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Your favorite dangerous playtime activities

Posted by Kerala Taylor on February 8, 2012
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Would you let your kid climb a tree? What about jump off a roof?

Over the weekend, in light of our recent conversation about risk aversion, we asked our Twitter followers and Facebook fans about their favorite “dangerous” playtime activities growing up. There was a lot of gleeful jumping, climbing, and (almost) falling involved. Here's just a sampling:

We didn't just hang upside down on the monkey bars, we used to play "tag" and run across them like it was nothing. I don't think I could even step on one of them today - amazing how fearless children are!
- Stacy Towers via Facebook

Jumping roofs! Dangerous but fun. We jumped from house to house. In LA, they are built very close.
- @1AKA_VS via Twitter

Jumping off the roof of a ranch house garage into a pile of leaves.
- Eva Spera-Gauthier via Facebook

Um... climbing high into trees and jumping down... (we thought we could fly!). 
- @hipmamasociety via Twitter

Falling out of trees. Luckily I was a bouncy kid.
- @WayfarerGlyn via Twitter

Riding my brother's bike down the hill. It was too big for me. I couldn't reach the pedals. I had to get off by riding onto the grass and going in a slow circle until it fell down.
- Deb Rennie via Facebook

Walking the rail on the railroad tracks. Who knew we were developing and training balance. We were having FUN!
- Youth Fitness Guy via Facebook

Running the gauntlet through the swings that my friends were swinging on. The best part of it was *almost* getting kicked, narrowly escaping!
- Kasia Swatek Kramer via Facebook

Playing with fire.
- @helainebecker via Twitter

Biking down the long, steep hill in front of my house (age 6), no hands, no feet, no helmet and screaming my head off in glee.
- Move with Me Action Adventures via Facebook

What was your favorite "dangerous" playtime activity growing up?

Photo by Mitchio (cc).

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Wordless Wednesday: World's most boring piece of playground equipment?

Posted by Kerala Taylor on November 16, 2011
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What qualifies as a "good" piece of playground equipment? Of course, there is no silver bullet—which is why playgrounds consist of many different kinds of equipment—but in our view, a piece of playground equipment should accomplish at least ONE of the following:

  • Challenge kids physically
  • Stimulate kids creatively
  • Encourage cooperation and/or competition
  • Be FUN!

We're afraid that this piece of playground equipment in Shepreth, UK fails on all fronts:

Photo by clare_and_ben (cc).

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"No recess for you!" – A good way to punish bad behavior?

Posted by Kerala Taylor on November 14, 2011
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How to get bad students to behave? Threaten to deny something they like. Kids like recess. Therefore, the "bad kids" will learn their lesson if they are forced to stay indoors, while the "good kids" get to venture outside and play.

At first glance, the logic seems sound. But while taking recess away seems to be an increasingly popular disciplinary measure in the classroom, is it really effective? Research shows that kids who get a chance to run around and let off some steam during the day actually behave better in the classroom. Not only are they more focused, but their brains are more receptive to learning.

In fact, it’s all too likely that the rise in ADHD and other attention disorders is related to the decline in outdoor play opportunities for children—in schools, neighborhoods, and homes.

This is not to say that bad classroom behavior should go unaddressed, but denying kids recess is unlikely to have the desired effect. In fact, it’s those rowdy, uncontrollable kids who need recess the most.

Have your kids been denied recess because they misbehaved in the classroom? Do you think taking away recess is an effective disciplinary technique?

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Do kids these days have more common sense than adults?

Posted by Kerala Taylor on November 9, 2011
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When kids must teach adults the difference between a rational and irrational decision, you have to stop and wonder what’s going on.

In St. Catharines, Canada, 10-year-old Mathew Taylor (pictured left) stepped up to reverse his school’s decision to ban all balls—basketballs excluded—on the schoolyard during recess. The ban was imposed after one child got hit in the head by a soccer ball, even though according to Mathew, “she was back in class shortly after the incident.”

