The city’s Department of Parks and Recreation just announced a pilot program, to build a better playground project supported by the Walt Disney Company, to introduce sand, water and other “loose parts” to 10 existing playgrounds across the city. The department said in a news release:

This year, the city divulged plans to build an innovative playground near South Street Seaport that would change the way children play. The new playground concept …

By Robinson Duffy
rduffy@newsminer.com
Published July 24, 2007

Often when people picture bullying, the image that comes to mind, is a bully or group of bullies backed by a cadre of supporters. Who are picking on a child with no visible support.

Margie Kurzbard would like to see the opposite of that situation. She wants to see that the victims of bullies have a strong support network of peers and adults.A support network stronger than the bullies.

“Th…

Healthy Schools Campaign and School Health Corp. are pleased to announce the release of "The Quick & Easy Guide to School Wellness", a multimedia how-to guide filled with comprehensive information, practical advice, tools and resources. The guide made its debut at the National Association of School Nurses conference in Nashville, Tenn. with positive and enthusiastic reviews from school nurse leaders in attendance.

The guide, availa…

Olympians for Life are educational lesson plans for grades kindergarten through 12 that promote the Olympic Ideals and Values and are accompanied by profiles of athletes training for Beijing in 2008. Lessons are grouped according to major educational strands: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Register for free access. All materials for "Olympians in Life" are being distributed free to educators. You can access the materials by clicking http:…

Since 2000, the Toronto District School Board replaced and updated more than 200 of its playgrounds, and another 200 need to be replaced. Recent statistics indicate that it may have been worth it.

A report released this week from a health-sector think tank suggests Toronto is seeing proportionately fewer emergency-room visits from children injured in playground activities than are many regions of Ontario - which the study's author says may …

Even though one out of three American children live within a mile of their school, barely half of those students regularly bike or walk to class, researchers report.

Children who live in the South, in rural areas or who have college-educated parents are among those least likely to bike or walk to school, notes the report, which is published in the July issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Martin and colleagues said that the reaso…

Legislation that went into effect this month is meant to shore up physical education in California. As of July 1, students have to pass the state fitness test, which is administered in grades five, seven and nine, in order to be eligible for an exemption from physical education in high school. Previously, high school physical education exemptions were considered routine for grades 11 & 12.

All high school students are required to take two ye…

Texas public school students will have to endure one more test in this year's assessment battery.

But for this one, there will be no cramming -- unless they want to start practicing sit-ups and wind sprints.

The Texas Legislature mandated this year that students in grades three through 12 be tested annually on aerobic capacity, body composition, muscular strength, endurance and flexibility.

A task force from the Texas Education Agency is still …

A new government report, titled America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2007, was released this week. Health experts say the findings serve as a "national report card" for the state of the health of the country's children.

Results include:
Fewer teens are having sex, and the teen birth rate hit an all time low in 2005.Children receiving recommended vaccinations are on the rise, up from 71% to 81%.Exposure to se…

A new Wii Fit Video Game (still in development) utilizes a new balance board which simulates various physical activities. The pressure-sensitive board not only registers your movements and projects them on-screen, but also measures your BMI (body mass index) to let you track your fitness progress. Wii Fit features over 40 activities, including hula-hoop, push-ups, yoga, and step aerobics.


Wii Fit isn’t due to hit shelves until early 2008. Click …

A initiative to tackle childhood obesity will see 45,000 pedometers delivered to 250 deprived schools in the UK.

The Department of Health's 'Schools on the Move' programme gets underway from September 2007 and March 2008, encouraging children to become more active..

Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said: "Pedometers have been proven to increase the amount of physical activity undertaken by not only young people but by their f…

OkGo on Treadmills Dancing

If video screen does not appear please use link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv5zWaTEVkI&NR=1&v3

In the United States each year, emergency rooms treat more than 200,000 children ages 14 and under for playground-related injuries. About 45% of those injuries are considered severe including internal injuries, fractures, concussions, dislocations and amputations. Approximately 75% of nonfatal injuries related to playground equipment take place on public playgrounds, and most of those are at schools and daycare centers. In a ten-year period (199…

The United States is NOT going to compete with the rest of the world in terms of cheap labor or cheap raw materials. If we are going to compete productively with the rest of the world, it's going to be in terms of creativity and innovation. America has always had a capacity for hard work and stamina, but those qualities of creativity and ingenuity are not being nurtured and fostered by our current educational system. Dana Gioia, Chairman …

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices awarded the grants on Thursday.
The money is earmarked for the development of strategies and laws, and the analysis of existing programs aimed at fighting childhood obesity.

