Designing a Peaceful Playground

A frequent question that we answer here at Peaceful Playgrounds is : "How much space do I need to take advantage of the Peaceful Playgrounds Program and stencils sets?" We point out that while we offer 4 different blueprints and designs with approximately 100 game choices and no one puts ALL the games and markings on the playground. We recommend that you select a few games from each blueprint so that you have developmentally appropriate games for the various grades K-6.



We have observed that most schools paint approximately 10-15 different games and activity markings. We have a listing of these most popular game markings on our website.

In terms of space we recommend that a minimum of 2 basketball size courts of asphalt surfacing is needed which would allow for approximately 6-10 games depending on the game markings selected. This is a good rule of thumb for either of our game stencil sets: Recess Stencil Set or the Physical Education Roll Out Stencil Sets.

For more information download a Peaceful Playgrounds Products Brochure.

New Playground Design Awaits Students Return

Students returning to Pine-River Backus Elementary school this fall with have a nice surprise waiting for them. A recently painted Peaceful Playground.

PR-B's Family and Youth Services Coordinator, Denise Koring rounded up a group of volunteers last year to paint the new designs on the playground promising that the playground will promote both "peace and productive games and activities."

Click for more on Pine-River Backus's Peaceful Playgrounds story or information on adding Peaceful Playground designs to your school or playground.

Peaceful Playgrounds Featured Articles

Have you checked out the Peaceful Playgrounds "Featured Articles" section of our website? Peaceful Playgrounds publishes a featured article on our website each month and highlights it in the Play Nice Newsletter. Below is a short description of the some examples of our featured articles.

Recess is on the Upswing

The growing support for daily recess is gaining momentum. Parents, educators, and public health organizations have all engaged in the effort to bring back daily recess for elementary school students.

Right to Recess Campaign

Despite mounting evidence that kids need an outlet to blow off steam, learn to interact with others and get the exercise they need, nearly 40 percent of American elementary schools have either eliminated or are considering eliminating recess.

Low-Cost High-Activity Playgrounds

Simple playthings such as balls, jump ropes, hula hoops and riding toys do more for encouraging physical activity than swings, jungle gyms and other stationary or fixed playground equipment.

Why Bullying Programs Succeed or Fail

Thirty-six states have passed anti-bullying legislation which is indicative of the growing concern over bullying in schools. Systemic changes in the school environment in the form of school climate initiatives take time to implement bringing about the change.

School Recess before Lunch

A few brave principals across the nation are bringing a long standing school tradition to an end. They are advocating recess before lunch. Kids eat more, waste less food, return to class calmer, behave better and as a result, instruction time is increased.

A Peaceful Playground: Possibilities Abound

What is the “Peaceful Playground” Program?

The Peaceful Playgrounds provides an organized playground with appealing games and activities. Through these, incidents of playground conflict and injury are reduced and children develop motor, social, and cognitive skills.

Peaceful Playgrounds is a positive behavior support program that is implemented school wide. All staff, students, and supervisors engage in regular cycles of training and review of basic program components including review of the game rules and procedures.

What are the benefits of the Peaceful Playground program?
One of the ways in which children learn to play and work cooperatively is through positive recreational experiences. Since disagreements are more likely to occur in unstructured environments, Peaceful Playgrounds provides a setting that encourages skills in conflict resolution.

Through the activities in the program, the school community is introduced to a consistent set of rules, conflict resolution strategies, and expectations for appropriate behavior.

Children practice skills in problem solving and responsible behavior that expand from the playground to the classroom, home, and community.

What strategies for conflict resolution are recommended through the Peaceful Playground program?

The following three strategies, used in any sequence, are among the kid-friendly ways that children can solve their problems:

* Walk: The student can simply walk away from a conflict situation.
* Talk: The student can choose to resolve a conflict by talking it over with the involved parties.
* Rock, Paper, Scissors: The students can have one quick round of this hand signal game; the winner gets to select the solution to the disagreement.

Ten tips for a Peaceful Playground

With the beginning of a new school year just around the corner it is important to consider strategies for creating and maintaining a "peaceful playground." The following list will help staffs to guide peaceful play.

1. Have teachers walk students around the playground on the first day of school.
2. Introduce students to playground rules and procedures (ie. freeze at the bell etc.)
3. Teach safe play on playground structures.
4. Introduce the rules for a new playground game each week.
5. Introduce students to the concept of playground reports (pink slips for inappropriate play).
6. Introduce concepts of Walk, Talk, Rock-Paper-Scissors for problem solving.
7. Add more games to your playground. When kids have game markings, you have fewer problems.
8. Introduce students to playground good-sports-coupons.
9. TRAIN playground supervisors!!!
10. Do not allow students to bring personal equipment or toys from home.

