…

Here's 10 popular outdoor games that continue to be kid favorites.

1. Freeze Tag- Its simple. Someone is the tagger. If the tagger touches you then you're frozen. Last one tagged becomes the new tagger.

2. Horse- Shooting game in basketball. For every missed shot you get a letter. The first player to spell the word "horse" loses.

3. Red Light, Green Light. The commander faces the opposite direction calling out green light whic…

If you are looking for playground rules or general information on playground safety you may be interested in the Playground Rules and Safety Powerpoints for review and download.

Free Presentations in PowerPoint format
Playground Rules
Playground Rules
School Rules
Playground Rules, Classroom Rules, Lunchroom Rules
Peaceful Playgrounds - Training

Playground Safety
Public Playground Safety (powerpoint and more)
See Also: Safety


For Kids
Playground Safety…

Photo from Wikipedia

I meet Ted Kennedy on election day in 2006. It was late in the evening and he was catching a flight back to Boston and I was on the same flight on my way to Los Angeles. I was struck by his appearance. Clearly exhausted and 74 years old he sat in the general boarding area of the airport. He boarded the plane and he and his wife Vicki sat in the regular seats right in front of me. Given his stature and fame I would think…

A new study questions the trend toward less play in kindergarten. Researchers suggest that "lack of playtime is killing the joy of learning."

Authors of a 2009 report, "Crisis in the Kindergarten" call the current state of affairs, "a national disgrace." They call for return to play-based teaching, warning the nation is "blindly pursuing educational policies that could well damage the intellectual, social and…

Students of all ages seem to perform better in virtual classrooms than in real ones, a 12-year study conducted by SRI International for the Department of Education has found. Online courses have evolved to include Web-based video, instant messaging and collaboration to give students a more individualized experience than they would get in the classroom.

The same has been found for adults. Have you checked out the Peaceful Playgrounds online learn…

As the school year begins you may be considering low cost solutions to problems. Recess Before Lunch is one such example. And schools that are implementing Recess Before Lunch are getting some amazing results. Kids eat more, waste less food, return to class calmer, behave better and as a result, instruction time is increased.

You might be wondering, “So exactly what is recess before lunch?” Basically it is where kids go to recess first and eat …

I ran across this U Tube video. I'm not sure if she is talking about adding to the Peaceful Playgrounds Program games? In any case, sounds like a good idea and some fun resources for kids rhymes.

Peaceful Playgrounds news video from Oklahoma City, OK. 6 schools were added to the Peaceful Playgrounds family of schools for the fall thanks to the funding of the Schools for Healthy Lifestyles Grant. Story covered by Kokh Fox News. Click on the link below to view the short video.
http://www.peacefulplaygrounds.com/

Trailer for children's book, The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill, illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith, published by Scholastic Press. Mean Jean was recess queen, and nobody said any different.

Peaceful Playgrounds August Grants Newsletter contains information on :

1. Lowe's Toolbox for Education Grant
2. Peaceful Playgrounds Supervisor Training and Certification.
3. Prudential Foundation Revitalizing Communities Grants
4. Peaceful Playgrounds "Learn to Play" U.S. Map Stencil Giveaway
5. Lego Children's Fund Grant

By Bret Liebendorfer
Columbus News - Columbus, OH

Working on their hands and knees, parent volunteers have been busy painting symbols and patterns they hope will upgrade the Norwich Elementary School playground.

The volunteers are working to turn the space into a Peaceful Playground, which aims to increase exercise and educational opportunities while decreasing bullying.

Examples of the new designs that will be painted before the start of the school…

Elementary School Makeover


When students return to Sheboygan Falls Elementary School for the first day of the 2009-10 school year, a whole new world of fun, fitness and creativity awaits.

Thanks to the initiative, hard work and dedication of many teachers, staff and parents, the SFES playground is in the process of undergoing a major transformation and rejuvenation, as part of the school’s newly incorporated Peaceful Playgrounds program.

The hopsc…

We took these pictures at the paint day in Fallbrook, CA for St. Peters Catholic School. Eagle Scout Garrett planned the project, laid out the playground and provided leadership for painting.

