Why Partner with Playworks?
Playworks helps out-of-school time providers develop meaningful daily play opportunities for youth while also building staff confidence and leadership skills. Our training supports teams of all sizes and experience levels with practical strategies for managing games, downtime, and transitions, so staff feel prepared and empowered.
Whether training seasonal staff or supporting seasoned professionals, your staff will gain skills to:
- Lead engaging, age-appropriate play
- Manage downtime, transitions, and behavior
- Build positive adult/youth relationships
- Adapt activities to fit different spaces and needs
- Strengthen leadership and facilitation skills
Our workshops are aligned to National Afterschool Association and American Camp Association standards to support compliance, credentialing, and funder requirements. Training is customized to your program context and needs.
Core Offerings
For Program Staff
Equip staff with tools that will make their day-to-day work easier and more effective by giving them concrete games and strategies to manage energy, behavior, and youth engagement in any space.
In-Person Trainings
3 Hours Each
Making Space for Play
Playful Engagement Strategies
Playtime Systems
Game Facilitation
For Program Leaders
We’ll give you the frameworks and coaching tools that will help you incorporate effective play strategies into your program design and staff engagement practices.
Virtual Workshops
90 Mins + 30 Min Coaching
Building Staff Confidence
Optimizing Free Play
Indoor Play Solutions
Playful Staff Trainings
Digital Learning
Our SparkPlay digital tools make it easy to embed play-based strategies into your daily routines, strengthen staff confidence, and sustain positive youth engagement across your program.
Digital Platform
1-Year Subscription
Guided Learning Paths
Game Database
Lesson Plan Examples
Optional Facilitator Playbook
Certified Partners
Playworks TagTeam is our certification program that builds capacity for community-based organizations to deliver high-quality recess and youth leadership programming at local elementary schools.
Multi-Year Partnership
Training for Managers and Program Staff
Ongoing Customized Support
Evidence-based Assessment Tools
“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
Benefits for Partners
Engaged and Active Kids
94% of Playworks partners’ staff believe our program increases the number of kids engaged in physical activity with their peers.
Connected Community
98% of Playworks training participants agreed they learned new strategies to promote a welcome environment for all kids.
Relationship Building and Conflict Resolution