A short video explaining Peaceful Playgrounds Games DVD's.

Wal-Mart Foundation - Wal-Mart Store and Sam's Club Giving Program

The Wal-Mart Foundation supports programs and initiatives addressing education, workforce development, economic sustainability, and health and wellness. For health and wellness in particular, the Foundation looks to improve access to healthcare, promote healthy lifestyles and behaviors, and reduce disparities.

Grant awards range from $1,000 to $5,000. Eligible applicants include organizations with tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3), recognized government entities, volunteer Fire Departments, K-12 Public Schools/Districts, Charter Schools, Colleges, Universities, Private Schools with tax-exempt status, and faith-based organizations.

Deadline: Rolling

Please contact the Wal-Mart Foundation for more specific grant information and to apply: http://walmartstores.com/CommunityGiving/8916.aspx

Fit to Play Summer Camp

Fit to Play facts

Miami-Dade County Parks & Recreation teamed with the University of Miami's Miller School for this summer's Fit to Play summer camp and after-school program.

Health tips

Here are some tips toward good health that the children, ages 6 to 14, are learning.

Cut down on any activity that requires you sit for more than 30 minutes at one time. Sorry, kids, that means limit those video games. `Guitar Hero' is not exercise unless you're a real guitar hero on stage for two hours every night.

Try to get some form of aerobic exercise -- such as biking, swimming or walking -- for at least 20 minutes three to five times per week.

To reduce risk of skin cancer think slip (on a shirt), slap (on a hat and sunglasses that protect against UVA and UVB rays) and slop (on sunscreen with SPF 30).

Eat a healthy breakfast. Studies show that people who skip breakfast to cut calories wind up gaining weight.

U.S. Playground Map Stencil

The U.S. Playground Map Stencil is not only the most popular playground stencil but also one with educational benefits. The large map is great for social studies lessons and large group instruction. The Peaceful Playgrounds U.S. Map Stencil comes with a book of games for map related activities.

Have you entered the Peaceful Playgrounds U.S. Map Stencil Contest? Sign up today to win a free U.S. Map Stencil. Playground Map Stencil Contest.

Out of the box thinking for creating playgrounds.

Reinventing Playgrounds
© A Design Mafia.

Five steps to help a child bully victim

Los Angeles Examiner.com
by Gayla ONeal


The following are 5 steps can successfully help the child victim of bullying:

1. Listen! The damage that occurs during a bully episode is the fear that a child feels when their cry for the pain to end is not being heard. This act of not being heard can destroy their self-esteem and the effects last a lifetime. Try to avoid adding to the child's trauma by refusing to take the time necessary to hear their pain. When a child cries to you about a peer teasing or bullying them, listen carefully to the situation not just the dramatic telling of a story.

2. Don't forget the impact of a HUG. Holding a child after they have shared a difficult problem is crucial to the success of any interaction with a child. The hug although momentary, has the effect of allowing the child to feel the support rather than simply hear the support in their time of need.

3. Reassure the child that they have been heard and that together you will face the bullies of the world.

4. Decipher as only an adult can the serious nature, if there seems to be a genuine problem, make a plan with the child to eliminate it together. Let the child know that realistically, it may take a time or two for the plan to work its magic healing of the problem but that you both will be strong and committed to solving it. Involve those necessary to solve the problem; a principal, a parent, or even the PTA to come to a resolution to the bullying not just in your home but also in your community.

5. Help the child to realize that this happens to a lot of children and teach them to be on the look out for behavior towards others that might need to be reported. Shoud you find the problem too much for you to handle as a parent, don't forget that there are professional that can help.
Revisit with your child and others with a conversation to make sure that the plan is working.

Following these steps can make the world of difference in your child's happiness.

Another blog on topic: Bullying Prevention-Life's Lessons on Good and Evil.

School Wellness Conference

Registration is now open for the School Wellness Conference in Anaheim, CA. The conference will begin on October 5 for a pre-conference event, Finding common ground: Collaborating to prevent childhood obesity which will explore the foundations of collaboration among schools, cities and others. Specifically, it will address strategies for collaboration around nutrition, physical activity, joint-use of indoor and outdoor recreational facilities, as well as safe routes to school with four interactive sessions and group discussions that speak to overcoming key barriers to collaboration. Attendees will be given resources and materials, such as toolkits and resource guides, as well as sample guiding principles for collaboration, joint-use agreements, school board policies and a checklist for starting a collaborative.

The pre-conference session will be offered at no charge on a first come basis to those who register for the conference. To register for the School Wellness Conference and pre-conference, visit http://swc.csba.org.

CSBA is pleased to announce the 2009 School Wellness Conference speakers!

