Safe and Healthy Play

In 2017, Playworks and the American Institutes for Research (AIR) partnered to learn more about how effective recess teams drive strong quality and recess outcomes. Close your eyes and picture the best recess you can imagine. What does that look like to you? A quality recess is one that is safe, engaging, and empowering. Play…

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation Grants Playworks $4,590,371 Over 132,250 kids in more than 350 schools will experience safe and healthy play every day as a result of this investment. This is the largest regional grant Playworks has ever received.  Detroit, MI—July 15, 2018—Playworks, the leading national nonprofit leveraging the power of play to transform…

We live in extraordinary times. We struggle to make sense of the catastrophes, threats, and conflicts we see at a distance and up close. Sometimes, we even forget that we have a real capacity to impact what happens in our own communities. We may not be able to stop natural disasters or political strife, but…

When elementary schools create a safe and healthy recess for students, there can be a major impact on individual kids and school climate overall.

When elementary schools create a safe and healthy recess for students, there can be a major impact on individual kids and school climate overall. In schools with safe and healthy recess students are more active, more cooperative, and more likely to use strong conflict resolution tools. Schools also see more drops in bullying and disciplinary…

Disney's Forever in Your Mind and tennis star Sloane Stephens help kick off Playworks' Rock Star Recess Concert Event

CHICAGO (FOX 32 NEWS) – We are now officially into summer break and most kids are already out of school. While summer time is the perfect time for kids to get outside and play, there are plenty of distractions around to keep them from getting good exercise such as the TV,  computer, iPad and video games.…

Woodland, WA—Up until about a month ago, recess at Woodland Primary School had more kids bickering, running around and getting sent to the office, according to Nicole Metteer, recess supervisor at the school for kindergarten and first-grade students. But this week, Woodland finished its fourth week working with Playworks, a national nonprofit that works with…

A loud buzzer announces recess at Santa Ana’s James A. Garfield Elementary. Youngsters stream out of their classrooms and pause briefly in neat lines before scattering across the blacktop to bounce balls, skip rope and play tag. It’s a typical schoolyard scene, unfolding against a soundtrack of shrieks and shouts. But considerably more is at…