Playworker Penny Wilson talks about flexible environments in play.

Other information on play

Why Play?

School Recess Before Lunch

Recess on the Upswing

Some traditions never die and it seems that street ball is one that lives on in NYC.
See video below from NY Post.



A related article in the NY Post asks the question, What happened to NY's storied street games? Even though some of the information in the article has some inadequacies.... (ie. Since 1995, there’s even been a program, “Peaceful Playgrounds,” that some states have adopted to ensure play periods remain mild and sedate.) generally…

I met Sharon Krull over 20 years ago. You may know her by her blog, "Sharin' with Sharron." She has a blog on movement, play and physical activity for children.

Today's blog activity is called, "Ducking out of Duck, Duck, Goose." It is a great activity to check out and she renames it, A Tisket, A Tasket, My Fruit & Veggie Basket

How to play:
1. Sit young children (players) in a circle.
2. One child is chosen to hol…

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…

HCC TV - Episode 3 from The Hero Construction Company on Vimeo.

Yesterday the top was Structured vs Unstructured recess. In 1998 I wrote an article called, Eliminate Recess. Let's Skip It! The complete article is available on our webpage. The following is an interview with the principal where the original Peaceful Playgrounds Program was implemented.

After the program was introduced at E. Hale Curran Elementary School in Murrieta, California, the results produced immediate and significant reductio…

Physical Activity Used as Punishment and/or Behavior Management

Children and youths have many opportunities to be physically active in the school environment, including physical education class, recess, and before- and after- school programs. However, some schools, teachers and coaches withhold participation or exclude students and athletes from physical activity as a punishment.

Core Issue
The core issue is that administering or withdrawing physi…

The ING Unsung Heroes Program Offers Grants for K-12 Educational Projects. Awards of up to $25,000 will be given to professionals working to improve student learning through new teaching methods and techniques.

Each year, 100 educators are selected to receive $2,000 to help fund their innovative class projects. Three of those are chosen to receive the top awards of an additional $5,000, $10,000 and $25,000

Applications are now available. How abou…

The January Peaceful Playgrounds Grants Newsletter is now available for download. Grant ideas include:

Shade Structure Program
Starbucks Shared Planet Youth Action Grants
The Sprint Foundation - Sprint Character Education Grant Program
State Recycle Tire Playground Grant Programs
Lowe's Toolbox for Education
Peaceful Playgrounds "Learn to Play" U.S. Map Stencil Giveaway

In an Alabama community, financially strapped schools are holding a unique fundraiser......they are working with Play It Again Sports who will be purchasing sporting goods donations from school students. The money will be placed in a fund to replace old exercise and fitness equipment, upgrade playgrounds and support athletic programs in the Dothan City Schools.

Read more on Sports equipment trade to benefit schools.

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.

January Featured Article

A grant is a monetary award given by a government agency, foundation, corporation, or other entity to another body in order to plan, implement or operate a particular program or fund a particular project.

This month's feature article is called: Ten Tips for Getting Your Grant Funded. It includes:

General Mills Champions for Healthy Kids and Lowes Toolbox for Education grant application templates which upon request…

1. What do playgrounds look like in New Zealand? Check out the "Keep Me Smiling" Blog post on playgrounds.

2. You might want to take a look at the new kit for schools called Move It. It is a free download and designed to get kids active and reduce the risk of diabetes.

3. EPA Accepting Applications for Environmental Education Grant Funding
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is accepting grant applications for a total…

A mom is peeved at an Oklahoma school which reportedly punished her son by having him stand facing a wall at recess. The parent claims that he was told to stand close enough to the wall to touch it with his nose. The punishment was for failing to finish a homework assignment.

"I think it's a horrible policy. I think it's humiliating and I think it's disgusting," the parent reported to the school. "It was extremely tra…

When are we too old for play? Never. At least that's the new philosophy catching on in Japan. They have found that age is just a number when it comes to having fun on a playground.

Every Friday, 79-year-old Saito and a class of senior citizens swing around on a jungle gym, made especially for the elderly, at a Tokyo park.

With fewer and fewer Japanese having children, it made sense for local governments to disassemble old children's play…

Edible Gardens are all about teaching kids to grow and cook. On their website you can download a number of free programs, competitions and hot tips for developing your own edible playground. The initiative originated in the UK and is similar to the School Garden Movement here in the U.S.

Here is a couple of samples of some free information from the website:



Part of the sow it grow it set of activities, students grow grass seeds in a tube and me…

I remember some of these playground structures from the 70's. Do you?
Great pictures provided from Dahlia Rideou's blog called Devine Caroline.

Summer is officially over but summer heat remains in some areas. Here's a quick recap on some of the articles on the topic resulting in children receiving burns on playground mats.

Four year old NYC child hospitalized for 7 days with burn from playground. Parent sues city. City sues parent. Channel 2 news NYC.

Playground dangers. Rubber mats cause burns. Channel 2 News. NYC. "The black rubber mats at Van Vorhees playground in Cobble H…

I often get phone calls requesting grant information on funding school playground structures. Here's a new grant that I've discovered. It requires matching funds but this may be just the push that many schools need to make a new playground structure a reality.

Children, Youth, and Families at Risk Sustainable Community Projects

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), USDA announces the Children, Youth, …

BY KATIE ANDERSON
ken.korczak@pequotlakesecho.com
PineandLakes.com

One of the parking lots at Eagle View Elementary School will serve a much bigger purpose this school year.

The parking lot where school buses drop off and pick up students will now be used for Eagle View's Peaceful Playground program.

Colorfully painted games now adorn the formerly unadorned lot, including a number and alphabet line, four-square and bean bag tosses, and it will ev…