New Way to Play Catching On

As reported in Child Magazine, September 2003, Peaceful
Playgrounds is the most implemented recess curriculum in the nation with
over 7000 schools.

See excerpts from the article below:
Last year, the Antelope Trails Elementary School, located in
Colorado Springs, adopted Peaceful Playgrounds. The program entails
painting the blacktop and fields with colorful grids and circles that can be
used for more than 100 games. The goal: to encourage kids to interact
more appropriately with one another during recess. With games like four
square and hopscotch, each with clear rules, kids are on the same
playing field so to speak, says Dr. Bossenmeyer. Perhaps the most
useful game, she says, is the old fashioned "rock, paper, scissors,”
which kids use to quash squabbles. “It’s awesome. It teachers the
student how to handle conflict resolution without resorting to
violence or mean behavior,” say Kim Peters, a graduate student who
implemented Peaceful Playgrounds at Antelope Trails last year.

Peaceful Playgrounds Program Alive and Well

From the Cabrillo PTA Newsletter
Peaceful Playgrounds Still Going Strong After 5 Years.

Five years ago, unsafe playground equipment was
removed at Cabrillo, leaving students with little to do
at recess. Faded blacktop markings were hard to see,
students became restless, and problems were
commonplace. Recess was no fun anymore.
Unresolved playground conflicts soon spilled over
into the classrooms. "Wouldn't it be nice," thought
our entire staff, "to look out over our playground and
see children laughing and playing together, and
supervisors observing this phenomenon without
raising their voices or their blood pressures?" It
seemed almost more than we could imagine, until we
found help from the Peaceful Playgrounds Program.
A consistent set of school-wide games and rules
were developed and taught to the students.
Equipment and colorful blacktop markings were
made available to students to help them play these
games. Students were taught strategies to solve mostconflicts on their own.

The result...recess was fun again! Students were
spending more time playing games and having fun,
and less time arguing and getting into trouble.
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of Cabrillo's
entire staff, and our PTA's continued support, we can
proudly announce that Cabrillo's playground
continues to be a fun and safe place to play!
For more information about the Peaceful
Playgrounds Program, you can visit their Website at
http://www.peacefulplaygrounds.com

A design that fights playground politics

Published in the Daily Herald

5/31/08

by Eric Peterson

Pictures by Bill Zars Daily Herald staff photographer.

Teachers and staff at Lakeview Elementary in Hoffman Estates know recess is meant for exercise, not playground conflicts. But they'd searched fruitlessly for a way to encourage the former and discourage the latter among students.

Then a staff member whose own child attends school in St. Charles heard of a program in use there that she thought might just be of help at Lakeview.

The Peaceful Playgrounds program was designed about 12 years ago by Melinda Bossenmeyer, director of the College of Education at California State University.

A former physical education teacher and principal, she's become recognized as a playground design expert through six books and is a nationally certified playground inspector.

Her daughter and marketing director, Andrea Bossenmeyer, said the program is sold as a do-it-yourself kit for schools or parks to customize based on their amount of blacktop or green space.

The multicolored boxes and patterns on the playground lend themselves to the innovation of new games as well, Andrea Bossenmeyer said. And the incorporation of letters into the playground provides for games that help build reading skills.

At Lakeview, the PTA recently purchased the program with help from a $1,500 grant from the Schaumburg Township Elementary School Foundation, school social worker Mary Brodie said.

The program met several goals of the foundation's grant selection committee, said member Leslie Eskildsen, who's principal of Stevenson Elementary in Elk Grove Village.

"One of the things we're looking for is to impact as many kids as possible," she said. The playground's design "eliminates competition and fosters teamwork. We see that as important."

The playground games -- painted onto the blacktop by parent and staff volunteers -- were chosen based on an assessment of Lakeview's available space.

Unveiled just a couple of weeks ago, the playground already has been deemed a success by faculty and students alike, Brodie said.

"Now that it's out there, I don't see any kids just out there with no one to play with," sixth-grader Ivette Figuera said.

Classmate Brandee Spates said she was impressed by the attention paid to how students spend even their recess time.

