When educators take play out of schools, children learn to separate play from learning. In reality, children access learning "through" play. Despite research efforts to promote the academic, physical, and cognitive importance of play in the lives of children, some school systems have reduced or eliminated playtime for young children. In…

Early childhood programs strive to provide good-quality care and education as young children develop their physical, emotional, social, and intellectual skills. In order to provide children with positive, developmentally appropriate learning opportunities, educators ensure the safety and security of children, indoors and outdoors. The outdoor…

The role of play in human development has long been the subject of controversy. Despite being championed by many of the foremost scholars of the twentieth century, play has been dogged by underrepresentation and marginalization in literature across the scientific disciplines. "The Oxford Handbook of the Development of Play" marks the first attempt…

Students in grades three to four can collect, analyze, and represent data in order to determine which piece of playground equipment appears most popular. Students in grades five to six can investigate the geometry of playground structures using measurement and scale models. Lesson plans and reproducible worksheets are included. (CMS)

Describes easy to implement exercises that are designed to promote interest in physics by changing the laboratory environment. (ZWH)

This book contains descriptions and illustrations for 49 pieces of handmade or improvised equipment suitable for children. Included with each piece are: (1) information pertaining to the objectives for using the equipment; (2) necessary materials and instructions for construction; (3) suggested individual, partner, and/or group activities for use;…

This resource package was designed to provide activities that will improve student knowledge of and skill in wintertime and out-of-doors recreational pursuits. Winter games and sports appropriate for children from kindergarten through grade 10 are described. Teaching methods and learning objectives are discussed and sample lesson plans are…

Describes how students in a third-grade classroom were given opportunities to practice measurement activities on their school playground. Argues that the school buildings and playground can be rich sources of ways to help students make connections and extend their spatial thinking and reasoning beyond the confines of the classroom. (ASK)

This text offers both theoretical and practical information for teaching movement to elementary students. Following an introduction to movement education theory, the content of the book is divided into four sections. Chapter 1 of part 1 outlines a rationale for movement education. Chapter 2 looks at the cognitive, affective, and motor development…

The purpose of elementary movement and fitness education is to help every child achieve optimum growth and development through activities. The Utah State Core Curriculum has provided standards and objectives that will fulfill this goal. This resource guide for elementary school teachers contains three to four detailed activities based on the Utah…

Based upon the principle that all children have a right to play and to experience the benefits of recess, this book assists elementary school teachers and parents in offering children in preschool through Grade 6 appropriate recess games and activities and provides a variety of readings that support the need for recess activities. The book is…

Reports on three studies of playground fighting among elementary and middle school age students in Great Britain. Finds that the most common cause of fights were disputes over some aspect of a rule-governed game; teasing; retaliation to an accidental injury; and, to a lesser extent, disputes over space. (CFR)

Presents Texas Instruments' new Calculator-Based Laboratory (CBL), a hand-held device that connects to a graphing calculator, as a tool to make sophisticated measurements outside the classroom laboratory. Describes activities that use the CBL to make measurements in motion studies. (JRH)

Most physical education at the pre-school, kindergarten, and primary level is taught by caregivers and classroom teachers with minimal training in the area. This publication suggests many activities for pre-school centers and elementary schools that can take place outside in the playground with a minimal supply of equipment and with children in…

This book demonstrates that therapeutic play can provide a solution to contemporary socialization problems. It provides a selection of games and activities that teach children about living in the world through the dynamics of play. Section 1, "Introduction," defines "play" and the philosophy and rules behind a healthy play…