Written by: KABOOM! In collaboration with Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation
“Too often, we treat physical activity, academic success, and mental health as separate issues, but for kids, they are deeply connected,” said Chris Helfrich, CEO of the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation.
For many children, the schoolyard is their only consistent access to safe outdoor play, green space, and connection with peers. When spaces are dominated by asphalt instead of designed for movement and joy, it impacts not only their physical health, but their ability to manage stress, focus in school, and feel a sense of belonging.
KABOOM!, Eat.Learn.Play. Foundation, and Oakland Unified School District have been working together since 2021 to create new playgrounds, nature exploration areas, multi-sport courts, teaching gardens, outdoor classrooms, and murals to transform entire schoolyards into oases that support the whole child. This partnership will have completed a total of 28 schoolyard transformations by the end of 2026, giving 8,600 students each year over the next generation improved opportunities to increase physical activity, play, learn, and grow outside of the traditional school setting.
To learn more about the positive outcomes related to physical and mental health in Oakland Schools, watch Eat. Learn. Play.’s “Building Joy: A Movement to Reimagine Oakland’s Schoolyards” documentary released in January 2026.