The first day of school isn’t until Wednesday, but in his first year as principal at St. Helena Primary School, Rob Grace has already embarked upon a project to keep students active and help them learn basic math and reading skills — all at the same time.
Last week Grace invited parents to help paint designs on the primary school’s cement playground to allow kids to take part in a variety of educational activities.The project is part of Peaceful Playgrounds, a nationwide program that features educational playground activities that don’t require anything except paint.
“It helps educators teach kids how to play in a non-competitive manner while building motor skills and having fun,” said Grace.
Some of the activities involve skipping, and resemble variations on traditional playground games like hopscotch and foursquare.
The project was financed by the primary school’s Parent Teacher Group.
For additional information on Peaceful Playgrounds visit www.peacefulplaygrounds.com