Peaceful Playgrounds Activities- Second Edition Just Released

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 lists.

Good Sportsmanship Certificates and reward coupons are also found in the guide. Equipment suggestions will help with planning and overall organization of the Peaceful Playground Program.

There are 4 Activities Guides included:

* Kindergarten & Preschool Activities Guide
* Primary Activities Guide
* Upper Elementary Activities Guide
* Field Activities Guide

Instructions and Rules to Implement over 100 Games

Preschool and Kindergarten - Alphabet Grid - Balance Beam Snake - Crossover Walk - Directionality Box - Jumping Grid - Leap Frog - Midline Jumping - Multi-use Circle - Scattered Circles - Shape Grid - Stepping Stones with Letters - Tricycle Track - Zig Zag Footprints

Primary Grades K-3 - Alphabet Track - Alphabet Grid - Ball Hop Scotch - Bean Bag Four Square - Bean Bag Toss - Cross-Over Walking Grid - Freeze Out Court - Four Corners Court - Four Square Court - Galloping Track - Hit the Stick Court - Hop Scotch - Mid-Line Jumping Grid - Multi-Use Circle - Multi-Use Square - Number Grid - Scattered Circles - Skipping Track - Tether Ball Court

Upper Elementary Grades 3-6 - Around the World - Backup - Basketball - Bounce Ball - Box Ball - Four Corners - Four Square - Handball - Jolly Ball - Long Ball - Newcomb - Pickle - Prisoner - Sideline Basketball - Shuffleboard - Team Four Square - Tetherball - Twenty One - Volleyball - Volley Tennis

Field Activities Grades 1-6 - Beat the Ball - Couples Tag - Cross Over - Crows and Cranes - Endline Soccer - Frisbee Golf - Hill Dill - Home Run - Line Soccer - Man from Mars - Modified Soccer - One Base Kickball - Rounders - Sideline Soccer - Snatch It - Softball - Throw it and Run Softball - Touch Down - Touch Football - Work-Up Softball

Some things never change. Top 10 outdoor games.

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 which is the command to walk forward or red light which is the command to stop. If you are caught moving by the commander. You're it.

4. Shadow Tag. If the tagger steps on your shadow. You're it!

5. Hide and Seek. Old favorite. Is there anyone who hasn't played?

6. Flashlight Tag- Played at night. With a flashlight. If your in the spotlight. You're it.

7. Hopscotch- Lots of versions. Played the world over. Which is your favorite?

8. Kick the can. Pick teams. Try to kick a ball or can over the other teams endline.

9. Catching Fireflys. Summer favorite. The glow.

10. Handball. It's a Peaceful Playgrounds favorite. Check it out.

Similar blog topics:

Grants Take Kids a Hop, Skip and Jump from Video Game

Playground Favorites Making a Comeback

New Hampshire Schools Move Beyond Traditional Playgrounds

Playground Rules and Safety Resources

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 - Comics
Slyde, the Playground Hound
Playground Safety Buddy


For Teachers
Playground Safety Checklist (pdf)
Little Big Kids 3-5
Playground Safety- An Annotated Bibliography

Senator Kennedy Remembered

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 that most people would have flown first class. He did not.

On that day he had won his ninth term as a U.S. Senator by a landslide. In the end it would be his last.

He was a stanch supporter of public education as every public school educator recognizes. I would like to focus on just a couple pieces of education legislation that touched me personally.

Head Start
I presently serve on the Advisory Board of the Head Start Body Start Program with the National Head Start Program. Ted Kennedy has been a voice for Head Start and early childhood legislation since 1964. The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 was the centerpiece of the War on Poverty and included the Head Start Program. Head Start serves low-income three- and four-year-old children to prepare them for school. Educational research cites the benefits of early childhood education as one of the best investments leading to later school success. Twenty-five million children and families have participated in Head Start programs over the past 45 years, including Congresswomen Loretta Sanchez, Maxine Waters, Congressman Heath Schuler and athletes Shaquille O' Neal and Deion Sanders. Head Start now serves nearly a million children nationally.

