Rebecca Mead of the New Yorker explores the history and future of parks. She asks, "What would it look like if you decided to revamp the playgrounds from bottom up?"

Listen to her podcast.

Playworker Penny Wilson talks about flexible environments in play.

Other information on play

Why Play?

School Recess Before Lunch

Recess on the Upswing

Contributed by Andrea Bossenmeyer

Have you heard of Playreport? It's a new global research project on children and play. Ikea wants the world to play more so they sponsored and international survey of over 11,000 interviews in 25 countries.

The most notable discovery was that 9 out of 10 children would PREFER TO PLAY WITH PARENTS AND FRIENDS, rather than TV or Internet. The sad thing in the report was that parents reported they were too busy,…

According to the Voice of America news, childhood obesity is effecting the courses taught in school and a new offering is play. In fact, one school in Vermont is devoting one third of the school day to active outdoor play.

The idea of having to teach kids how to play outside leaves Anita Caldwell, a teacher at Calvary Preschool in Pittsford, Vermont, dumbfounded.

"You just kind of take for granted that kids want to go outside and play but th…

Have you checked out the Play Cafe?

Watch this short video for information and parent resources for those interested in and understanding the importance of play.



The importance of play.

A playground program: Peaceful Playgrounds.

One schools approach to playground play space.

Check out this video on play. It was posted by Bethe - better known as the Grass Stain Guru.
You may also want to sign up for her virtual book tour while you're there.



Still to come on the book tour:
5/24 – Post on beauty by plus-size supermodel Sage Salzer
5/25 – Feature with teens Mercy & Emily Carpenter on Girl Zone
5/26 – Guest post by Nancy Gruver on In Her Image
5/27 – Feature on New Moon’s “Beautiful Girls” campaign and “inner beauty…

We knew that disadvantaged urban preschoolers often arrive at school behind their peers academically. A new study also indicates that they arrive behind and lacking in basic motor skill development as well.

This is particularly important today as the childhood obesity epidemic continues to grow. Less skilled children are often less likely to try new gross motor activities fearing failure resulting in less active children.

One of the studies au…

Play Shaper is a national professional development program that helps the people who plan, design, build and manage our communities to understand the importance of play and their role in creating child-friendly public spaces.

For more information visit the Play Shaper website.

Play Shaper is a national partnership run by Play England with SkillsActive and Playwork Partnerships

Take a moment to view the Play Shaper video on the importance of creatin…

Did you like the video? Go to Activekidsclub.com for tips and tools to create your own outdoor playgroup where you live. Be inspired to get you and your kids to go out and play!

Follow them on twitter: http://twitter.com/activekidsclub

A recent gallop poll shows that principals support recess and feel it improves learning, concentration, and childrens' ability to focus on academics. The study conducted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Playworks comes at a time that many districts are cutting recess and physical education programs due to wide spread school financial budget deficits.

The poll indicated:
1. 80 percent of school principals said they've seen proof …

Groups ask First Lady to consider an "outdoor component" in her childhood obesity fight.
Excerpt from the letter below:


Dear Mrs. Obama:

On behalf of our tens of millions of members and supporters, we would like to express our sincere gratitude for your commitment to combating childhood obesity. We applaud your childhood obesity initiative for promoting improvements in school lunches, access to healthy foods, physical activity and nutriti…

My sister (a Peaceful Playgrounds grant writer) sent me these jumprope rhymes from the May 1951 magazine saved by my grandmother. Enjoy.

Little Orphan Annie
Went to buy some candy,
In she went, out she went,
Little Orphan Annie.
How many pieces did she get?
1-2-3-4

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, go upstairs.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say your prayers.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, tun off the light.
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say good night.

I'm a little Dutch girl, dr…

Play enthusiasts check out the Children's Play Information Service(CPIS).

(CPIS) is a specialist information resource providing information on all aspects of children’s play, focusing on school-age children. CPIS is funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Big Lottery Fund through Play England.

This month's Play Nice newsletter provides information on the following topics:


Grant Writing Tips

A study: Smart Kids are Fit Kids

The Benefits of Outdoor Play

The recent release of the Play for Change Report

Our partnership with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation

Peaceful Playgrounds News Article.

Jan, one of the Peaceful Playgrounds Grant Writers found this heart warming video about good sportsmanship.

A true story well-worth watching and passing along.....................
http://www.responsibilityproject.com/films/player/the-home-run/

Ck out more "responsibility" films from Liberty Mutual.

Link to December Play Nice Newsletter. This month's newsletter provides information on:
1. The importance of Preschool Play,
2. Service Learning Project on Peaceful Playgrounds,
3. Guidelines for Healthy Preschoolers,
4. A guide to Talking About Food and Physical Activity,
5. A Move It! School Kit,
6. The debate over chocolate milk in schools, and an
7. Article on how one Washington district brought Peaceful Playgrounds to all 10 district sch…

October 19-23rd

HSBS will hold its inaugural Take It Outside! week on October 19 through 23 encouraging Head Start programs across the nation to get outside, connect with the natural world, and increase physical activity. HSBS will provide programs with ideas to celebrate Take It Outside! week including activity ideas, tips for facilitating play, and suggestions for enhancing the environment. Information is available in both English and Spanish. …

Continuing with the playground theme from yesterday's blog....... Here's 10 unusual and unique playgrounds.


Thanks to the mental floss blog.

October Play Nice Newsletter.

This month we cover:
Can Physical Education Make you Smarter?

Peaceful Playgrounds Weekly Support Webinars
Friday, October 2 2009 - 10:00 AM PST - Free registration for this date!
Friday, October 9 2009 - 10:00 AM PST - Free registration for this date!

Online Playground Supervisor Training and Certification
View Video of Training

National Take It Outside Week- Head Start Body Start

General Mills Box Tops for Education and…

Photo Leah-Anne Thomps

After school let kids play. Young kids shouldn't struggle with homework for academic purposes. Research suggests that kids better off playing than doing homework in early years.

The Sydney Morning Herald ran an interesting article on homework on Monday. The article points out something that teachers have know for a long time, "there is no evidence that homework benefits achievement during the early school years.…