States getting the grants include Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

"The challenge for states is to develop interventions tha…

With year-round schools in session, kids are spending recess in sometimes scorching heat. Some schools are looking into ways to limit sun and heat exposure. With year-round schools in session around the nation some people are concerned about kids being outside in the extreme heat at recess. That has some school officials across the nation looking for ways to block out the bright sun.

Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer, Retired Principal from E.Hale Curra…

A shift in the schedule of US schools to accommodate Muslims students’ prayers is being considered by some to be unconstitutional with the implication that the schools promote religion, reports the Christian Science Monitor.
During afternoon recess, at an elementary school on the outskirts of San Diego, some students go out to play, while others assemble in a room for prayers. This “special treatment” has raised a controversy with Constitutional…

About PECATWhat can the PECAT do for my school?Frequently Asked QuestionsBrochurePresentation Slides and User Guide The Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (PECAT) will help school districts conduct a clear, complete, and consistent analysis of written physical education curricula, based upon national physical education standards. The PECAT is customizable to include local standards. The results from the an…

Why not fill a school backpack with physical activities for summer fun? Store it in the car and fill it with simple items to get kids moving. When you go for a visit instead of allowing kids to sit inside, play video games or watch TV send them outdoors. It's the perfect opportunity for a little activity.

Include: A jump rope, a chinese jumprope, a small ball, a bouncing rubber ball, a frisbee, a large piece of chalk (for drawing game cour…

Walker Tracker is a community site for pedometer fans to log and track their steps.Start Logging Your Walking by setting up an account.
(It's free and you can start tracking steps right away.)
→ Learn more about the Walker TrackerA few members who have posted in the last while.
Use the Walker Tracker to:Track your steps — great for 10000 step programsAlso track heart rate, blood pressure, aerobic steps and a variety of other health metricsCal…

Wearing a pedometer can motivate adults and children alike to add more steps to their day and get in more exercise. However, a study suggests that using cheap, inaccurate pedometers could do more harm than good in giving people an inaccurate count.

The study tested a cheap Stepping Meter vs. the accurate Yamax Digiwalker SW-200 on 35 study subjects. Each subject wore 1 Yamax pedometer and 5 Stepping Meters all day and the step counts were recorde…

Among the new laws that took effect in states across the country July 1:HEALTH: New York City bans trans fats. Massachusetts' sweeping health care insurance law takes full effect, with everyone required to have health insurance - either with state help or purchased privately.CHILDREN'S HEALTH: California bans soda sales on school campuses during school hours, and puts new limits on sugar and fat content in school food. Florida starts a o…

Most agree that the Scottish doctor who equated childhood obesity with parental neglect went too far, however few dispute that childhood obesity is something very serious that we have to take into consideration in our society.

Matt Capehorn recently asked his professional association to declare extreme cases of overfeeding young children abuse. His statements stoked controversy on the topic across the U.K., where the BBC reported that child-prot…

An Associated Press review of scientific studies examining 57 school nutrition education programs found that nutrition education programs alone usually fail in getting kids to change eating habits. Just four studies showed any real success in changing the way kids eat or any promise as weapons against the growing epidemic of childhood obesity. This is particularly disappointing as the federal government will spend approximately 1 billion dolla…

Happy 4th! Today's post is one to ponder. My daughter introduced me to the TED.com website. It is an amazing window into the world of "thinkers." My first visit into the world of Ted.com lasted about 3 hours so that is the reason for the holiday post. Enjoy! Why not take a minute and share your thoughts regarding the Ted website by commenting below?



Why don't we get the best out of people? Creativity expert Sir Ken …

New parks are emphasising adult needs over those of children. New parks are primarily for aging baby boomers who want trails more than playgrounds. As demand for parks grows, fewer and fewer children are playing in parks - largely because frightened parents won't let them outside unsupervised, experts say.
In her classic 1982 study of America's parks, "The Politics of Parks," she identified four types of park design, introduced…

SAFETY-FIRST playgrounds bore children and discourage them from playing outdoors, new research has found.An element of risk at play in schools and parks helps children become more active, the research finds. University of Sydney health sciences professor Anita Bundy said this week Australian playgrounds were too safety conscious -- slides and swings placed barely above the ground in an effort to eliminate risk of falls and injury. "Kids hav…