Higher Education
On the other bookend of education, Senator Ted Kennedy was undoubtedly one of higher education's best friends. Kennedy was a driving force throughout his years in the Senate to see that every student who desires to enroll in college can afford to do so. Since the original Higher Education Act of 1965, Senator Kennedy worked to open the doors of opportunity for all Americans. Working with Senator Claiborne Pell during the 1972 re-authorization, Senator Kennedy supported the creation of the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant. This program, drastically increased the availability of grant aid to students. I participated in this grant program while I was in undergraduate school.

In December 2008 the president of Harvard said, “No United States senator has committed more of his time and his wisdom to the advancement of American higher education. Thanks to him, students across the spectrum have the opportunity to pursue their ambitions.”

Title IX
Title IX was my first experience with legislation. I learned that politics touches lives and shapes futures.

Senator Kennedy was a key supporter of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. It protected women from discrimination in educational institutions and increased athletic opportunities for women in colleges and universities. President Richard Nixon signed this bill into law on June 23, 1972. Although I graduated from high school in 1972 the effects of the bill were setting in during my senior year. I played on school sports teams all through high school. Yet, although I played on the varsity team from 10-12th grades, it was not until my senior year that I played a single game in the gym. To a young athlete that is significant. Up until that time, as a female athlete, we were second class citizens in high school athletics. Although my high school had two gyms not a single girls varsity competition was held in them until Title IX legislation was introduced. I remember within a single year span I experienced all the talk about what could happen if the legislation passed, to what would happen if Title IX passed and then finally what did happen. At 17 years-old, legislation seemed like a fast track to change.

Later in my career I would learn that Title IX would also mean that I would have the opportunity to be a principal. I was in the early group of female principals hired throughout the state. Later Title IX regulations would result in my getting a pay raise bringing my principal salary in line with my male counterparts. The effects of Title IX (although over 3 decades old) continue to play out today.

Educators across the nation mourn the loss of a great friend and champion for the cause of public education.

Lack of playtime is killing the joy of learning.

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 physical development of an entire generation."

The complete Crisis in Kindergarten Report by the Alliance for Childhood is available for download.

Other articles on the topic of play and learning:
Why Play?

Recess on the upswing.

Right to Recess
Materials

High activity low cost playgrounds.

Study finds virtual learning to be more effective

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 learning courses?. We currently have two courses: Playground Supervisor Training and Peaceful Playgrounds Workshop.

Recess Before Lunch Resources

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 lunch later.

Check out our Peaceful Playgrounds featured article, podcast or webinar on Recess Before Lunch and consider adding the low cost and effective solution to food waste, lunchroom behavior and increase learning at the same time.

Playground Rhymes for your school's Peaceful Playground

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.

News video on Peaceful Playgrounds from Fox Oklahoma City, OK

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/

The Recess Queen a Book for Children

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

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

Parents Purport Paint Job Creates Peaceful Playground

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 year include a giant United States map, number grids, a letter walkway and a giant circle large enough to fit an entire class around.

Most games are noncompetitive and focus on a common goal for the group.

"For the kids that are the prime targets for bullies, this gives them something to do where they're not the loser," said Mary Chace, a parent of two children at Norwich and a member of the school's Wellness Committee.

Also, the program's cost of $1,000 plus paint is cheap compared to traditional playgrounds units which can cost $20,000 each.

"I want other PTOs to know that the program is inexpensive and this is something they can easily add to their playground," Chace said.

Sheboygan Falls Elementary Playground Gets a Makeover

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 hopscotch court shown here is just one of the 100 games and activities that comes with the Peaceful Playgrounds program.

Painting St. Peters Playground Games

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.

Wounded Warriors Get Help with Special Playground

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 accessible to every child. Many of these children would not be able to play on a traditional playground, but with the Boundless playground and support of GameTime, they are able to swing, slide, and make music with the GTJams instruments.

More on the joint effort to install an accessible playground.....

To learn more about Boundless Playgrounds, visit their website (www.boundlessplaygrounds.org) or visit www.gametime.com

Best News Blast on Public Education

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.org

I highly recommend it. Check it out.

Many Playground Design Features Unsafe, Experts Say

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 when children fall from equipment, highlighting the importance of placing shock-absorbent surfaces beneath swings and climbing structures. According to the commission, communities should not construct play structures over concrete, asphalt, dirt or grass, but rather on shredded rubber, wood chips and wood mulch, which offer the best surfaces for preventing injuries.