And second-grader Angel Almanza said there's a clear difference in how much more cooperative the games on the playground have become.

Brodie said there's also a clear difference in how far fewer disciplinary measures have been required on the playground in recent weeks.

Tired of playground hassles and headaches?

The slide show addresses Peaceful Playgrounds research on what goes wrong on the typical school playgrounds and what schools can do.

School Tube Video: Peaceful Playgrounds

Peaceful Playgrounds attended the National Elementary School Principals' Conference last month in Nashville, TN. During the conference a new exhibitor and NAESP partner School Tube interviewed Andrea Bossenmeyer from Peaceful Playgrounds.

School Tube Video of Peaceful Playgrounds.

Click to Request An Information Packet

"Grants for Tolerance Programs"

Teaching Tolerance offers grants for programs that engage collaboration between educators, researchers, parents/guardians and student groups that aim to equalize students' experience in schools. Teaching Tolerance Grants have funded Peaceful Playgrounds Programs in past competitions.

Such programs might include equitable discipline policies and practices; consistent educational experience for migrant, homeless or foster-care students; special education advocacy, with emphasis on parent and students' rights; prejudice reduction efforts in racially isolated schools; and equitable school assignment plans.

Maximum Award: $10,000. Eligibility: educators, researchers, parents/guardians and student groups. Deadline for Letter of Inquiry: May 15, 2008.

http://www.tolerance.org/teach/grants/schoolgrants.jsp

This type of grant is perfect for applying for implementing Peaceful Playgrounds. Download our grant template to assist with applying at : http://www.peacefulplaygrounds.com/grants.htm

A Winning Strategy behind Rock, Paper, Scissors Game

When it comes to the Rock, Paper, Scissor game,
it's all in fun but still a little strategy never hurts.
Scientists in the UK have "studied" this popular playground game and concluded that one should start with scissors as it has a psychological advantage.

Research shows that a rock (or stone) is the most popular of the three possible moves in the game of quickfire hand gestures.
If your opponent expects you to pick stone, they will choose paper to outwit you.
Therefore, by going with scissors, you will win, because scissors beat paper. Who knew such strategy would prove helpful?

If you find this intriguing, read on to find out how a 10 year old girl advised her father and successfully secured Christie's auction house of a $10 million deal in 2005.

Have a ball! Children promoting physical activity

Wilson & Hartwell, ages 7 & 9, are taking action in trying to reduce childhood obesity in their state. Mississippi is known for having some of the worst childhood obesity statistics in the country.

Their idea is simple. Give every elementary age child in the state a ball.

Research has shown that giving children consumable equipment will endorse moment and physical activity.

They started their mission in January and have already donated over 3500 balls!

Peaceful Playgrounds supports physical activity and has equipment packages that you can purchase for school recess or physical education class. Now let's all get moving!!

Bringing peace to the playground

BY CHRIS WIEBE
The Leader- Burbank, CA
March 6, 2008

MAGNOLIA PARK DISTRICT — During a game of four-square at Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School Wednesday, second-graders Luis Reyes, 7, and Cassidy McNeill, 8, reached an impasse over a point.

“It was in,” Luis said.

advertisement

“It’s out!” Cassidy fired back.

But before the conflict escalated any further, the two broke out into a spontaneous game of rock-paper-scissors and Luis — losing his paper to Cassidy’s scissors on the first throw — skipped away without further debate to join the other students in line waiting to play.

The episode is an everyday occurrence at Roosevelt, where the school’s “Peaceful Playgrounds” program sets explicit rules and dispute resolution activities to help children get along during lunchtime and recess.

The program, which has operated informally for the past year, will receive a boost from the Burbank Kiwanis Friday, with the donation of $1,000 that enables Roosevelt to contract with the countrywide Peaceful Playground program. The national affiliation will put the school in a network of thousands of schools privy to updates on and ideas on how the program is run, Roosevelt Principal Betsy Quinn said.

“The purpose of it is to solve a conflict quickly and keep playing, maximizing the time that children have to play so they’re not fretting or arguing about it,” she said. “And quite frankly problems on the playground have gone down dramatically.”