After “some boring recesses,” Mathew decided to take action. He collected 95 signatures for a petition, researched childhood obesity data online, and met with the school principal. His impressive and persuasive efforts led her to reverse course and once again allow soccer balls, footballs, and tennis balls on the school field.

It’s heartwarming to see Play Heroes like Mathew stepping in to save play. He instinctively understood that the decision to implement the ban was driven by paranoia and did not serve the best interests of his schoolmates.

But the fact that 10-year-olds are teaching school administrators about common sense is worrisome—to say the least. Would we rather see kids running around during recess, refining their gross motor skills, learning about teamwork,  and incrementally challenging themselves? Or would we rather see them sitting around?

Knee-jerk reactions to relatively minor injuries on the schoolyard may or may not stave off lawsuits, but at what cost?

Photo by Bob Tymczyszyn, St. Catharines Standard. Learn more about this story here.

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Enter our "Parents & Play" blog contest for a chance to win a $350 Amazon gift card!

Posted by Kerala Taylor on November 4, 2011
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Are you a mom or dad who blogs about parenting? Do you want to support a great cause? Are you looking to reach new audiences? Could you use a $350 Amazon gift card?

If you believe your kids need time and space to play outdoors, enter our “Parents & Play” blog contest for a chance to win one of 10 Amazon gift cards. Plus, we'll share your story with 80,000 monthly unique visitors on our Play Today blog, as well as our 40,000+ Facebook fans and Twitter followers!

We at KaBOOM! believe that there is a Play Deficit in our country, and it’s harming our children. Too many families don't have a playground within walking distance of their home. Paranoia is trumping common sense, resulting in sterile, uninspired play environments and fewer opportunities for kids to play. Recess is being eliminated from our nation’s schools. Kids are overscheduled, and in their free time, many choose to stay indoors, lulled by television, computers and video games.

To enter our "Parents & Play" contest, answer the following question in 300-500 words:

As a parent, how have you personally witnessed the growing Play Deficit in your child’s life?

Tell us a specific story from your own experience that touches on one of the following themes:

  • School recess
  • Play opportunities in your neighborhood
  • Helicopter parents
  • Structured after-school activities
  • Indoor screen time

To get a better sense of what we're looking for, read this great sample post by Play Today guest blogger and bestselling author Leslie Morgan Steiner.

To submit: Email your submission to KaBOOM! Online Content Manager Kerala Taylor at ktaylor@kaboom.org. Use the subject line, "Parents & Play Blog Contest." Include your 300-500 word post as a Word attachment and pasted into the body of the email. Also include a 100-word bio with a link to your blog. Attach 1-3 photos relevant to your story, at least 600 x 400 px. One submission per entrant, please.

Prizes: Entries will be judged by an expert internal KaBOOM! panel on the relevance of the story and quality of writing. Great photos are a plus! All winners and runners-up will see their posts published on Play Today and shared with our Facebook fans and Twitter followers. They will also receive:

  • First place: $350 Amazon gift card
  • Second place: $200 Amazon gift card
  • Third place: $100 gift card
  • Runners-up: 7 runners-up will receive $50 gift cards

Deadline: Monday, Nov. 21, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Click here for complete rules.

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Wordless Wednesday: How a child makes a city her playground

Posted by Kerala Taylor on November 2, 2011
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As adults, we usually walk to get somewhere. Even if we're just out for a stroll, we are more likely to be thinking about the week's grocery list than we are to be wondering what might be under that rock over there.

Kids, on the other hand, aren't huge fans of walking. They prefer to meander, scurry, climb, discover, and explore. In short, to play. That's why we love this project, "Understanding the Child-Scale in the City," which explores what a walk through town looks like from a child's point of view. As the project collaborators point out:

“….Play is a function of the imagination. Environments which disturb or reduce the role of imagination and make the child more passive, more the recipient of someone else’s imagination, may look nice, may be clean, may be safe, maybe healthy, but just cannot satisfy the central necessities for play. Children are happiest when they can move things around – a delightfully messy occupation in which chaos is delightful and order is self-inscribed."

