{"id":2663,"date":"2018-09-19T14:50:56","date_gmt":"2018-09-19T18:50:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.playworks.org\/new-england\/?p=2663"},"modified":"2025-02-28T14:24:43","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T19:24:43","slug":"five-important-life-lessons-from-the-playground","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.playworks.org\/new-england\/2018\/09\/19\/five-important-life-lessons-from-the-playground\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Important Life Lessons from the Playground"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the most under-utilized arenas for social and emotional development is the playground. How can adults who supervise the playground\u2014at school, in public parks, or in our back yards\u2014best use that time to teach kids the skills they\u2019ll need to thrive? <\/span>In a recent <\/span>blog post with our partners at United Way<\/span><\/a>, Playworks shared best practices and strategies to help adults teach valuable skills to children through play.<\/span><\/p>\n

Five Ways Play Can Help Kids Improve Skill Development:<\/span><\/h1>\n
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Building Connections<\/b><\/h3>\n

In an increasingly polarized society, how can we teach our children to be welcoming and empathetic toward their peers? Encourage all kids to play together, and give older children incentive to include younger kids. When there are language barriers, facilitate games like foursquare or <\/span>Penalty-Kick Soccer<\/span><\/a> that can be learned and played without verbal communication. Avoid games where kids will be permanently \u2018out.\u2019 Instead, play games like <\/span>\u2018Watch Your Back Tag\u2019<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>\u2018Crossover Dodgeball\u2019<\/span><\/a> where everyone can participate until the game is over.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

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Conflict resolution<\/b><\/h3>\n

Empowering kids to resolve their own conflicts instead of making an adult step in to mediate is a skill that will serve our children into adulthood\u2014and a skill that many of us still lack! Teach simple games like <\/span>Ro Sham Bo or Rock, Paper, Scissors<\/span><\/a> so problems can be resolved quickly and won\u2019t linger after playtime is over.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

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Positive reinforcement<\/b><\/h3>\n

Something as simple as a high-five or a \u201cgood job, nice try!\u201d can go a long way in creating a positive environment and instilling confidence in children. Adults should constantly be modeling this behavior and encouraging kids to follow suit. Play games like <\/span>Traffic Jam<\/span><\/a> that don\u2019t end until all the players have reached a goal. Promote teamwork and encourage kids to cheer each other on. When you see your children encouraging others, you\u2019ll know the lesson has stuck.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

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Leadership<\/b><\/h3>\n

The playground is a perfect place to give children opportunities to lead. Teach one child the rules of a new game and have her teach the rest of the group. Have a child lead a game of <\/span>Up Down Go<\/span><\/a> or Red Light, Green Light. These methods can be especially effective with children who are shy or hyperactive.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/b><\/h3>\n

Honesty<\/b><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s so easy to let winning take priority over having fun. Most kids at some point have claimed that they weren\u2019t really tagged in kickball or that the dodgeball missed them, just to secure a victory. If you want to practice accountability and honesty, play <\/span>a game like <\/span>Museum Night Janitor<\/span><\/a>. It\u2019s almost impossible to claim \u201cI didn\u2019t move!\u201d when the janitor catches you moving. Think about a way for kids to get tagged back in so the loss isn\u2019t permanent. This will help them make the right decisions in the moment, and eventually teach them that losing a point isn\u2019t worth being dishonest.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the most under-utilized arenas for social and emotional development is the playground. How can adults who supervise the playground\u2014at school, in public parks, or in our back yards\u2014best […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":2668,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"region":[],"class_list":["post-2663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-updates"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFive Important Life Lessons from the Playground - New England<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"5 ways play can help kids practice valuable skills, and how adults can help them learn. 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