Check out the Head Start Body Start (HSBS) March Tool Box posted by the National Center for Physical Activity and Outdoor Play within the National Association of Sport and Physical Education(NASPE). A monthly toolbox will be released in both English and Spanish and can be download from the website. Each toolbox contains a physical activity plan and a monthly physical activity calendar which shares ideas for physical activity and healthy eating.

…

Fit Deck Jr is a deck of cards that shows illustrations & instructions describing 50 upper, middle, lower, and full body exercises. A nice idea for physical education teachers, coaches, and physical activity coordinators to use as a warm-up activity. Fit Deck Jr is designed for ages 5-15.

Company Founder Phil Black was a U.S. Navy Seal and U.S. Navy Seal instructor has expanded the line to include body building cards, yoga cards, prenatal …

San Francisco USD engaged in a two year battle in 2006 to phase out JROTC in it's schools by the 2008-2009 school year. The School Board resolution in 2006 stated the following reasons: 1. JROTC instructors are not certified or in some cases do not even possess a degree of any kind, 2) in a healthy demoncracy the restriction of military involvement in civilian affairs is fundamental, 3) SFUSD has adopted violence prevention and conflict res…

">I’ve just watched the best story on 60 Minutes and can’t wait to share it with all the Recess Blog Readers! As we all know obesity is a problem, not just for our children but the nation. One revolutionary woman, Alice Waters, has been campaigning for the cause of healthy organic eating for well over 30 years. She first started by opening her restaurant Chez Panisse, in Berkeley, CA. The Chez provides all its menu items with loc…

Did you receive your copy of the March Peaceful Playgrounds Grants Newsletter?

Topics covered include:
Tiger Woods Foundation Grants for Youth

Active Living and Health Eating Grant

Mailman Family Early Learning Grants.


Shade Structure Grants.

Walmart State Giving Grant for Health and Wellness.

If you need to replenish your equipment or products don't miss out on our annual Year End Sale going on now.

As a response to the reduction in physical activity opportunities, Dr. David Katz developed a manual which provides instruction for teachers to incorporate short bursts of activity at the beginning of each school day. ABC for Fitness can ensure that children obtain the level of physical activity that is essential for good health and well being according to the ABC for Fitness Teachers's Manual.

The ABC for Fitness Manual is free to download f…

The Fit Kids Act would require schools, districts and states to report on students' physical activity, and to give youngsters health and nutritional information. The bill was supported by NFL playgrounds on March 19 in Washington DC. Players led the children in jumping jacks, stretching and running-in-place exercises and signed autographs in a PEP Rally of sorts to show their support of the Fit Kids Act.
The House sponsor, Rep. Ron Kind, D…

A Marine gives instructions to students before a fitness rotation during Military Day at Mary Fay Elementary School on Camp Pendleton Friday, March 6. The Marines assisted students in physical training activities.








Published March 18 in the Village News for Fallbrook and Bonsall Communities.

Hello -- I am emailing you because despite my best intentions, I am finding it impossible to be available during the school day for these webinars (I missed last Wednesday's - Peaceful Playground one that I was registered for and can't free up an hour today for the Recess before Lunch) - I imagine that this is not a unique situation since they are geared for school employees, yet broadcast during our direct service times with students, …

KaBoom conducts weekly webinars on the following topics:
Intro to Imagination Playground in a BOX
Your Playful City USA Application
Intro to the KaBOOM! Playspace Finder
Getting Ready for Your Build Day

All KaBOOM webinars are free, archived and accessible anytime.

If you enjoy online learning you should also check out Peaceful Playgrounds Free Webinars.

I recently received a response to a post stating, Why not just let children play at recess? Contrary to popular belief Peaceful Playgrounds strongly advocates for schools, "to allow children free time at recess to do what ever they choose or do nothing." I guess the misunderstanding comes from the appearance of a "structured playground." A better and more accurate way to think of a Peaceful Playground is as an "enri…

Stuart Brown has released an new book on play in which he identifies 10 reasons play is important. You can check out longer descriptions of all 10 reasons that play is important in either his book, Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul or from an article in US News and World Report entitled, 10 Reasons Play Can Make You Healthy, Happy, and More Productive.