Join us on October 6 and 7 and hear Dr. John Ratey and Pedro Noguera bring important school health and wellness issues to life during two dynamic sessions.

PEP GRANT WINNERS ANNOUNCED

PEP GRANT WINNERS LIST

As a result of $26.5 million in awards from the U.S. Department of Education, more children will have access to physical education programs and instruction on healthy eating and good nutrition. The Carol M. White Physical Education Program grants will provide 73 public schools and community-based organizations in 25 states with funds to initiate, expand and improve physical education programs for students in grades K-12.

Congratulations to the ever growing family of PEP Grant Winners implementing Peaceful Playgrounds, Fundamental Movement and the We Count Walking Programs. Welcome to our new districts. Contact our offices at 877-444-9888 for setting up your trainings and assistance with ordering.

Health Care Bill to include parks and paths

I bet you're thinking the healthcare bill is strictly about insurance coverage. According to Jeffrey Levi director of America's Trust, you would be wrong. “This isn’t just about health insurance,’’ he said. “This bill is about creating a healthier country through building paths, playgrounds, and parks."

These proposed additions have been characterized as part of a broad effort to improve the nation’s health “infrastructure’’ - and appear in House and Senate versions of the bill. They could result in as much as billions of dollars for walking paths, streetlights, jungle gyms, and even farmers’ markets.

This is a topic that's definitely "one to watch" for all play advocates, nutrition educators and playground people. More from Boston.com........

Inflatable Playground Accidents: What You Should Know

Inflatable playgrounds do not follow the same Playground Safety Guidelines outlined in the Playground Safety Handbook put out by the Consumer Product Safety Commission yet accidents including hospitalizations do happen. Here's a short video on what you should know regarding safety.


Related blog: Accident or Injury?

Uganda adding physical education requirements.

Approximately 3,000 teachers will be trained to implement the compulsory physical education program in Uganda.

"We do not want a country that will not have healthy citizens. We want to have healthy citizens through games and sports. So we will start compulsory teaching of physical education, PE, in all our secondary and tertiary schools before the end of this year," according to the national commissioner for physical education and sports.

More on Uganda adding physical education.......

Here's another post on India requiring compulsory physical education in govt schools.

Fit kids finish first academically

Physical fitness scores and academic achievement seem to go hand-in-hand in yet another study. Statewide testing in California and Texas indicated the important relationship between fit kids and higher test scores. Now New York City has been added to the rapidly growing list.

Physically fit students tend to outscore their peers who are less-fit on academic tests, according to a new report from New York City’s Health Department and Department of Education (DOE). The observation comes from an analysis of data from NYC FITNESSGRAM, the comprehensive fitness assessment that New York City public school students participate in each year as part of their physical education instruction. The analysis also shows that childhood obesity remains prevalent in New York City – a finding that underscores the urgent need to ensure that school-age children receive nutritious meals, high-quality physical education, and ample opportunities for physical activity.

More on the relationship between fitness and academics.....

Obesity Study Results: A little help from my friend

Researchers in London were fooled by children taking part in a study to measure how much exercise they do. It seems that when step counts were unusually high they find out that clever children had increased their numbers by attaching their pedometers to their pet dogs.

The pilot study in Whitechapel required 11 and 12-year-olds to clip a pedometer to their waists, with researchers at the center collecting the readings by satellite.

"But after a week we found there were some kids who were extremely active but still obese," said Professor Maffulli.

When adjustments were made for the dog's activity the study indicated that boys in the borough walk or run 12,620 steps a day, below the recommended level of 15,000 steps.

It also found that girls take 10,150 steps, falling short of the recommended 12,000 steps.

Boston schools failing to provide physical education mandate

Boston’s public schools have failed to provide any formal instruction in physical education to about 25 percent of the city’s students, despite a state law that requires physical education be taught to all students in all grades.

Boston’s failure to provide physical education to all its students has prompted the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to order a “corrective action plan’’ from the city. The plan, approved last month by the state, calls for Boston school officials to file a progress report in September showing steps the city is taking to remedy the problem, according to Heidi Guarino, chief of staff for the Massachusetts Department of Education.

More on school failing to provide mandated physical education.....

Balance- The Basis of all Movement

Balance is the foundation upon which all physical skills are built. Children experience balance first by controlling and “balancing” their head. The balance mechanism comes into play in a baby who tries to sit up without falling over.
Standing balance and walking with balance is evident by a proficient stride. Then there is balancing on one foot and also the ability to balance an object with a body part. Good balance practice comes into play when, oddly enough, a child is off balance and internal balance mechanisms are stimulated and the body works hard to regain its balance.

A wide base of support is helpful for good balance. Football players do this in their stance and babies learning to walk do this with their feet wide apart, sub-
consciously applying this principle.

