Playground equipment-Playgrounds vital in education, development
Playground equipment-Playgrounds vital in education, development
As educators, we spend our careers pursuing what’s best for our students. We strive to integrate the best curriculum with the most qualified teachers to produce an outstanding learning environment.
In the 37 years I’ve spent at TCA, first as a teacher and then as an administrator, I’ve come to realize that every school contains another essential learning environment that’s not contained within its four walls.
The playground serves a vital and irreplaceable function in the education and development of our students. Playgrounds are the social, emotional, developmental and spiritual laboratories of our schools, and we need a variety of spaces and activities for a variety of children.
Here are a few things important considerations about playgrounds:
First, playgrounds are more important to children than to adults. Children love recess and the chance to enter a world that is distinct from the classroom. The playground can provide a needed balance for all types of students.
Second, recent research strongly recommends playgrounds be as safe as necessary — not as safe as possible. Children need controlled risk. They need to push their own boundaries of success and failure in physical challenges.
Third, children love boundaries that make play more enjoyable. When I began a tradition of painting boundary and goal lines on our playground soccer field, everything changed. Rather than rampant disregard for rules, the kids played by the rules and held each other accountable. Everyone felt more obligated to do what was right.
Fourth, reflective and social spaces are just as critical to a well-developed playground as are more active areas. We have incorporated three chess tables to help support the 50-plus students in grades two through four who participate in our TCA chess club. The concrete tunnels we have are always a favorite as a quiet place to visit with friends.
Fifth, new challenges should be as inviting as possible. The climbing wall on our lower school playground was initially daunting to a number of our students, but over time, many have found that rock climbing is now a favorite hobby to be pursued at some of the local climbing parks.
Sixth, playgrounds are a great place for the development of relationships and conflict resolution. Playgrounds are often the source of interpersonal struggle or disagreements, and occasionally they are marked by unkind behavior. As such, these spaces are the perfect space to experience repentance, restoration and forgiveness.
For these reasons and more, it is important that we continue to allow our students daily time on the playground to exercise, play and encourage growth by allowing them to challenge themselves physically, socially and mentally.
Playgrounds are an essential component to our schools, and an indispensable complement to what takes place within our classrooms.
As educators, we spend our careers pursuing what’s best for our students. We strive to integrate the best curriculum with the most qualified teachers to produce an outstanding learning environment.
In the 37 years I’ve spent at TCA, first as a teacher and then as an administrator, I’ve come to realize that every school contains another essential learning environment that’s not contained within its four walls.
The playground serves a vital and irreplaceable function in the education and development of our students. Playgrounds are the social, emotional, developmental and spiritual laboratories of our schools, and we need a variety of spaces and activities for a variety of children.
Here are a few things important considerations about playgrounds:
First, playgrounds are more important to children than to adults. Children love recess and the chance to enter a world that is distinct from the classroom. The playground can provide a needed balance for all types of students.
Second, recent research strongly recommends playgrounds be as safe as necessary — not as safe as possible. Children need controlled risk. They need to push their own boundaries of success and failure in physical challenges.
Third, children love boundaries that make play more enjoyable. When I began a tradition of painting boundary and goal lines on our playground soccer field, everything changed. Rather than rampant disregard for rules, the kids played by the rules and held each other accountable. Everyone felt more obligated to do what was right.
Fourth, reflective and social spaces are just as critical to a well-developed playground as are more active areas. We have incorporated three chess tables to help support the 50-plus students in grades two through four who participate in our TCA chess club. The concrete tunnels we have are always a favorite as a quiet place to visit with friends.
Fifth, new challenges should be as inviting as possible. The climbing wall on our lower school playground was initially daunting to a number of our students, but over time, many have found that rock climbing is now a favorite hobby to be pursued at some of the local climbing parks.
Sixth, playgrounds are a great place for the development of relationships and conflict resolution. Playgrounds are often the source of interpersonal struggle or disagreements, and occasionally they are marked by unkind behavior. As such, these spaces are the perfect space to experience repentance, restoration and forgiveness.
For these reasons and more, it is important that we continue to allow our students daily time on the playground to exercise, play and encourage growth by allowing them to challenge themselves physically, socially and mentally.
Playgrounds are an essential component to our schools, and an indispensable complement to what takes place within our classrooms.
评论
发表评论