However, a 2007 report on the safety of rubber playground chips in California found that nearly 70 percent of the surfaces were not sufficiently shock-absorbent to cushion falls.

Many communities also neglect to properly maintain the playgrounds by raking or refilling the loose materials designed to cushion falls, says Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Some environmental groups have expressed concern over children’s exposure to toxins present at playgrounds, such as the lead in shredded rubber, or arsenic present in older wooden structures.

Despite the potential risks associated with playgrounds, the structures do facilitate outdoor play, which can curb childhood obesity, says Maida Galvez of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. She said that parents, schools and community leaders should support the development of safe playgrounds for children (Szabo, USA Today, 7/29/09).

Lowe's: Toolbox for Education

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 for the grant.

Maximum award: $5,000.

Eligibility: K-12 schools (including charter, parochial, private, etc.) or parent groups (associated with a non-profit K-12 school).

Deadline: October 16, 2009.
http://toolboxforeducation.com

Preschools that emphasize play have their advantages

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

Painting a Peaceful Playground

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 court.


Step 3- Start painting in the background color.


Step 4- Find number stencils. Use stencil to fill in numbers on court.


Step 5- Fill in chalked dots to form numbers.


Step 6 Chalk in all numbers by connecting the dots.


Step 7-A perfectly painted hopscotch court.

To Learn More- Take a Break

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 students out for a break, such as during recess, improves a number of different performance traits in the student.

Although, with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, more and more grade schools are being built with the absence of a playground for the students. In addition, because many children are falling under the educational standards of the United States, schools are pressured to decrease recess time, physical education class, and devote that decreased time to additional study halls, additional classes, and standardized testing groups. However, the benefits of physical education class and recess time for grade school students are quite widespread. Below is a list of benefits that both physical education class and recess time create for a typical grade school student, according to Dr. Romina Barros, a researcher at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

1. Physical education class and recess time improve a child's behavior. The reason behind this is because the physical activity allows the child to "work off," or "burn off," excess stress that could cause irritability and mood swings.

2. Physical education class and recess time improve a child's brain. Since recess time is often outside, the student has exposure to fresh air that is more greatly circulated and cleaner than the air inside. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the air inside a building can be up to 10 times more polluted than the air outside the building. Therefore, this fresh air allows the blood to circulate through the brain more effectively, improving the child's ability to focus, think, solve problems, do class work and projects, leading to better grades.

3. Physical education class and recess time improves a child's weight. Since there is physical activity involved in both physical education class and recess, the child has the chance to burn off calories and excess weight that could make the child tired, depressed, and just overall, run down. Therefore, the physical activity will improve a child's weight, while also burning off the stress that puts children in a bad mood, as mentioned above.

Therefore, if you know of anyone who currently attends grade school, or have connections to a grade school, inform their administration of this recent scientific news and the benefits of physical education class and recess time. They may just integrate extra time for both in light of this new information, presented by Dr. Romina Barros, a researcher at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Related Posts:
Recess on the Up Swing

Right to Recess Campaign

Importance of Play

Case Study Could Shape Physical Education Across Nation

Peaceful Playgrounds Nationally Rated "Best in Class"

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 practical and a realistic intervention for schools interested in this cost effective childhood obesity intervention that gets kids moving."

Peaceful Playgrounds (PPP) is a school based physical activity program with the goals and research support that has shown an increase children's physical activity level, decrease in bullying and decrease in playground injuries.

School Wellness Policy Evaluation System Announced

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 Wellness Conference 09

Recess Before Lunch

Add 100 Games and Activities to your Playground

The Prudential Foundation - Prudential Foundation Revitalizing Communities Grants

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 local Municipal government.

Deadline: Rolling

Please contact The Prudential Foundation for more specific grant information and to apply: http://www.prudential.com/view/page/public/12373



Free Webinar - Grant Writing For Beginners

Don't miss this opportunity to hear practical advice from an experienced and successful educational grant writer. Dr. Bossenmeyer's grant writing has secured more than $10 Million in funded educational grants. Visit our Webinars page to register for this free grant writing training!

PE injuries increase by 150%

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.

Peaceful Playgrounds Play Nice Newsletter- August†

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",.