To carry out the program, Roosevelt officials first marked the blacktop with game boundaries — for everything from traditional games like basketball and four-square to newer games like long ball and extreme dodge ball.

Then a 3-inch-by-5-inch rule booklet governing the games was distributed to students, parents and yard monitors, which also covers safe and proper use of slides, monkey bars, jump ropes and other playground equipment, Quinn said.

“It’s a matter of teaching children what the rules are for each of the games,” she said. “And they can’t make up games, and they can’t make up rules for games.”

Playground conflicts often germinate from more aggressive children taking advantage of the others, or changing the rules midstream to benefit themselves or their team, she said. But having a system of explicit rules in place puts everyone on common ground.

“With basketball, for example, no matter what grade, there are the same rules and one of the bottom-lying premises of the program is that everyone plays or no one plays,” she said. “So you can’t exclude people.”

And the idea is ingrained in the children, who eagerly recite the precepts of the program.

“You get to play more than you’re arguing,” Cassidy said.

Roosevelt parents report seeing tangible improvements in schools as a result of the program.

Burbank resident Jane LeGate-Clarke has noticed the impact of the program on her children, Carson Clarke, 7, a second-grader, and Cole Clarke, 11, who graduated from Roosevelt last year.

“I think it’s been fabulous because when my older son went through he had lots of issues with kids changing the rules when you get up to play a game and who was supposed to set the rules,” she said. “And it kind of got to be not fun for him. And I’ve noticed a huge difference with less complaining and, especially with my younger son, they even solve the problems on their own.”

And conflict resolution techniques have also spilled over into the home, where Carson and Cole sometimes decide things like who gets the bathroom first in the morning with a game of rock, paper, scissors, she said.

“I just have definitely seen a huge difference and I feel better,” LeGate-Clark said. “I feel more rested and at ease about knowing that there’s not going to be something bad happening [at school].”

Studies show that children who consistently have negative experiences on the playground tend to be withdrawn and uncommunicative in the classroom, said Roosevelt parent Laura Anderson, who has helped organize the Peaceful Playgrounds program.

“I feel like it’s a great, positive tool to empower kids,” she said.

PEP Grant Blog Moved

Beginning Monday, March 3 the PEP GRANT BLOG will be moved to the Peaceful Playgrounds Blogsite.

We will blog M-F on topics of interest for people writing PEP GRANTS until the application due date of March 24, 2008.

Everything you need to Succeed in applying for a PEP Grant!

IF you are planning on applying for a PEP Grant check out the Peaceful Playgrounds PEP Grant writing materials.

1. 2008 Grant Summary Application Information

2. PEP Narrative for Peaceful Playgrounds Program

3. PEP Budget for Peaceful Playgrounds, We Count Walking Program and Fundamental Movement Programs.

4. PEP Budget

5. 2008 PEP Grant Application


6. PEP 2008 Application Scoring Rubric

A Peaceful Playground. Isn't that the dream.......

An updated playground is more than play space
Boeckman - Fitness and creative play are emphasized with the school's improvements
Thursday, February 21, 2008
CATHIE ERICSON
Special to The Oregonian

A peaceful playground -- isn't that the dream of all students, parents and educators? Where recess is a time of socialization, fresh air and physical activity, rather than a period marked by conflict and bullying.

That's the concept behind the new playground at Wilsonville's Boeckman Creek Primary School.

The improvement project began in November 2006 when several parents indicated an interest in updating the playground. Ten parents and four staff members volunteered to form a committee and established the goal of a space with activities that would develop fitness and allow for cooperative, imaginative play.

As they researched physical and social education and development, they were drawn to Peaceful Playgrounds, a program developed by a former teacher and elementary school principal in 1992 to address discipline problems and advance social and motor skills.

Peaceful Playgrounds takes a resource most playgrounds already have -- space -- and transforms blacktops and fields into play areas with activities and games. With more choices, children are more likely to engage in physical activity.

More than 8,000 schools nationwide use Peaceful Playgrounds. It has been recognized by groups including the National School Safety Center for increasing physical activity and decreasing bullying and injuries.

Boeckman Creek's new playground is being phased in as funds become available. A PTA auction last year raised $14,000, and at last fall's PTA-sponsored Fun Run, students helped raise $24,000.

