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Featured Article

10 Reasons Recess Is So Important

This Featured Article is part of our Recess Series

by Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer - The Recess Doctor

1) Recess is important because it serves as a necessary break from the rigors of concentrated, academic challenges in the classroom. It also offers cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits that may not be fully appreciated when a decision is made to diminish it. Pediatrics, Dec. 31, 2012.

Cognitive Benefits

2) Several studies demonstrate that recess, whether performed indoors or outdoors, made children more attentive and more productive in the classroom Jarrett, O. J. Education Research, 1998.

3) Morning outdoor breaks contribute to optimal cognitive processing and a break from academic instruction when interspersed between academic blocks of instruction required by the concentrated instruction. Pellegrino AD. Recess: Its Role in Education Development 205.

Social and Emotional Benefits

4) Children gain the opportunity to practice social skills and role-play with peers. National Association of Early Childhood Specialist in State Departments of Education, American Education Research Journal. The Importance of Play 2011.

5) Through play at recess, children learn valuable communication skills, including negotiation, cooperation, sharing, problem-solving, and coping skills, such as perseverance and self-control. National Association of Sport and Physical Education. Physical Activity for Children. 2004.

6) Recess is important because it also offers a child a necessary and socially structured means for managing stress by adapting and adjusting to the complex school environment. Bjorklund DF, Brown R Physical play and cognitive development: integrating activity, cognition, and education. Child Dev. 1998

7) Recess allows a student time to rest, play, imagine, think, move, and socialize. It can encourage creativity and problem-solving. Sibley B, Etnier J. The relationship between physical activity and cognition in children. Pediatrics Exercise Science. 2003.

Physical Benefits

8) The benefits of physical activity and fitness made available at play time contribute to a child’s overall health and well-being. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Recess Rules. Sept. 2011

9) Recess contributes to the recommended 60 minutes per day of physical activity for children, which helps in reducing sedentary behaviors with TV, computers, and video games. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Education and Community-Based Programs. Healthy People 2010. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office; 2000.

10) The American Academy of Pediatrics believes that “recess is a crucial and necessary component of a child’s development and, as such, it should not be withheld for punitive or academic reasons.”

UPDATE – The Benefits of free and unstructured play for young children.

“A 2009 study from a group of researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York showed that, compared to those who have minimal or no recess time, elementary school children who have free time during the day receive higher ratings from teachers on their classroom behavior. The study (like the policy statement mentioned) was published in the journal Pediatrics.”

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Online Training

Bullying Prevention Training

“This course has taught me that the consequences of bullying are not the only school mandated and enforced by the teacher but also that the state and even federal government plays a role in ensuring students feel safe at school.” – C. Riddle

Target Audience

The online class is designed for administrators, teachers, aides, after-school staff, parents, and park personnel who want to learn more about the specific challenges, best practices, and legal obligations when supervising children in the school setting. You do not currently need to be actively employed or working with students.

Course Goals

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

1. Participants will be able to identify the 4 components of bullying.

2. Participants will be able to identify bullying incidents.

3. Demonstrate the knowledge to correctly respond to bullying.

4. Understand your role and legal responsibilities in keeping children safe on the playground.

5. Identify the 11 components common in bullying legislation.

Course Content

1. Introduction and Overview: Legal requirements, state-specific requirements, state and local responsibilities in reducing bullying.

2. Defining Bullying: what is bullying, what is not bullying, teasing vs taunting, roles in bullying, effects of bullying, and what kids need to know about bullying.

3. Bullying Statistics: bullying increasing, cyberbullying, ramifications of bullying, and that in bullying no one wins.

4. Identifying Bullying: types of bullying, boys who bully, girls who bully, at-risk groups for bullying, targets of bullying.

5. Legislation: legislative components, training and prevention, and transparency and monitoring.

6. Local responsibilities Relating to defining, reporting, investigating, written records, legal requirements, sanctions, and referrals on bullying.

7. Responding to bullying: Staff training, hot spots for bullying, and AEIOU method of responding to bullying.

Course Materials

Bossenmeyer, Melinda Bullying, and Harassment. What schools can do?
Bossenmeyer, Melinda How Schools Should Respond to Bullying
Bossenmeyer, Melinda Why Bullying Programs Success or Fail

The following learning materials are available for download within various sections of the course:

Analysis of State Bullying Laws
State Cyberbullying Laws from Research
Bullying and Cyberbullying statistics
What you need to know about bullying
DOE Letter regarding Schools Legal Responsibilities
Dear Colleague Letter
11 Components of bullying legislation
Anti-Bullying Policy and Program Development
CSMH Bullying Policy Brief

Info Page

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Interested in our other courses? See below.

How to Have A Peaceful Playgrounds Online

Pedometer Walking Program Training

Grant Writing Course

Recess Before Lunch Training

Low Cost, High Activity Playground

Playground and Strategies for Improving Recess

60 Seconds for Self Regulation

Preschool-Grade 2

No Equipment Activity Pack

Downloadable

Great for rainy days or snow day when you are trapped indoors. These also make great Brain Break Activities.

16 sets of activity cards for indoor or outdoor use totaling 282 individual activities.

Great for rainy days or snow day when you are trapped indoors. These also make great Brain Break Activities.

PLEASE NOTE: THESE ARE DIGITAL PRODUCTS AND MUST BE DOWNLOADED. INTENDED USE IS FOR SMARTPHONE, IPAD, GOOGLE CHROME PAD, OR ANDROID DEVICES.

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5 Fitness Games with limited Equipment Video

1:16 min running time

New Special While Supplies Last

'We Count Walking Program' 50% off with any Walking & Jogging Track Purchase

Walking and Jogging Track

Peaceful Playgrounds new Walking and Jogging Track is great for getting kids moving and perfect for those days when it is too wet to run out on the field. The track was designed for elementary schools who rarely have the benefit of designated running space. Some schools have put the track on the perimeter of the blacktop playground and others have added it in a large square on one portion of the playground. The set comes with Letters, Numbers, feet, and shapes which can be added to the walking and jogging track. Contents included:

40 plastic reusable stencils
Online Support and Layout Suggestions.
Site License
Paint and Paint Machine

Price $1,499

The We Count Student Walking Program uses pedometers as an aid to kids in fighting fat. The complete program kit ensures your success with the We Count! Each set includes 10 Student pedometers, progress charts, certificates, logs, newsletters, and motivational stickers. The program’s design is based on research that indicates that inexpensive step-counting devices (pedometers) motivate and educate kids to walk and be more active, thereby impacting the alarming number of overweight children.

With pedometers

Original Price $399

Sale Price $199

Without pedometers

Original Price $249.99

Sale Price $125

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Play Nice! Equipment Fun Pack Contest

Enter to Win!

Play Nice! Equipment Fun Pack Contest

Enter your school today in the Play Nice! Equipment Fun Pack Contest.

Share a picture of you doing something fun on your playground with the hashtag, #playnicefunpack and #peacefulplaygrounds for an extra entry.

This Equipment pack includes 42 pieces of equipment. This equipment pack can be used at recess for each grade level, in Physical Education class, before/after school programs.

which includes 6 of each: