Peaceful Playgrounds
Marana Elementary School implemented Peaceful Playgrounds last week. "Teachers and monitors immediately saw the whole tenor of the playground change from one of chaos to calm, with almost a total student involvement in the games," according to the story on the front page of the Marana News.
"The purpose is to get the kids out to play and have fun while learning rules like playing fair, and you can't say you can't play-to include everyone, to cut down on bullying, to help kids make safe healthy choices," said Shari Attebery, a counselor at the school.
The first Peaceful Playground was implemented in Murrieta, CA in 1998 and promptly won the California State Golden Bell Award for injury reduction at Curren Elementary School. The installation at Marana puts Peaceful Playgrounds in approximately 8000 schools across the nation serving 4 million students annually.