Your Staff Isn’t the Problem. Their Toolbox Is Empty.
Playworks provides tested games, group management strategies, and a step-by-step facilitation your team can use on day one.
The Reality
Your staff has the energy and the heart. What they don’t have: how to get 25 kids’ attention without yelling, how to include the shy kid and the hyper kid in the same game, how to transition between activities without losing the group, or what to do when two kids are about to fight over who was “out.”
Most OST programs don’t have a training budget for this. Staff learn by trial and error. That means a rough first month and a lot of turnover.
The Shift
The Playworks Game Guide gives your team the game goals, set up, and easy instructions to get kids playing quickly. A simple, repeatable structure for introducing any game to any group. Plus tested attention-getters, group management techniques, and games organized by age, group size, and space.
This is what Playworks coaches use every day in 1,300+ schools and community programs. The most practical pieces, packaged so your team can use them immediately.
98%
learned new welcoming strategies
96%
say it helps kids resolve conflicts on their own
94%
saw more kids engaged in physical activity
Free Game Guide: Hundreds of Games That Kids Love
Our most downloaded resource. Games indexed by age, group size, and skill focus. Use them tomorrow.
“Our Y Staff consists of a mixed group of ages and abilities and yet our Playworks trainer was able to actively engage each and every staff member in our workshop. We can’t wait for the next one!” — Eden O’Brien-Brenner, Irvin Deutscher Family YMCA
“Playworks training has changed the way we train, meet, organize and ultimately deliver our product to our community. Our staff feel more confident in their teaching abilities and have fun at work.” — Shannon Scorgie, Recreation Coordinator, Southwest Community Center, Portland Parks & Recreation
Want even more support? Try SparkPlay.
The digital platform behind the Playbook. Guided learning paths, 250+ searchable games, weekly curated tips. Your whole team can access it, from the veteran director to the staff member who started yesterday.
Looking for Hands-On Training for Your Team?
Playworks offers staff training workshops for out-of-school time providers: group management, game facilitation, indoor play design, and youth leadership. We also offer TagTeam, a year-long certification for organizations that want Playworks practices embedded long-term.
Frequently Asked Questions
The 4 P’s stands for Pre-Game, Practice, Play, and Post-Game. It’s a simple, repeatable structure for introducing any activity to any group. Pre-Game covers setup and expectations. Practice lets kids try the game in a low-stakes way. Play is the full activity. Post-Game is a quick reflection. It works because it removes the guesswork for staff and gives kids a predictable rhythm. Staff who have never facilitated a group game before can run one on their first day using this framework.
That’s exactly who it’s built for. Camp counselors and seasonal staff typically get minimal training before being responsible for large groups of kids. The Facilitator Playbook gives them games organized by setting (indoor, outdoor, small space, large field), group size, and age range. The attention-getters and transition techniques work whether you’re in a gym, a field, or a cafeteria. SparkPlay adds guided courses your staff can complete on their own schedule before the season starts.
The Playbook isn’t a list of games. It’s a facilitation system. It teaches your staff how to introduce activities, manage group dynamics, include kids who resist participating, and handle conflicts in the moment. The games are part of it, but the real value is the group management skills around them. This is what Playworks coaches use daily in 1,300+ programs. It’s been refined over 30 years, not pulled together from blog posts.
Everyone on your team can use it. The Playbook is designed to be shared across your full staff, and SparkPlay accounts give your whole team access to the digital platform. For organizations that want deeper support, Playworks offers in-person workshops and TagTeam, a year-long certification that embeds these practices across your program.
30 years. 6,000+ schools and community programs. 5.3 million kids reached.
Trusted by YMCAs, Boys & Girls Clubs, parks departments, and youth organizations nationwide. Playworks is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