Over the summer, games such as four square, hopscotch and alphabet leapfrog were stenciled onto the blacktop. New equipment, including 10 swings, two tire swings, a wall ball area and a remodeled fitness area, arrived during winter break.

More games and activities will be introduced this spring when painting weather arrives and the school can round up parent and community volunteers.

Morris said the new playground offers the students many more choices for activity. As a result "they are spending time in play and learning to cooperate with others," she said. "Each day is another opportunity to develop not only physically, but also as the person they want to be with a strong moral character."

Deets said the staff saw fewer "behavior discipline referrals" during recess last month, the first month the new playground has really been up and running.

He also said instructional assistants have noticed fewer students wandering around with "nothing to do."

"Many students who were frequently engaged in loosely structured chase games have found new activities to participate in," Deets said. "All in all, we see the kids being happier, with more smiles, as they enjoy the new playground."

ANNOUNCING - PEP GRANTS BLOG

We have a new blog devoted to people working on 2008 PEP Grants.

Go to the new PEP Grants Blog and sign up for a RSS feed or subscribe via an email message to be sent daily to your mailbox.

PEP Grant Application Released!

Last Friday the Department of Education released the 2008 PEP Grant Application.


PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

This program provides grants to initiate, expand, and improve physical education programs for K–12 students in order to help them make progress toward meeting state standards for physical education.

TYPES OF PROJECTS

Funds may be used to provide equipment and support to enable students to participate actively in physical education activities. Funds also may support staff and teacher training and education.

May we be of assistance? Peaceful Playgrounds provides grant writing assistance. Call Gwyn at 877-444-9888 for more information or visit our PEP Grant Writing Support Section of the Website. http://www.peacefulplaygrounds.com/grants.htm

Q.What do I get with the Peaceful Playgrounds Program Package?

We are often ask about the contents of the Peaceful Playground Program Package. The list is below:
• (4) Activity Guides: Preschool/Kindergarten; Grades K-3;Grades 3-6; and Field Games.
• (4) Blueprints: Preschool/Kindergarten; Grades K-3; Grades 3-6 and Field Games
• 41 stencils: letters, numbers, feet and shapes
• Playground good sports coupons
• Playground good sports award
• Program overview video or dvd
• Equipment checkout form
• Playground procedures list
• Playground report
• Workshop training materials
• Playground sportsmanship poster set
• Large Peaceful Playgrounds Poster for office

*Peaceful Playgrounds Program materials are copyrighted. Site License is issued with each Peaceful Playgrounds Program purchase for use of designs at a single school site for which the site license was purchased.

BMI added to report cards? A possible solution?

From Capitol News, Channel 9, NY by Kaitlyn Ross

Math...A+. Science...B-. Body Mass Index?

Registered Dietitian Judy Carr, said, "There's been a lot of discussion and a lot of debate as to whether this should be included in a child's report card."

The ratio of your child's height to weight could soon make on the report card right next to reading, writing and arithmetic.

Both Arkansas and Illinois have passed legislation, and it's been proposed in a number of other states, including right here in New York.

Local dietitians are trying to take a step in the right direction -- away from obesity. In order to reach their goal, some are advocating for a radical approach. Kaitlyn Ross reports.

Carr said, "Some of the statistics coming out of these states have really been incredible, about the change in BMI and also in the healthful lifestyle and actually an improvement in attendance and report cards of these kids."
To read more:
http://capitalnews9.com/content/top_stories/110182/fighting-childhood-obesity/Default.aspx

If your school district is searching for inexpensive options on how to get kids moving, you must consider Peaceful Playgrounds. It is a program for Elementary School age children that really gets kids moving! A tool to help schools fight the obesity crisis plaguing our nation. With over 100 colorful designs that can be added to your blacktop and field areas, your kids will choose to be active and have fun!
www.peacefulplaygrounds.com

General Mills Grant for Peaceful Playgrounds

Source: General Mills
Program: Hamburger Helper’s MYHOMETOWNHELPER.COM
Eligibility: Hamburger Helper will give funds directly to the public school, 501(c)(3), or 501(c)(4) entity, such as civic leagues and social welfare organizations, that sponsors an application for funding (“Qualifying Organizations”). Visit www.myhometownhelper.comfor more information.

