Playworks New England
Playworks helps kids stay active and build valuable social and emotional skills through play.
About
All kids deserve the social, emotional, and physical benefits of play. We help schools and youth programs create healthy play environments where every child can join in.
Latest News
September 19, 2018
Five Important Life Lessons from the Playground ›
One of the most under-utilized arenas for social and emotional development is the playground. How can adults who supervise the playground—at school, in public parks, or in our back yards—best use that time to teach kids the skills they’ll need to thrive? In a recent blog post with our partners at United Way, Playworks shared…
August 28, 2018
Highland Street Foundation Provides Another Summer of Fun at TADpole Playground ›
This summer marks Playworks’ 7th consecutive year participating in the Highland Street Foundation’s TADpole10—a weekly event at the TADpole Playground in the Boston Common. The program began in 2012 with a goal of serving 300 preschool aged children with two hours of enrichment activities every Thursday. According to Noreen McMahon, Senior Director of Programs…
August 6, 2018
The CDC Announces Funding for Physical Activity Programming ›
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) School Health Branch (CDC Healthy Schools) shared the news that 17 State Departments of Education have been awarded Fiscal Year 2018 funding through the “Improving Student Health and Academic Achievement through Nutrition, Physical Activity and the Management of Chronic Conditions in Schools”. According to the CDC, the purpose of…
August 1, 2018
Brown Brothers Harriman and Playworks ›
On May 31, Junior Coaches from Boston’s Curley, Eliot, and Henderson Elementary schools took a field trip to the Brown Brothers Harriman (BBH) offices in Downtown Boston–their third visit of the 2017-18 school year. Throughout the year, volunteers from BBH served as ‘Corporate Coaches’ for students, teaching important lessons about communication, leadership, and goal setting.…
A Better Recess
Instead of going back to class energized and ready to learn after recess, kids often return upset and unable to focus. We can change this. At a great recess:
Kids are at their best
Kids bring out the best in themselves and each other. They learn the value of fair play, compassion, and respect. They practice key social and emotional skills.
Kids become leaders
They run their own games and settle their disputes quickly (we recommend rock, paper, scissors) because getting along is more fun than fighting.
Kids choose to be active
When all students are included and all students know how to play popular games, every child has the opportunity to discover the joy of active play.
