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
Google's Be Internet Awesome joins Playworks' Real Players Don't Bully campaign ›
Playworks Junior Coach Program named in DOJ’s ‘Promising Program’ ›
How Important the Role of Play is in a Child’s Overall Development May Surprise You ›
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 the Mid-Atlantic region.
Kids Reached in the Mid-Atlantic Region in the last year
Maryland
Connect with the Playworks team in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Kids Reached in the Mid-Atlantic Region in the last year
Massachusetts
Connect with the Playworks team in New England.
Kids Reached in New England in the last year
New Hampshire
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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
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Kids Reached in North Carolina in the last year
Oregon
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Kids Reached in the Pacific Northwest in the last year
Pennsylvania
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Kids Reached in Pennsylvania in the last year
Rhode Island
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Kids Reached in New England in the last year
Virginia
Connect with the Playworks team in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Kids Reached in the Mid-Atlantic Region in the last year
Washington
Connect with the Playworks team in the Pacific Northwest.
Kids Reached in the Pacific Northwest in the last year
West Virginia
Connect with the Playworks team in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Kids Reached in the Mid-Atlantic Region 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
February 3, 2016
Not-So-Junior Coach Matthew ›
When Playworks—then Sports4Kids—coach Max Langaard arrived at Manzanita school, Matthew Bailey was a shy third-grader. At home, he’d try to stay out of everyone’s way, and at school, he rarely spoke up during class. But Coach Max saw him…
April 26, 2019
Stories from the Playground: Coach Hoops ›
It’s not every day that a Playworks #AmeriCorps Coach is honored by the Los Angeles Lakers, complete with a basketball clinic hosted by legendary forward A.C. Green. Then again, being treated to a center court awards…
News
October 2, 2019
Real Players Don’t Bully 2019 ›
It’s cool to be kind! In recognition of National Bullying Prevention Month, Playworks and it’s campaign, Real Players Don’t Bully has partnered with Google and it’s program, Be Internet Awesome to show kids the importance of practicing kindness and inclusion to prevent bullying. This issue is important to kids and teachers alike. Teachers report that…
National PTA
September 27, 2019
Recess: Is it Just for Play? ›
Recess is often a student’s favorite time of their school day and it also leads to better behavior and academic performance. Yet a recent report revealed only 16% of states require elementary schools to have daily recess. Researcher and dad, William Massey, explains the benefits of recess, what high-quality recess looks like and how parents…
September 23, 2019
It’s Recess Checkup 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…
September 17, 2019
Playworks Junior Coach Program named in DOJ’s ‘Promising Program’ ›
Recently, the Department of Justice (DOJ) reviewed evidence of the Playworks Coach program and found that the program met the criteria for a Promising Program intended to improve school attendance. The DOJ invests in reviewing research that shows programs positively impact attendance because higher rates of kids attending school “prevents or reduce crime, delinquency, or…
Events
October 30, 2019 @ 8:00 AM
Let’s End Bullying 2019 ›
Join us as we celebrate the culmination of Playworks’ Real Players Don’t Bully campaign and bullying awareness month over breakfast, awards, and a solution-oriented panel. Playworks and Google headline this…
