Chapter 6

Schoolyard Play and Social Spaces

Play and social experiences are critical for heathy development. Schoolyards offer a rich environment for such experiences. This chapter includes many ideas and strategies for developing outdoor spaces and activities that promote unstructured and structured play.

Strategies and Project Ideas to Enrich Outdoor Play

Nature Play Spaces
Add nature play spaces to your grounds to let children exercise their bodies and imaginations and have fun!

Living Willow Structures Enhance Children’s Play Environments
This article explores living willow branches as a resource to create play elements on school grounds. It includes strategies for planning, design, planting, use, and stewardship.

Nature Play in Your Neighborhood
These playful, hands-on activity ideas offer a refreshing way for kids of all ages to take a break and play in nature in their own backyard or in their neighborhood.

Living Schoolyard Activity Guide
The chapter on play, starting on page 43 of the guide, includes background and ideas for free play, risk-taking, imaginative loose parts play, games, and how to share schoolgrounds for others in the community to enjoy.

International School Grounds Month Activity Guide
Celebrate International School Grounds Month in May (and year-round!) with enriching and exciting activities from around the world. See the chapter on play starting on page 35.

The importance of play and adventure in children’s lives

Click above to listen to the podcast!

Nature Kids Radio: Episode 10: From Green Schoolyards to Green Communities with Sharon Danks (podcast)
Sharon the podcast’s host discuss schoolyards that improve ecology and children’s health and wellbeing, and including elements of risk that help students learn, explore, and pursue their sense of wonder and adventure.

Uneven Play: WHYY Explores the Need for More Playground at Schools in Philadelphia
On February 15, 2019, Green Schoolyards America’s CEO, Sharon Danks, joined Philadelphia radio station WHYY and the community for a conversation about the need for more playgrounds at Philly’s schools.

International Declaration on the Value of Risk in Play and Learning
Read this statement from the International School Grounds Alliance that explains why risk-taking is essential for children's well-being. The statement is available in 15 languages.

Credits

Most of the information and resources in this chapter were written and compiled by Green Schoolyards America. The chapter also includes two resources developed in collaboration with the International School Grounds Alliance, and two audio interviews of GSA staff by Nature Kids Radio (podcast) and WHYY (radio broadcast).

National Outdoor Learning Library

The National Outdoor Learning Library is an expansive set of resources for schools and districts created by the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative, which was founded in 2020 by Green Schoolyards America, The Lawrence Hall of Science, San Mateo County Office of Education, and Ten Strands. With the help of current partners, Green Schoolyards America is continuing to expand the library’s collection to support equitable access to outdoor learning and living schoolyards beyond the pandemic.