On a sunny Monday morning in May 2010, Playworks coaches descended on playgrounds all over Philadelphia to transform chaotic recess periods to times when every kid participates, learns to positively resolve conflict but most of all has fun. Their ambitious goal – to do this in one week during "Recess Roll Out" with little more than skill, energy and a few rubber balls. A tall order? Definitely.
By day three, prinicpals, teachers and school playground assistants were astonished by the transformation. Recess fights had become all but nonexistent. Kids were playing together without conflict, following directions and having the time of their lives.
One teacher told her principal about how two boys who often carried their recess conflicts into the classroom were about to get into a fight during classtime, and stopped in their tracks.
