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Schools Playgrounds Can Be Safe
This Featured Article is part of our Playground Safety Series
by Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer - The Recess Doctor
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Pepperdine University – Malibu, CA
“As a playground supervisor, playground safety is of upmost importance. A playground supervisor at an elementary school for six years, stated that grade school playgrounds are not for the meek!” says Janis Dingwall, Cedarhurst Elementary School, Seattle. Each year over 200,000 children are injured on school playgrounds. That is 200,000 children sustain injuries serious enough to send them to the doctor or hospital.
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New Program Improves Playground Safety
In 1992, E. Hale Curran Elementary schools (K-5) in Murrieta, Calif., began its own study on playground safety. The school was three years old with a rapidly growing population. Its playground featured typical courts and games: hopscotch, tetherball, baseball diamonds, volleyball courts, slides, swings and climbing apparatus.
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Peaceful Playgrounds Distributes Students Across all Play Areas
Designed for K-6, the Peaceful Playgrounds Program distributes students evenly throughout the playing area and fields. With colorful markings and plenty of equipment, the objective is to engage the maximum number of students in healthy, often educational, purposeful play.
“The instructional aides who monitor the program have had lots of training, years of experience and know the importance of consistency,” says Koltovich. “They have reached the point where they mostly move around the play areas watching high quality play at structured games.”
“We make it look easy,” says Geri McGuire, “but it takes time to train everyone (students, teachers, and aides). The instructional aides review the rules on a regular basis and then meet once a week to go over playground and classroom instructional practices.”
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Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for (audience)? Why should they care (benefit)? What do I want them to do (call-to-action)?
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Your copy should address 3 key questions: Who am I writing for (audience)? Why should they care (benefit)? What do I want them to do (call-to-action)?
Create a great offer by adding words like "free," "personalized," "complimentary," or "customized." A sense of urgency often helps readers take action, so consider inserting phrases like "for a limited time only" or "only 7 remaining!"
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Peaceful Playgrounds Results in Injury Reductions
Melinda Bossenmeyer, the principal of E. Hale Curran Elementary School in 1994-95, put the Peaceful Playground Program into practice. She trained the entire staff, custom designed the grass and blacktop play areas, wrote rules and instructions, ordered equipment and supervised construction of the playground. By the end of the 1994-95 school year, the school’s enrollment had risen to over 1,200 students, but total injuries had dropped by 50 percent. In 1996-97, the school population dropped since many of the students were moved to a new facility. By 1997-98, the school population had risen to almost equal the 1995-95 school year, yet the injuries were only 17 percent of the 1995-95 totals.
What contributed to such a dramatic decrease in injuries? Bossenmeyer attributes the decrease to three things.
Text Link
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How to Have A Peaceful Playground
An Online Course
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We loved our Peaceful Playground training. This program has transformed our recess time. Simple games, the inclusion of all students and loads of procedures have made our recess time trouble free. Thank you Peaceful Playgrounds! – Ruthie Rayner, Principal, Hupfeld Academy West Virginia
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Goals:
1. Acquire skills to improve your playground
2. Understand what goes wrong on a typical playground.
3. Learn 5 research-based solutions for what goes wrong on a typical playground.
4. Learn to establish rules and procedures for safe play on playgrounds.
Course Description:
The course is divided into 6 areas:
Introduction – Introduces the Peaceful Playgrounds “Creed” the underpinning of the Peaceful Playgrounds recess program. Students will learn the 5 areas for improvement.
Section 1- Lack of problem-solving ability. This section will cover how problems develop on the playground and strategies for teaching children appropriate problem-solving skills for settling disagreements.
Section 2- Discusses the havoc caused by playing by inconsistent game rules, as well as, the frustration it causes in children. A strategy and procedure for teaching game rules are discussed. Additionally, this section looks at the importance of safety rules to prevent injuries on the playground at recess.
Section 3- This section addresses the problem caused by the lack of loose equipment at recess. The course looks at children’s’ desire to be involved in student-organized games during recess and the roadblocks to their doing so. This section also covers the equipment needed for involvement in games based on a recommended child to equipment ratio.
Section 4- This section addresses the problems caused by a lack of school-wide rules for outdoor play. We discuss the importance of establishing rules and procedures for safe play at recess and discuss the importance of providing written rules for outdoor behavior expectancies and sharing them with parents and staff.
