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Hello, my name is Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer. I serve as an expert witness in playground injury lawsuits and have spent the last 15 years reviewing some of the most serious and preventable playground injuries affecting children today.

Before that, I served as an elementary school principal in Murrieta, California, where summer temperatures frequently exceeded 100 degrees. Throughout my career, I have worked closely with schools facing the challenge of balancing student safety with the need to preserve recess and outdoor play during periods of extreme heat.

Because of this concern, I have gathered research, developed resources, and created practical solutions to help schools keep children active while reducing heat-related risks. These resources include:

• Keeping Kids Cool in School
• Extreme Heat Is Cutting Into Recess for Kids. Experts Say It's a Problem
• Misters: A Cool Answer for Hot Playgrounds
• What you can do about Dangerously Hot Playgrounds
• Content Library: Inclement Weather
• 2 Go Games Rugs and other indoor recess solutions



One of my greatest concerns is the growing trend of removing blacktops and open play areas in response to heat. Research consistently shows that children spend the majority of their recess time on grass fields and blacktops, with some studies finding that nearly 89% of play occurs in these open spaces compared to only 11% on playground structures. Rather than eliminating the areas where children prefer to play, schools should consider solutions such as shade structures, cooling stations, and misters that allow students to remain active and engaged while staying safe.

My mission is to provide schools and youth programs with the knowledge, strategies, and tools they need to create safer play environments, preserve recess opportunities, and support healthy, active children.

Heat at Recess: Protecting Children While Preserving Play

By Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer

An Expert Witness in Playground Injury Cases

On a sweltering September morning, the schoolyard seems to shimmer. The blacktop glows with trapped heat, radiating waves that blur the edges of the jungle gym. A handful of children push themselves across the monkey bars while others cluster in the meager shade of a tree, sipping slowly from water bottles. One boy sits on the curb, his face flushed, rubbing his temples as a teacher strides over, concern etched across her brow. The scene captures the growing dilemma of recess in an era of rising temperatures: how do schools uphold the vital benefits of outdoor play while protecting children from the very real risks of extreme heat

Children’s Unique Vulnerability



Children are not simply “small adults.” Their physiology makes them more susceptible to heat stress. They generate more metabolic heat during exercise, sweat less efficiently, and their body temperatures rise more quickly than those of adults. The results can be serious: dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and asthma flare-ups. Each condition carries specific warning signs and requires rapid intervention.

Dehydration often begins subtly—headaches, irritability, or unusual fatigue. Left unaddressed, it can impair concentration and escalate into heat illness.

Heat exhaustion follows when the body struggles to cool itself, presenting as dizziness, nausea, and profuse sweating. Immediate cooling and rehydration are essential.

Heat stroke is the most dangerous, marked by confusion, rapid breathing, or loss of consciousness. This is a life-threatening emergency demanding a 911 call and aggressive cooling while awaiting paramedics.

Asthma flare-ups can be triggered by high temperatures coupled with poor air quality, leaving children struggling to breathe during recess.

School districts continue to face multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements related to supervision failures, campus safety hazards, and preventable student injuries. Playground injuries remain one of the most common sources of school injury claims

Why Certified Playground Supervision Training is Essential

Certified playground supervision training is essential because schools are held to a “reasonably prudent” standard—and placing untrained adults in charge of student safety can be viewed as negligence. Trained supervisors actively scan, anticipate risks, and intervene before injuries occur, while untrained staff often miss hazards and supervise passively, increasing both injury risk and liability. Most importantly, documented training becomes a school’s primary defense in the event of an injury, demonstrating that proactive steps were taken to protect students.

ONLINE COURSE OPTIONS

Playground Supervisor Training

Early Childhood Supervision Training

Bullying Prevention Training

Grant Writing Course

Recess Before Lunch Training

Pedometer Walking Program Training

**NEW Course Bundle**

$2,250

How to Have A Peaceful Playground

Low Cost, High Activity Playground

Playground and Strategies for Improving Recess

Dread Recess?   

Peaceful Playgrounds Recess Program is the Solution.

Principals often dread recess—not because they don’t value play, but because it leads to fights, office referrals, and time spent managing conflict instead of leading their schools.

With mandatory recess laws being passed across the country, schools need a practical solution that actually works.

The Peaceful Playgrounds Recess Program transforms chaotic playgrounds into structured, engaging spaces where kids know what to play and how to play it—reducing conflict and discipline issues. It’s fast and easy to implement: paint the playground over a weekend and teach the games in just two weeks. Affordable, effective, and principal-approved.

What Principals Are Saying About Peaceful Playgrounds

• 66% saw a decrease in playground confrontations.

• 83% reported more children participating in games

• 56% reported students getting along better in school

• 67% reported decrease in playground injuries

• 64% saw a decrease in bullying

The Peaceful Playgrounds Program is a nationally recognized and award-winning physical activity program touching nearly 4 million children annually for over 25+ years!

Created by an Educator like you!

Time to order the kit, paint your playground over summer, and be ready for the new year!

The recess program is low-cost, affordable, easy to implement and you can start now!

Contact us. We can assist you with brochures, estimate and everything you need to get started today.

(951) 245-6970 or officestaff@peacefulplaygrounds.com

Recess is a right, not a reward.

Withholding play harms children’s ability to focus, self-regulate, and engage in class. Positive behavior systems work better than taking recess away.

10 Steps to a Peaceful Playground

Creating Safe, Active, Happy Playgrounds

 A How-To Guide For Playground Supervision

Playground supervision plays a critical role in keeping all kids safe at school.  Yet, only a small number of playground supervisors receive any training on their roles and responsibilities. It is not uncommon as a result of the lack of training injuries occur. But proactive supervision and planning can reduce the likelihood of an injury that results in the threat of a lawsuit because of inadequate playground supervision.

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