Reports

Children need opportunities to establish positive social connections at school, yet many school playgrounds are challenged by social conflict that can undermine these connections. Because recess is typically the only time during the school day that children are free to socialize and play, it is possible to begin to think of recess through the lens…

In Jan 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and SHAPE America released new guidance documents for recess. Playworks contributed to the development of these guidance documents and we’re excited that the CDC and SHAPE America have taken the step to publicly recognize the importance of recess in the development of our kids.

Children's desire for fun and active play were influenced by physical playground characteristics and safety, rules and supervision, peer-interactions, and variations in equipment/games. Structural involvement of children in designing, developing and improving playgrounds may increase children’s active play and consequently physical activity levels during recess.

In a study measuring the physical activity of 453 schoolchildren in Massachusetts, only 15 percent of students achieved the CDC-recommended 60 minutes of daily MVPA throughout the day, and only 8 percent met the recommendation of 30 minutes of MVPA during school. The greatest disparity was between boys and girls, with girls being far less…

The impact of Playworks was larger among minority students than among non-Hispanic white students. One possible explanation is that minority students in non-Playworks schools typically engaged in less physical activity, suggesting that there is more room for improvement.

The Playworks TeamUp program can help schools make recess more organized and safe, and ensure healthy play is taking place. Participating schools reported improvements in recess organization, students’ familiarity with a variety of games, and their access to playground equipment. The majority of TeamUp schools said that after they started using the program, students were…

Girls in Playworks schools had significantly higher accelerometer intensity counts and spent more time in vigorous physical activity than girls in control schools. Girls in the treatment group were also significantly less likely than those in the control group to be sedentary and significantly more likely to engage in jumping, tag, and playground games.

In schools that achieved a high functioning recess, teachers and principals agreed that by the end of the year, recess offered more opportunities for student engagement, conflict resolution, pro-social skill development, and emotional and physical safety. Respondents linked these changes to improved overall school climate.

A positive perception of the school play environment is associated with higher moderate to vigorous physical activity during recess among girls.