Section 5- Designs. This section points out that blacktop is an underdeveloped resource in most schools. It talks about appropriate game markings for educational settings. Some game markings suggestions are presented and illustrated in the areas of motor skill development markings, game markings, academic markings, and cooperative game markings. These markings (which are scarce in most schools) address the problem of not having enough to do on the typical school playground.
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Interested in our other courses? See below.
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Peaceful Playgrounds Recess Program | |
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THE RECESS PROGRAM THAT WORKS!
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Transform Your Recess into a Thriving, Engaging Playground Experience!
Are you ready to revolutionize recess at your school? Introducing the Peaceful Playgrounds Recess Program - the ultimate solution for creating a dynamic, inclusive, and joyful playground environment for students!
With our innovative program, you can:
✨ Foster Positive Social Interactions: Say goodbye to conflicts and boredom! Our structured activities promote teamwork, communication, and cooperation among students, fostering a culture of inclusivity and friendship.
✨ Maximize Physical Activity: Encourage active play with our diverse range of games and activities designed to keep kids moving and engaged. From classic favorites to exciting new challenges, there's something for everyone!
✨ Enhance Safety and Supervision: Keep students safe and supervised with our easy-to-implement strategies and resources for playground management. Say hello to stress-free supervision and goodbye to playground chaos!
✨ Promote Learning Through Play: Turn recess into a valuable learning opportunity with our educational games and activities that reinforce key academic concepts in a fun and interactive way.
✨ Empower Your School Community: Equip your teachers, staff, and volunteers with the tools and training they need to support a positive recess experience for all students. Together, we can create a playground where every child feels included, empowered, and excited to play!
Don't miss out on the chance to transform your recess into a vibrant hub of activity, learning, and fun! Join the Peaceful Playgrounds Recess Program today and watch your playground come to life like never before.
Learn more and get started now
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WE COUNT WALKING PROGRAM CURRICULUM
🚶♀️ Step into Success with the We Count Student Walking Program! 🚶♂️
Looking for an engaging way to promote physical activity and wellness among your students? Look no further than the We Count Student Walking Program!
Why Choose We Count?
Encourage Healthy Habits: With childhood obesity rates on the rise, it's more important than ever to instill healthy habits early. Our program makes physical activity fun and accessible, motivating students to get moving and stay active every day.
Track Progress Easily: Say goodbye to cumbersome tracking methods! Our user-friendly tracking system allows students to log their steps effortlessly, giving teachers and administrators real-time insights into participation and progress.
Foster a Culture of Achievement: Celebrate milestones and achievements with our customizable rewards system, designed to incentivize students to reach their walking goals and strive for excellence.
Build Community and Connection: Walking together isn't just about physical health—it's also about building connections and fostering a sense of community. Our program encourages teamwork, camaraderie, and mutual support among students, creating a positive school culture where everyone feels valued and included.
Support Academic Success: Did you know that physical activity has been shown to improve academic performance? By incorporating walking breaks into the school day, you're not just promoting physical health—you're also enhancing cognitive function, focus, and concentration in the classroom.
Easy Implementation: Our turnkey program is designed to fit seamlessly into your existing curriculum and schedule, with minimal setup required. Whether you're a teacher, administrator, or parent, you'll love how easy it is to get started with We Count!
Don't miss out on the opportunity to transform your school into a hub of health, wellness, and success. Join the We Count Student Walking Program today and take the first step towards a brighter, healthier future for your students!
SALE PRICE $125
*While supplies last
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Want A Peaceful Playground? | |
Play Nice! Equipment Fun Pack Contest
Enter to Win!
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Play Nice! Equipment Fun Pack Contest
Enter your school today in the Play Nice! Equipment Fun Pack Contest.
Share a picture of you doing something fun on your playground with the hashtag, #playnicefunpack and #peacefulplaygrounds for an extra entry.
This Equipment pack includes 42 pieces of equipment. This equipment pack can be used at recess for each grade level, in Physical Education class, before/after school programs.
which includes 6 of each:
- junior footballs,
- junior basketballs,
- soccer balls,
- official volleyballs
- playground balls,
- along with assorted color cones
- and mesh bags
This package is appropriate for elementary schools.
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April Winner
Andrew DiCerbo - George L Cook Elementary Monticello, NY
Please contact the office to collect your prize T:951.245.6970 or officestaff@peacefulplaygrounds.com
This is the last month of our Equipment Pack Contest.
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Direct Links to our Most Popular Programs
Need Assistance??? officestaff@peacefulplaygrounds.com
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