Does your child ask? "Are they real?"Professional Article by Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer

Nature deficit disorder.On a recent trip, my 6-year-old granddaughter noticed some flowers on the counter in our hotel. Instinctively, she touched them, followed immediately by the question, “Are they real?”   .....Are they real? DownloadLink remains active for one week. Link to full article on website

Cold Day Play Download

According to the author, Vickie Everett, "these worksheets can be used to write about whether a student would rather play inside or outside on a cold winter day. They do not mention snow so they can be good for use in areas where there are cold days but not snow days."  Grs K & 1.
Peaceful Playgrounds
Feature Article When Is It Too Cold For Recess? 


2-Go Games
Indoor Recess Activities

I just love this photo my daughter sent me.  Wonder why?

Students at Pablo Elementary School compete in the Henkel Helps Kids Get Fit contest to win $25,000 to improve health and fitness education, equipment, technology, resources and services for its students and the community. Physical education teacher Darci Nice hopes to use a portion of the award to implement a Peaceful Playgrounds Recess Program which will encourage the student’s to be more physically active during recess. Of Pablo Elementary’s …

Contributed by JC Boushh Since 1990, 40 percent of the nation’s 16,000 school districts have either modified, deleted, or are considering deleting recess from the daily elementary school schedule due to increased pressure from numerous sources to improve achievement. (American Association for the Child’s Right to Play, 2000)As schools, administrators, and teachers feel the ever-growing pressure to meet academic test scores and No Child Left Behi…

Contributed by JC Boushh Research published in the American Society for Microbiology indicates that dirt as actually beneficial for children and can affect then cognitively in a positive way. In the age of hand wipes and Purell parents and teachers can finally let their children experience the value of playing the dirt. The research indicates that children who play outdoors can inhale a soil-borne bacterium that has positive effects on cognition…

By JC Boushh I get asked a lot about how to design the perfect playground for children when I lecture at conferences, and meet with clients to design their outdoor play environments. The first thing to know is that it is not just the playground that is important in the design, but it is actually the entire outdoor environment. Although the type of playground equipment you select is important to creating a good play environment, it is definitely …

Contributed by JC BoushhLast week I attended the National Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference and had the opportunity to not only lecture on the value of free-play for children, but to also here many fellow advocates who share my beliefs in the importance of children’s play. I also learned that NAEYC is in the process of organizing a panel to prepare an official position on children’s play, and in NAEYC’s infinite w…

Contributed by JC Boushh
There has been an enormous amount of research conducted on the important role recess plays in healthy child development, concluding that recess is necessary for a child’s: Physical Health, Mental / Emotional Health, Social Development, Cognitive Development, and Academic Achievement. An article titled “Even Turtles Need Recess: Many Animals -- Not Just Dogs, Cats, and Monkeys -- Need a Little Play Time” in Science Daily …

Contributed by JC BoushhA new podcast by Susan Engel, PhD., Katharine Beals, PhD and Sarah Garland titled “Are Schools Effectively Teaching Collaboration?” on BAM Radio asks the question are schools spending too much time on academics and missing the boat on socialization. As schools focus on increased academic performance and standardized test scores many schools are eliminating or reducing student’s recess time, but in reality this is have a n…

Join us on October 26, 2010 at 2:00 PM EDT, 1:00 PM CDT, 12:00 PM MDT, 11:00 AM PDT for a KABOOM sponsored webinar titled “Recess: It's Child's Play”. Peaceful Playgrounds a longtime advocate for all children’s Right to Recess will present on the topic of the value of recess. Peaceful Playground creator and founder Melinda Bossenmeyer says, “Recess matters!” It provides opportunities for cultural exchange, solitary play, reduction of anx…

Cellular phones, global internet access, satellite television, and online gaming systems have transformed our everyday world into Marshal McLuhan’s electronic global village. Technology has now entered all areas of children’s lives: home, school, and toys. A new film by a Norwegian-born film maker Tonje Hessen Schei entitled “Play Again” takes an in-depth look at the virtual world vs. natural world and its effect on children’s outdoor free-play.…

Contributed by JC Boushh This week I have been focusing on old-fashion play and the consequences we face when we do not allow children every opportunity to play. I reside in Southern California, which in my opinion has some of the nicest weather in the country year round, but to astonishment I have visited numerous child care centers were at the slightest sign of overcast skies or rain showers the kids are corralled inside to ride out the storm.…

By Blake Taylor

Take a minute to think back to your childhood school days and, more precisely, the part called recess. What do you remember about it?

I would guess that you recall having fun and playing games that used your imagination and creativity.

Unfortunately, in many schools in Kansas, there is a startling trend of taking away morning and/or afternoon recess to spend more time in the classroom. Some administrators believe that their school&#…

Contributed by JC Boushh I just recently read a blog post titled “The Power of Goofing Off” and started to reminisce about the freedom I had to goof off. Funny that this topic would come up especially since just last evening my church pastor was telling the congregation that he really liked me because I was such a goof off. Where did this ability to goof off come from? Was it my environment as a child, was it a genetic code embedded within m…

Contributed by JC Boushh East Providence Elementary School, Rhode Island eliminates recess for its elementary students to make time for a more comprehensive physical education program. In laymen’s terms out with free-play and in with Marine Corp. calisthenics. National statistics on recess indicate that approximately 50% of children are not getting recess in the United States public school system. Some of the reasons given for eliminating recess…

Contributed by JC Boushh With the incredible advances in technology kids today have a very short distance to go to be entertained. The internet, texting, and satellite TV have brought children into a world of constant stimulation and entertainment. Today’s children cannot tolerate solitude or boredom, and they seem to be in a constant state of alert. In essence parents, teachers, and caregivers have become cruise directors for kids, thereby stif…

Contributed by JC Boushh A recent article on The Many Benefits of Recess in Schools cites the Council on Physical Education for Children position paper on the crucial role recess plays in school academics. Recess allows children to take a break from the pressure of academics and allows them to practice major life skills; conflict resolution, cooperation, respect for rules, taking turns, sharing, using language to communicate, and problem solving…

Contributed by JC Boushh Every parent wants to provide a better future for their children, and provide them with things they never had as a child, but is this truly beneficial for healthy child development? We all want our children to be successful adults, and the key to raising children into healthy adults is allowing them to experience failure. “There is in these studies a lesson for all parents. Those who allow their kids to find a way to dea…

Contributed by JC BoushhSchools ban tag and dodge ball, Homeowner’s Associations forbid children from playing outdoors without adult supervision, and now British Police investigate the crime of drawing hopscotch markings with chalk on public sidewalks. When did children’s play become a crime? Many blame the death of children’s free-play on liability and the fear of litigation. While others argue that overprotective parents and sedentary lifestyl…