For Your Binder

This is a valuable collaborative resource created by The National Playing Fields Association, PLAYLINK, The Children's Play Council, Play Wales, Play Scotland, Sutcliffe Play & Playboard Northern Ireland.  At it's core is a shared belief that children need to play and as such, need environments that are suitable for them to do so.  #play #playwork #learning #teaching #outside

Loose parts were provided on playgrounds located in two housing structures in Paris. The researchers had questions:  How will children play with objects that are not toys? How do the objects affect children's play? #play #toys #playwork #adventureplaygrounds #recess #outside

Withholding recess for punishment is counterintuitive because the students who have trouble sitting still or being quiet are often the ones who would benefit the most from some free time to move around and regain their focus. #teaching #learning #recess #DAP #play #outside #movement #equity

Extreme safety concerns and risk minimization strategies are eroding children's opportunities to engage in developmentally appropriate risk taking. #DAP #teaching #risk #play #outside

We know the many benefits of risky play for young children - but are all children being afforded opportunities to engage in this kind of play? Disabled children tend to be over-protected and have their abilities underestimated. Additionally, "accessibility" is not in itself sufficient to ensure the quality of the play experience.  #inclusion #equity #outside #movement #recess

Published in Pediatrics in June 2022 this link will bring you to the abstract which, although not the full paper,  provides enough data to remind us that young children are still not moving around enough. #play #movement #outside #recess #DAP #environment

Building a den is great for encouraging children's imagination and reinforces their sense of self. But sometimes one of the great pleasures of childhood has to be relearned. #dens #forts #outside #play #environments

If we don’t allow children the freedom to move their bodies in different ways with simple challenges, how do we expect them to become capable of navigating their environment without getting hurt? Risks and challenges are important for healthy sensory and motor development and this article will assist you in really understanding why!

#play #risk #movement #outside #teaching #learning #DAP

Children all over the world organize these “special places.” #dens #forts #nature #outside #play

Data was collected over a five year span.  Anyone wanna take any guesses? Yup! You guessed it! The adventure playground was statistically safer.  #adventureplaygrounds #playgrounds #play #risk #movement #recess #playwork #outside 

Short of cocooning our darlings in bubble wrap, nothing’s going to keep them completely safe. #play #outside #risk #movement #parenting #teaching #playgrounds

Worth the cost of the ink to print out all 140 pages!  From page 11:

This playbook aims to give readers:

• insight into gaps and issues inherent in thinking about inclusive playground design and practice

• insight into how inclusive playgrounds and their surroundings are experienced together

• potential strategies that will contribute to project discussions, designs, budgets, and more

• a depth and breadth of ‘how to’ guidance for designing inclusive playgrounds

• ways to ensure that any inclusively designed playground and its surrounding environment are accessible and welcoming to children with disabilities and their families

#play #inclusion #accessibility #equity #environment #recess #playgrounds #DAP #movement #outside #teaching #learning