1. Play is good for the brain.
2. Play teaches th…

Thursday, April 2, 2009: 1:00 PM-2:00 PM Tampa Convention Center: 10-12 Speaker: Melinda Bossenmeyer, Peaceful Playgrounds, Los Angeles, CA Would you like a designated outdoor teaching area for your physical education classes? Imagine a blacktop space with permanently painted physical education activities and games. Peaceful Playgrounds will reveal our new physical education stencils and games DVD's that make your job easier and the…

Q: About how long is it before games need to be repainted.
A: It all depends on the climate in your area. If you live in California and its sunny and rarely rains, it will last approximately 5-7 years. If you live in Chicago, where it’s windy, rainy, snowy it could last about 3-5 years. However, one point I like to make is paint is inexpensive, and once your lines are down, it is VERY QUICK AND EASY to paint over the lines you currently…

Texas fitnessgram test results reveal a correlation between physically fit students and academic test scores. The findings, physically fit students score better on academic performance tests, have fewer discipline problems and better attendance records come as no surprise to educators. The correlation was first identified in CA approximately 6 years ago where student test scores reveal students in healthy fitness zones on California's Fit…

For those of us in the play business, a presidential swing set, while not earth shaking news, is an opportunity to remind folks that play "Is important!"

If we understand on the most basic level that play is essential to leading a happy and healthy life, it comes as no surprise that the President would give his children a swing-set. After all, he's Harvard educated.

These days parents are more likely to organized a "play da…

Implementing a Recess Before Lunch Program requires that students wait longer to eat which means that breakfast is especially important. With the down turn in the economy it has been reported that more and more students are attending school hungry often times as a result of skipping breakfast.

A new grant called the School Breakfast Program grant is available through Action for Healthy Kids and the Kellogg's Corporate Citizenship Fund. The…

Don't miss out. Register early for the March Peaceful Playgrounds Free Webinars.

Register Now
Grant Writing for the BeginnerRecess Before Lunch

Peaceful Playgrounds

March Winners
The following schools have won a free U.S. Map Playgrounds Stencil from Peaceful Playgrounds.
Please contact our office to claim your prize.
877-444-9888 or email info@peacefulplaygrounds.com

School: Annoor Academy
Principal: Jalal Hamedi
City: Knoxville, TN
Submitted by: Debbie Muhammad

School: Bethel Prep Classical Christian
Principal: Rev. Robe…

Schedule a Recess Event

In recognition of National Recess Week March 2-6 why not schedule a recess event?

Get kids up and get active. Perhaps schedule a "Recess Games Day." Have volunteers and teachers teach students a recess game and rotate students through age appropriate games and playground activities.

Good luck with the National Recess Week drawing. We hope you signed up for the $10,000 drawings as a result of the announcement thi…

New Approach New Results

For years physical educators across the country have advocated for daily physical education for their students. Legislators have joined the bandwagon and passed legislation mandating physical education for most K-12 grade students throughout CA and across the nation. However, much to the dismay of physical educators, concerned parents, public health advocates and pediatricians, the education codes mandating physical ed…

Did you receive the March Play Nice Newsletter? Download your copy now.
Topics include:
*March U.S. Playground Map Stencil Winners,
*Case Study Could Shape Physical Education Landscape Across Nation,
*Study Finds Preschoolers Inactive at Play,
*Peaceful Playground's New Location: We've MOVED, and
*National Recess Week March 2-6.

Are you feeling the financial pinch? Do you feel like you need to do more with less? Yet, you know staff training is the key to teacher quality. Why not check out our new online learning course or free Peaceful Playgrounds Webinars? Save in travel costs and teacher release time. Peaceful Playgrounds Online Courses are on demand. Meaning teachers and staff can take them at their convenience.

Here's a link to our two online courses: Peac…