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
Turn your Spring Struggles into Spring Successes ›
Playworks is Hiring AmeriCorps Coaches ›
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
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…
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…
News
The 10 Minute Teacher Podcast
May 13, 2019
5 Ways to Leverage Play In Your Class Today ›
Play belongs in every classroom. Playworks CEO and Founder Jill Vialet joins the 10 Minute Teacher Podcast to discuss how teachers can leverage the power of play in their classrooms.
Time for Kids
May 8, 2019
Recess Reform ›
Today, at least six states have laws that require elementary schools to provide daily recess. Other states are considering similar bills. Kids can help change recess laws too. According to the 2017 CDC and SHAPE America report, recess can improve a child’s memory. It can also improve a child’s focus.
KARE 11
May 3, 2019
Expert: Kids need more recess ›
Schools that allow recess to take a backseat are missing out on how breaks can benefit students, according to an expert. In a recent interview with the American Journal of Play, Olga Jarrett, a professor emerita in the Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education at Georgia State University, described the current state of children’s play…
April 26, 2019
Conflict Resolution: Turn your Spring Struggles into Spring Successes ›
Springtime, with all its fanfare, is often a time of escalating conflicts. Students are antsy from a long winter of learning, and their classmates are now more like annoying siblings than playful friends. The key to making the spring season a success is to teach students how to resolve conflicts appropriately—that means using their words and…
