The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a structured, playful activity program on the development of social skills in preschool aged children (4-6 years) during break time in the schoolyard of kindergarten. The participants were 40 pupils (26 toddlers and 14 pre-toddlers, 26 boys and 14 girls) from one Greek public kindergarten.…

Students who experience social withdrawal and anxiety (internalizing difficulties) are often overlooked in schools due to the covert nature of their symptoms. The literature lacks empirically supported preventive approaches for kindergarten students who are socially withdrawn and behind their peers in developing social skills. Furthermore,…

It is easy to understand that fun is one of the key ingredients to any playground activity. But what one may not realize is that play systems--including slides, tunnels, activity panels, and more--encourage a lot more than just fun: there is learning at work in playground play, as well as the opportunity to include children of all abilities in…

This paper explores the place of the school playground in the lives of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We discuss the physical environment, school systems and practices that support the development of social competence and increased peer interactions for children with ASD in their school playground. Highlighted issues include the…

Research Findings: This study explored the relationship between play and child development at the Grade 1 level. As previous research has noted a sudden curtailment of classroom play during this period, the relationship between play at home and children's school grades, behavior, and creativity scores was examined using correlational and…

Focus groups explored the bullying prevention suggestions of 62 Grade 5 to 8 students. Discussions were transcribed and analyzed thematically. Students advocated a comprehensive approach including uniforms, increased supervision, playground activities, group restructuring to prevent social isolation, influential presenters, prevention skills…

Although the construct of solitary-active behavior calls for the aggregation of solitary-functional play and solitary-pretend play, there is little empirical support for combining them into one construct. Furthermore, little work has been done in early childhood to examine these behaviors on the playground. The purpose of this study was to observe…

Joe L. Frost is Parker Centennial Professor Emeritus at the University of Texas, Austin, and one of America's leading experts on play and playgrounds. In addition to having taught child development and early childhood education at Texas and several other universities, he has written or edited fifteen university-level textbooks and more than one…

Author describes the procedure used for designing a place out-of-doors where opportunities for learning abound. (Author/CB)

Investigated the impact of the outdoor-learning environment on play behaviors and peer relationships of second graders with different levels of physical competence. Found that playground design influenced children's social- and physical-skill development by facilitating or constraining the strategies they used to manage their play with peers. A…

Advocates the use of recess meetings to help children succeed socially. Describes case studies of use of recess meetings in a first- and third-grade class, showing how teachers got to know each child better, and detailing how children were better able to express ideas, share experiences, voice concerns, solve problems, and laugh. (Author/SD)

In this article, inclusion and exclusion are interpreted not as functions of individual developmental deficit but rather as socially constructed phenomena within the peer group, highlighting the need for teachers to intervene with the entire class rather than focusing on perceived social skills deficits of particular children. The three sections…

Author suggests that through encouragement of game play, children can learn to derive more meaning from their education and their lives. (Author)

Adding plastic gutters to the nursery school's sand area began as a science curriculum enhancement and evolved into a whole curriculum that stimulated cognitive exploration, cooperative dramatic play, language enhancement, and general fun. The children manipulated the gutters and materials such as sand, water, buckets, and tennis balls in a…

Discusses improvements in playground design and how playgrounds for young children can be further improved by more focus on gross-motor, social, dramatic, and constructive play. Also examines the largely negative role of activity panels that many playground companies include on their structures, noting that such panels often present academic…