So, even if high rope walking isn’t planned for your future for your child, balance abilities lay the foundation for graceful execution of daily skills.

Copyright 2001 Fundamental Movement "Parent's Page" Peaceful Playgrounds, Inc.

Pupils' work improves after a healthy lunch

New research from the UK suggests that improving students' lunch experience can improve their behavior and classroom concentration by almost 20% in the afternoon.

A School Food Trust (SFT) study found that improving food and dining facilities had a positive effect on pupils' behavior and meant they were better at working on their own. This study was conducted in secondary schools across England and included a control group.

The study said: "These findings have important implications for classroom teaching in secondary schools.

More on Pupils' work improves after healthy lunch....

Free Webinar Today - Recess Before Lunch- 5 Steps to Success

A few brave principals across the nation are bringing a long standing school tradition to an end. They are advocating Recess Before Lunch. Recent research shows the number of schools implementing Recess before Lunch is rapidly growing.

Kids eat more, waste less food, return to class calmer, behave better and as a result, instruction time is increased. Sounds great but implementing Recess Before Lunch can be tricky.

Attend this free webinar where we share 5 steps to prepare staff, students and parents for successful implementation.

Free Registration Link. July 8 at 11:00 PST.

100 Top Play Resources

Check out the Blog called, Kinetics by Dr. Carol Torgan, Ph.D.

The list of play resources includes organizations, resources, guidelines and reports, current news stories, books, audio and video, e-newsletters, blogs, twitter hashtags, programs, locations, and events.

Recommended Blog: Grass Stain Guru

If you are interested in play, check out the Grass Stain Guru Blog. A current post is entitled, Sign o’ the Times: Playborhood. Blog author, Bethe Almeras stated, " I am so proud to be a part of the play movement in America that is working hard to reverse this trend — to take childhood off the Endangered Species List and restore play to its rightful place." Another play advocate, Mike Lanza, has formed a group called Playborhood. Playborhood has created the fantastic sign that you see above and is selling them online. What a great way to show your support for play and to start a trend in your neighborhood.

Summer Safety Tips from American Academy of Pediatrics

PLAYGROUND SAFETY
Source: http://www.aap.org/advocacy/archives/maytra.htm
Source: http://www.aap.org/family/playgrd.htm

* The playground should have safety-tested mats or loose-fill materials (shredded rubber, sand, wood chips, or bark) maintained to a depth of at least 9 inches. The protective surface should be installed at least 6 feet (more for swings and slides) in all directions from the equipment.
* Equipment should be carefully maintained. Open “s” hooks or protruding bolt ends can be hazardous.
* Swing seats should be made of soft materials such as rubber, plastic or canvas.
* Make sure children cannot reach any moving parts that might pinch or trap any body part.
* Never attach—or allow children to attach—ropes, jump ropes, leashes, or similar items to play equipment; children can strangle on these.
* Make sure metal slides are cool to prevent children's legs from getting burned.
* Parents should never purchase a home trampoline or allow children to use home trampolines.
* Parents should supervise children on play equipment to make sure they are safe.

Other topics include:
HEAT STRESS IN EXERCISING CHILDREN
BUG SAFETY
POOL SAFETY
BICYCLE SAFETY
LAWN MOWER SAFETY
SKATEBOARD, SCOOTER, IN-LINE SKATING AND HEELYS SAFETY

Play: Where Old Becomes New Again

An article in USA Today points out that parents should, "look to their past in tough economic times for inspiration when looking for activities for their children," says Carol Torgan, a health scientist with the American College of Sports Medicine. She suggests the parents ask themselves: "What are some of my favorite memories of childhood?"

For video playing kids, toys of yesteryear like hula hoops, jump ropes and hopscotch may provide a whole new view of play.

Benefits of Outdoor Play
Besides being creative and inexpensive, many traditional childhood activities are great ways to strengthen kids' muscles, bones and heart, says Cheryl Richardson, the senior program manager of physical education for the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, a group of physical education and sports professionals.

In the Summer Kids Need Real Play.....

Mrs. Obama Champions Healthy Eating and Organic Gardens

Mrs. Obama harvested the first crop of fruits and vegetables from the The White House by establishing an organic garden on the South Lawn not long after moving to Washington.

Surrounded by participating elementary school children, Obama spoke about her pride in the project, and the immense value of the lessons learned. “We can continue to make the connection between what we eat and how we feel, and how healthy we are,” she said, before encouraging the children to continue to be her “little ambassadors” in their schools and communities.

More on Championing Health and Nutrition.



Other articles:
Schools Teaching Organic Gardening: “Do what I say and do”

Healthy Food, Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds

Countdown to Good Health: 5-4-3-2-1 Go