Here are a few pictures of the paint day in action.

Washing down the playground.


Laying out the stencils and filling in the dots.


Tape designs for painting.


Tape designs and add color




Number line painting.

Residents of Balfour Beatty Communities at West Point wanted to provide a wheelchair accessible playground for children with disabilities and to help wounded warriors play with their children. That is when GameTime a playground manufacturer and Boundless Playgrounds a non-profit agency, decided to jump in and assist them.

The smiles on the faces of the children at West Point show just how important it is to make certain the playground is accessib…

I discovered the Public Education Newsblast about 15 years ago and have been an avid reader each Friday morning since. You'll find the top 10 education stories of the week from newspapers across the country delivered to your desktop.

People wishing to add a NewsBlast subscription can go to PEN's website (http://www.publiceducation.org) and follow the instructions in the lower left-hand section of the homepage.
http://www.publiceducation.…

Although playground design and equipment has improved significantly in recent years, experts say safety concerns remain, USA Today reports. Annually, almost 200,000 children go to the emergency room with playground injuries, and 90,000 of the cases involve serious injuries such as fractures, concussions and amputations, according to Chrissy Cianflone of Safe Kids USA.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission notes that most injuries occur whe…

Each year Lowe's Toolbox for Education Grant funds approximately 20 schools across the nation with funds for installing the Peaceful Playgrounds Program.

Lowe's Toolbox for Education grant program funds school improvement projects initiated by parents in recognition of the importance of parent involvement in education.

Peaceful Playgrounds provides a grant writing template and a Free Grant Writing Webinar to assist those schools applying f…

More time on the playground.

Children who are enrolled in play-oriented preschools do not have a disadvantage. In fact, there were neither short-term nor long-term advantages of early academics versus play, and there were no distinguishable differences by first grade.

More on Preschools that emphasize play.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert=Rae_Pica

A special thanks to Jacki Lugg who sent these great pictures of summer playground painting. Won't kids be surprised to return to school and see the fun Peaceful Playgrounds games and activities that await them?

Steps to Paint Hopscotch Court using
Peaceful Playgrounds Roll-Out Stencils

Step 1- Roll out stencil for hopscotch and chalk in the dots to form court outline template.



Step 2- Lift stencil and fill in the dots of the outline of the c…

Article By David Kananowitz
Junior Monmouth Academy
Published: Mar 11, 2009

Remember back in grade school when you had recess time? However, what happened if you did not turn in your homework or were not behaving well in class for that day? Most likely, you were asked to stay in during recess to either get your homework done or serve your punishment, due to the bad behavior that led you there. However, recent studies have shown that letting studen…

A panel of experts representing 27 national organizations and government agencies gave the Peaceful Playgrounds Physical Activity Program their highest rating of excellent! Their Best in Class Award noted the program brought about "whole school change."

Action for Healthy Kids
National experts rated excellent! Peaceful Playgrounds addresses a number of national standards. "Their rapid expansion attests that the approach is both prac…

In an effort to help families and school administrators fight the epidemic of obesity among children, a Yale-led team of researchers has developed a practical coding system to evaluate school wellness policies, which are required of all schools participating in the National School Lunch Program. This coding system was introduced in the July 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Making the Grade.......

Related Blogs:
School…

The Prudential Foundation promotes sustainable communities by focusing its grant making on education, economic development and civic infrastructure. Examples of funded projects are helping to improve schools, promoting neighborhood activities, and preserving parks and playgrounds.

Award amounts vary. Eligible applicants include tax-exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3) or agencies that are members of the Federal, or any State, County or lo…

A study from Ohio State University found that physical education injuries have increased by 150% over the last decade.

Watch the short video on the 6 sports that account for 70% of all PE related injuries.
Video Link.

This month's Play Nice newsletter provides information regarding Peaceful Playgrounds New Pricing, introduction to the new Peaceful Playgrounds Bonus Pack, and a featured article, "How to Keep Cool at School",.