Playworks helps kids to stay active and build valuable life skills through play
What a Better Recess Does
Conflict Resolution
Recess doesn’t have to be chaotic. At a better recess, kids acquire tools to work out disagreements and differences.
Leadership Skills
When they’re playing amongst their peers, kids have a valuable opportunity to develop a sense of fairness, confidence, and communication.
Academic Success
Kids who are engaged during recess are more likely to participate in class, which means better attendance and better grades.
Updates
Playworks is Hiring AmeriCorps Coaches ›
Playworks Earned a 2019 Gold Seal of Transparency ›
Games for Social and Emotional Learning ›
Playworks Near You
California
Connect with the Playworks team in Northern California and Southern California.
187,548
Kids Reached in California in the last year
District of Columbia
Connect with the Playworks team in Washington, D.C.
Kids Reached in Greater Washington d.c. in the last year
Massachusetts
Connect with the Playworks team in New England.
Kids Reached in New England in the last year
New Hampshire
Connect with the Playworks team in New England.
Kids Reached in New England in the last year
New Jersey
Connect with the Playworks team in New Jersey.
Kids Reached in New Jersey in the last year
North Carolina
Connect with the Playworks team in North Carolina.
Kids Reached in North Carolina in the last year
Oregon
Connect with the Playworks team in the Pacific Northwest.
Kids served in the Pacific Northwest in the last year
Pennsylvania
Connect with the Playworks team in Pennsylvania.
Kids served in Pennsylvania in the last year
Rhode Island
Connect with the Playworks team in New England.
Kids served in New England in the last year
Washington
Connect with the Playworks team in the Pacific Northwest.
Kids Reached in the Pacific Northwest in the last year
3.5 Million
Children reached by December 2020
Playworks aims for 3.5 million children in 7,000 schools to experience safe, healthy play every day by 2020. Click on your state to explore what Playworks is doing near you.
Elementary students with strong social and emotional skills are . . .
Recess is a natural learning lab for important life skills. Learn about our impact ›
Stories
November 12, 2018
Teaching Conflict Resolution Doesn’t Have to be Complicated ›
Kermit is a natural leader in his class, and all of the kids want to be his friend. During our weekly class game time, I taught Kermit’s class how to play a game called Roshambo Red…
November 12, 2018
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work ›
To the kids at the school where I was a Playworks Coach, being a positive team player wasn’t always the popular thing to do. When I was tasked with coaching the boys basketball team, I learned…
News
April 23, 2019
Recess Check Up Week ›
It can be hard to understand the impact that your play space has on your school’s culture and your students’ experience, and while there are a lot of solutions worth trying, it’s tough to know what’s working and what’s not. Recess Lab is designed to help more principals, teachers, and students discover the power of play. Explore…
April 16, 2019
Twin Cities Orthopedics and Playworks Minnesota team with Turtle Lake Students for Day of Play ›
Twenty-eight Values Champions, employees who are ambassadors of TCO’s culture and exemplify the organization’s values, teamed up with Playworks to teach students the power of safe, fun, and healthy play at recess. Students learned inclusive games and team-building activities in a classroom setting, and participated in a recess period with volunteers to practice what they learned…
April 5, 2019
Playworks is Hiring AmeriCorps Coaches ›
Playworks is hiring AmeriCorps coaches to serve for the 2019-20 school year at elementary schools in cities across the country. These coaches provide essential opportunities for children to explore their imaginations, connect with other kids, and stretch and grow. Through service, Playworks AmeriCorps members create a place for every kid on the playground to feel…
The 74
April 2, 2019
More Than Just Play — How Recess Can Help Students Build Social-Emotional Skills ›
Playtime is more than just fun and games. Through play, children build confidence and develop critical social-emotional skills, become leaders and better understand how they fit into and interact with the world around them. An American Academy of Pediatrics clinical review found a correlation between playing and building better social-emotional, cognitive, language and self-regulation skills needed for…
Events
May 09, 2019 @ 6:00 PM
Get in the Game 2019 ›
Join us for our annual gala ‘Get In The Game’ Please join us as we celebrate thousands of students having access to safe and healthy play everyday. We will combine…
