Winter was officially over and Spring is here so it's time to think about sending kids out to the playground. Here's some tips for making the playground safe.

1. After snow, rain or other elements the playground surfacing may be in need of refilling or loose fill ( wood chips, pea gravel, sand etc.) needs "fluffed up" (raked and groomed after a winter compacting). A 12" minimum an fill evenly throughout the play struct…

From Capitol News, Channel 9, NY by Kaitlyn Ross

Math...A+. Science...B-. Body Mass Index?

Registered Dietitian Judy Carr, said, "There's been a lot of discussion and a lot of debate as to whether this should be included in a child's report card."

The ratio of your child's height to weight could soon make on the report card right next to reading, writing and arithmetic.

Both Arkansas and Illinois have passed legislation, and it…

The Peaceful Playgrounds Online Playground Supervisor Training is designed to introduce administrators, teachers, substitute teachers, physical educators, parents and playground supervisors to the responsibilities and techniques associated with keeping children safe on a playground. This fast paced course delivered with video will serve as a professional development experience.

This course details playground surfacing, play structure safety, and…

By Darlene Pellechia
Thursday, October 4, 2007 Naples, Florida

Remember hop scotch, four-square and leap frog? These games of yesteryear are making a comeback on the playground at Osceola Elementary School thanks to a program called Peaceful Playgrounds, part of the school’s Positive Behavior Support Process.

According to Osceola Asst. Principal Tammie Stewart, the concept is to promote positive play and provide students with ways to intervene and/…

By KARIN SHAW ANDERSON / The Dallas Morning News
ksanderson@dallasnews.com

School recess isn't what it used to be. But it may be safer.

The playground games and equipment that many parents fondly remember are disappearing. Some schools have shortened recess in the name of academics and banned activities such as tag, Red Rover and king of the mountain as too dangerous.

Teeter-totters and merry-go-rounds are a thing of the past, too. School offici…

School recess isn't just playtime; it's a golden opportunity to boost children's fitness, according to a new report.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation today released a report that puts school recess at the head of the class among opportunities to make students' school days more active.

But the report doesn't back a free-for-all melee on the playground. Instead, the Foundation says grown-ups need to get in the game, supervising…

Principal Pam Winfield credits a dedicated group of volunteers for transforming ordinary blacktop into an endless supply of games that can attract an entire classroom to share an activity.

Peaceful Playground is a concept developed by a former physical education teacher who wanted to create a safer and more inclusive play area for children.

In addition to providing more play opportunities for a relatively low cost, peaceful playground also encoura…

Rubber lives on in play surface safe for wheelchairs, little feet.By Jennifer Clampet for Pamplin Media Group Keeping used tires out of landfills is one thing. Providing playground access to disabled children is quite another — or was, until a clever innovation brought the two causes together. “If you didn’t know anything about safety, what would you want to fall on?” asks Elaine Sherman, a longtime advocate of accessible playgrounds for di…

by Emily Graham PTO Today Magazine
Recess is meant to be a break from the classroom, a time for making friends and make-believe. But in reality, recess often involves intense competition, playground bullying, and conflicts that carry over into the classroom. As enrollments have risen at elementary schools across the country, playgrounds have become crowded, increasing the risk of accidents and hot tempers sending children to the principal’s offic…

S.C. schools are ‘Making the Shade' By Stephen Milligan
The Walton Tribune
Published August 26, 2007SOCIAL CIRCLE — On a sweltering day, a playground slide can feel as hot as a burning grill.

“We did some tests at an elementary school playground and they got readings on metal playground equipment of over 100 degrees,” said Dale Higdon, senior forester with the Georgia Forestry Commission. “They got a reading on a metal slide of 160 degrees.”

To…

As most of the nation heads back to school facing triple digit heat schools face the challenges associated with outdoor recess and overheated classrooms.

Parents and schools working together can mitigate this problem and keep kids safe.






Parents can send their children to school ready to deal with the heat by:
sending students in light-weight, loose-fitting, cotton clothing
make sure kids have a caps with brims that protect the facesend child with …

The school playground is the hot spot for school injuries but good supervision can make all the difference. Download the free Peaceful Playgrounds Supervision Training Program and train your supervisors today.

Three out of four playground accidents occur on public playgrounds, including school facilities, as opposed to backyard play equipment. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issues guidelines for playground surfacing and age-appro…

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 …

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…

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…

Well respected playground safety advocates, Donna Thompson, Susan Hudson and Heather Olsen have recently published a book entitled,S.A.F.E. Play Areas: Creation, Maintenance and Renovation. Written by National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS) staff, it is a comprehensive guide that helps YOU provide safe and fun-filled days for children in play areas.

S.A.F.E. Play Areas is filled with practical tips and information applicable for professi…

Question from a Play Nice Newsletter Reader.
What are your thoughts on free play?

Free Play at Recess: At Peaceful Playgrounds we contend that a child can decide how he/she chooses to spend recess time. We are adamantly against telling kids what to do at recess. We support their right to do something or do nothing. We believe that “enriching the playground environment” brings about a multitude of positive results (see Peaceful Playgrounds R…