Purpose: General Mills Sales, Inc. (“General Mills”) and Hamburger Helper are searching for people in your hometown that are raising funds to help the community. Hamburger Helper will fund initiatives to help hometowns across America with monetary grants of up to $15,000.00 per project during the time frame of – March 31, 2008 (“Wave 2”).

Initiatives Supported by MYHOMETOWNHELPER.COM:
When evaluating requests, MYHOMETOWNHELPER.COM review committee will favor organizations meeting the following criteria:

Demonstrate a need in the broader community
Illustrate a helpful, creative or innovative concept that meets this need
Clearly identify change/s that can be made as a result of receiving the award

More Information: FAQs

Award Information:
Deadline: March 31, 2008
Maximum Award: Up to $15,000
Number Of Awards: Multiple
Period: One year.

Online Playground Supervisor Training Available NOW!

The Peaceful Playgrounds Online Playground Supervisor Training is designed to introduce administrators, teachers, substitute teachers, physical educators, parents and playground supervisors to the responsibilities and techniques associated with keeping children safe on a playground. This fast paced course delivered with video will serve as a professional development experience.

This course details playground surfacing, play structure safety, and playground supervision. The course highlights supervision responsibilities and "how to keep kids safe".

Participants passing the exam at the end of the course will receive a Playground Supervisor Training Certification.

Coming Soon Peaceful Playgrounds Online Workshop

Tired of playground hassles and headaches?

Would you like your playground to be peaceful? Sound impossible? It’s not. With a few proven strategies and procedures your playground can be a peaceful place for students and adults alike.

Topics covered include:

1) Teaching kids conflict resolution techniques, 2) solving problems on playgrounds, 3) game rules, 4) equipment distribution and monitoring, 5) staff role and responsibility for safe playgrounds, 6) design considerations, and 7) legal issues surrounding playgrounds.

Grant Opportunity for Peaceful Playgrounds

NEW CORPORATE FUNDING RESOURCE: SPRINT AHEAD FOR EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM


Through the Sprint Ahead for Education grant program, the Sprint Foundation will award grants to school districts and individual schools to fund the purchase of resource materials, supplies, equipment and software that facilitates and encourages character education among K-12 students. With a national reach, the program is open to all US public schools (K-12) and US public school districts.

The Sprint Ahead for Education Grant program will accept applications for Character Education programs that promote youth leadership, youth volunteerism, school pride and a positive school culture. Examples of programs that the Sprint Foundation will fund include:

· Costs associated with hosting a youth leadership conferences
· Character education curriculum and character education teacher training
· Direct project related costs for community service/service learning programs
· School improvement projects that serve to enhance and build school pride

District level grants are available for programs ranging from $10,000 to $25,000.
School level grants are available for programs ranging from $500-$5,000.

2008 Funding and Grant Application Period:
The Sprint Ahead for Education initiative will award individual school grants up $5,000 and school district grants up to $25,000. In 2008 the Sprint Foundation plans to award up to $600,000 in combined grants to schools and school districts. The grant application period will run from March 3rd - April 15th 2008. Applications for funding must be submitted online at www.sprint.com/citizenship/education/sprintahead

Washington to Legislate Mandatory Recess

The Washington Kitsap Sun ran an article recently on a state legislator wants to make recess mandatory in the state of Washington. Below are the comments I posted in response to the article. I hope that you will take a minute and post comments as well.

Check out the article and comments at....

Posted by recessdoctor on January 21, 2008 at 5:07 a.m.

Of course kids need recess and a "kid break." It is sad that we need legislation to make it happen.

I wonder how many adults would stand by and let their "work break" go by the wayside so that they could be "more productive."

Let's let "kids be kids" and release them for some break time with peers and to get out and get a little fresh air.

Recess is a research based intervention for the childhood obesity crisis. Check out:www.peacefulplaygrounds.com/research.htm

We should all be thanking Sen. Rosa Franklin, D-Tacoma, for the mandatory recess bill.