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 Program Recognition
Many of the most respected sources in health and education recommend Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer's innovative Peaceful Playgrounds
and We Count! Student Wellness Programs.
Peaceful Playgrounds is recognized as a fully NCLB Compliant Program. The Federal
No Child Left Behind
Act encourages the use of programs and approaches that
work to protect students and
teachers, encourage discipline and personal responsibility. The
National School Safety Center Report demonstrates the
program's safety, conflict resolution and violence prevention results.
Over 8,000 schools have discovered these are the most effective
solutions for playground
safety and childhood obesity. Now is the time to request a Peaceful Playgrounds Product Brochure for your school or
one of your colleagues.
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 "Anyone who still bears psychic scars from childhood games of
dodgeball
will rejoice to learn that many schools are working actively to introduce
children to nonviolent games of cooperation.
Support and inspiration for these kinds of efforts often comes from
organizations like
Peaceful
Playgrounds, whose goals include reducing injuries, decreasing violence and
bullying, and encouraging educational and purposeful play. A conflict resolution
component forms part of the overall Peaceful Playgrounds program." -
MediationBlog .
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Best in Class! - Brings about Whole School Change!
Action for Healthy Kids
National experts rated excellent! Peaceful Playgrounds addresses a number of national standards.
"Their rapid expansion attests that the approach is both practical
and a realistic intervention for schools interested in this cost effective
childhood obesity intervention that gets kids moving."
Federal Government Research & Recommendations
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The National Guideline Clearinghouse
The NGC is a
public resource for evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.
NGC is an initiative of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NGC was originally created by AHRQ in partnership with the American Medical Association and the American Association of Health Plans (now America's Health Insurance Plans [AHIP]).
There is little consistent data available on time spent by elementary and middle
school students in MVPA while on the playground. Estimates range from 5% to 40%
depending on the age and gender of the child.
Several studies have shown that the following low cost interventions on
playgrounds can increase MVPA. While research remains somewhat limited, these
interventions are easy to implement, show positive results, and are low in cost.
To increase time spent in MVPA during unstructured recess time:
- Have the physical education teacher instruct all students on
proper use of playground equipment.
- Offer prompts and encouragement for activity. Suggested prompts to engage students:
- How many times can you jump the rope in one minute?
- How many times can you go across the horizontal ladder?
- How many baskets can you make in one minute?
- Increase the available permanent equipment on the
playground, such as basketball hoops, volleyball nets, tennis
courts.
- Increase the number of balls on the playground.
- Paint playground equipment with bright fluorescent colors.
- Paint playground markings on the playground surface.
Examples: letter squares, mazes, hopscotch squares, castles,
pirate ships, ladders, giant clock faces.
- Use pre-developed design templates, specifically
designed to increase physical activity on the playground.
"Peaceful Playgrounds is a recommended program for playground markings that
increase children's physical activity levels at recess."
Increasing physical activity in schools:
kindergarten through eighth grade
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Recommendations
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The Disparity Reducing Advances Project
- The Institute for Alternative Futures
has identified Peaceful Playgrounds as a promising advance for bringing health gains to the poor and underserved
and lowering the risk of childhood obesity through their comprehensive
playground programs. - School Based Wellness Programs Report
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The Vermont Healthy Schools Resource for Physical Activity
- The Vermont Department of Health and Education & Action for Healthy Kids
recommends Peaceful Playgrounds as a National Resource for
school playground blueprints to help introduce children and school staff to the many
choices of activities available on playgrounds and field areas.
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The Strategic Alliance for Healthy Food and Activity Environments
- Strategic Alliance is a coalition of nutrition and physical activity advocates in California.
School Activity Environments that provide equipment and playground facilities for active play.
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Promising Practices in After
School
- The PPAS System is an effort to find
and share things that are working in after school programs.
Peaceful Playgrounds is a physical activity program that has shown to decrease playground injuries,
decrease bullying, and increase children's physical activity levels.
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Peace and Justice Resource Center
- Highlighting organizations and individuals, committed to work for peace in our community. Peaceful Playgrounds: an Elementary Teacher's Guide to Recess Games and Markings.
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Willmar Public Schools District
- Steps to a Healthier Willmar is supporting the Peaceful Playgrounds program at Lincoln Learning Center and Jefferson Elementary School.
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"Since 1995, the Peaceful Playgrounds program has prevented
broken limbs, bloody noses and other playground injuries at E. Hale
Curran Elementary School." - The program
brings the Murrieta school a statewide award from the California
School Boards Association.
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Spotlight - Outstanding School Playground
Central Elementary School
Demonstrating their commitment to a safe, bully-free,
respectful community that facilitates the social and emotional growth of children,
Central Elementary School introduces an integrated approach that highlights Peaceful
Playgrounds.
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Recent Success Stories:
Field puts “Peace” of Mind into Playgrounds
Looking around the Field School playground, an observer can see a variety of
activities going on--four square, scoop games, scattered circles, running bases
and hopscotch. Disagreements are settled, not with loud arguments, but with
constructive talk and sometimes “rock, paper, scissors.” This is Peaceful
Playground at work. Last summer in sweltering heat, teachers, students, and
parents collaborated to create the colorfully painted Field School Peaceful
Playground. The purpose of Peaceful Playground is to provide activity for all
students, ownership in civil behavior, and provide a safe recess time for every
Field School student...
read this entire success story
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Field School Students are learning to take ownership of
problem solving.
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Awards & Endorsements
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Action for Healthy Kids
- A Nationwide Nonprofit Organization working to improve children's nutrition and increase physical activity. Best in Class awarded by a panel of experts representing 27 national organizations and government agencies,
based on ten criteria. Program Evaluation & Conclusions
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The American Association for Leisure and Recreation
- The American Association for Leisure and Recreation Friend of Recreation Award
is presented to an individual, group, or organization that has demonstrated meritorious
contribution benefiting AALR or its programs. Award
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California School Boards Association
- CSBA believes that identifying exemplary programs serves as a way to share
information about effective educational strategies with
districts and county offices of education throughout the
state. Golden Bell Award
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Sharing Success
- Sharing Success is publicly funded by the New York State Legislature to identify and disseminate successful educational programs and practices statewide.
The Peaceful Playgrounds Program meets their rigorous evaluation standards. Profile
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"The Peaceful Playgrounds concept takes a resource most playgrounds already have –
open space – and transforms blacktops and fields into play areas for different age groups
with activities such as tetherball, wall ball, and Frisbee golf." -
Louisiana Department of Education
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Free Monthly Newsletter!
The monthly Play Nice! Newsletter is full of tips and techniques for
managing a Peaceful Playground. Each month subscribers receive links to valuable
resources for free playground grants and updated product information on the
award winning playground safety program from Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer. Add
your email address today!
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