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Course Description:
The course is divided into 6 areas:
Introduction – Introduces the Peaceful Playgrounds “Creed” the underpinning of the Peaceful Playgrounds recess program. Students will learn the 5 areas for improvement.
Section 1- Lack of problem-solving ability. This section will cover how problems develop on the playground and strategies for teaching children appropriate problem-solving skills for settling disagreements.
Section 2- Discusses the havoc caused by playing by inconsistent game rules, as well as, the frustration it causes in children. A strategy and procedure for teaching game rules are discussed. Additionally, this section looks at the importance of safety rules to prevent injuries on the playground at recess.
Section 3- This section addresses the problem caused by the lack of loose equipment at recess. The course looks at children’s’ desire to be involved in student-organized games during recess and the roadblocks to their doing so. This section also covers the equipment needed for involvement in games based on a recommended child to equipment ratio.
Section 4- This section addresses the problems caused by a lack of school-wide rules for outdoor play. We discuss the importance of establishing rules and procedures for safe play at recess and discuss the importance of providing written rules for outdoor behavior expectancies and sharing them with parents and staff.
Section 5- Designs. This section points out that blacktop is an underdeveloped resource in most schools. It talks about appropriate game markings for educational settings. Some game markings suggestions are presented and illustrated in the areas of motor skill development markings, game markings, academic markings, and cooperative game markings. These markings (which are scarce in most schools) address the problem of not having enough to do on the typical school playground.
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