Here's a delightful depiction of how a child makes a city her playground:

Image from a-small-lab.com. See more images here.

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Top 10 Scary Playgrounds

Posted by Kerala Taylor on October 28, 2011
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As part of our recent Scary Playgrounds! contest, we asked folks across the country to submit photos of rundown, decrepit playgrounds that are in desperate need of fixing up. 

By entering, contestants helped further our effort to create a nationwide Map of Play, which charts the location of thousands of playgrounds across the United States. Knowing where the scariest playgrounds are helps us identify the Play Deserts—that is, areas where children have no viable outdoor play opportunities within walking distance.

Congratulations to our three winners and seven runners-up!

  

Grand Prize Winner Dan Watson submitted Ponderosa Park in Fredonia, Ariz. The playground, which is adjacent to the Kaibab Band of Paiute Indian Reservation, had been forgotten for years, but is now going to get some much needed attention.

 

Second Place Winner Tricia Elisara nominated the “Not So Special Education Playground” in Julian, Calif. This playground at Julian Elementary School is adjacent to the special ed building. The school has ambitions to make it a special ed garden with multi-sensory play features.

 

Third Place Winner Mandy Fisher shared this community park in Garrison, Iowa, which was destroyed by a 135 MPH windstorm last June.

 

Runner-up Wendy Lee of Ramsey, Minn.

 

  

(Left) Runner-up Carrie Boyce of Santa Rosa, Calif. (Right) Runner-up Lisa Crane of Wakefield, Mass.

 

  

(Left) Runner-up Sarah Fong of Millis, Mass. (Right) Runner-up Susie Dice of Tecumseh, Mich.

 

  

(Left) Runner-up Kris Wren of Kris Wren of Portageville, Mo. (Right) Runner-ups Scott Brandes & Michael Cleghorn of Jacksonville, Fla.

 

Do you live near a playground that’s overrun by rust, weeds, and disrepair? A playground that seems haunted by the ghosts of the children who once scrambled, screamed, and scurried around there? Download our free mobile app or visit our website to add it to our Map of Play.

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Recess with no playground? 5 ways schools can still get kids playing

Posted by Mike Vietti on October 28, 2011
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The good news? Chicago recently announced a mandatory return of recess to all public schools.

The bad news? Not all these schools have playgrounds.

A front page story recently ran in The Chicago Tribune detailing the significant challenges that schools are facing when it comes to reintroducing recess to children. But luckily, solutions are at hand. Kids can play just about anywhere -- they don’t necessarily need a massive playground or wide open space.

Here are five creative, low-cost ways that schools can give kids the time guidance, and space they need to play:

  • Paint games on unused asphalt
    Stretches of plain asphalt at your school present valuable opportunities for play—just add paint!
     
  • Close a street for play
    If space is tight, consider petitioning the city to close a nearby street for play at a regularly scheduled time.
     
  • Add loose parts
    Transform any space into a playspace with the addition of loose parts, which allow children to constantly reconfigure their environment and to design their own course of play.
     
  • Institute "Instant Recess"
    Recess doesn't have to be confined to the schoolyard. A few 10-minute physical activity  breaks throughout the day can work wonders for reducing squirminess and increasing concentration.
     
  • Train a recess mentor
    A recess mentor can help restore healthy, inclusive play to schoolyards of all sizes by teaching kids those "old-fashioned" games that many kids these days don't know how to play.

Of course, we ultimately believe that every school should have a playground. KaBOOM! and Dr Pepper Snapple Group are awarding Let’s Play grants ranging from $750 to more than $20,000. For those who think that building a new playground might be too much work, take a lesson from our friends in Playful City USA community Shirley, Mass., who just built a new playground at Lura White Elementary School using a Let’s Play grant!

Does your child's school have recess? Does it have a playground? How does your child play at school?

 

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