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Studies on Play

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Coaches Corner

According to Coach Amber, an AmeriCorps member and Playworks program coordinator at the Lee Academy Pilot School in Dorchester, "every day is a...

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Playworks Serves on National Day of Service!

Playworks served with Habitat For Humanity on the National Day of Service to help repaint houses and build a fence around an East Oakland low-...

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Don’t just take our word for it: Why play matters has been the subject of several studies. Time and time again, research has shown that healthy play and recess help kids succeed in the classroom — and need to be taken seriously.

** Please note that studies prior to July 2009 will list the organization as Sports4Kids, the former name for Playworks.

Bully Proofing Playgrounds During School Recess
Education.com
March 25, 2011

A study in Philadelphia illustrates how the development of a partnership between researchers, teachers, community members, and students can lead to a playground-based bully-prevention program. The study took place in a large urban elementary school in Philadelphia, which had approximately 750 students in kindergarten-4th grade

Playworks: Supporting Positive School Climate in Low-Income Elementary Schools
John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities
January 4, 2011

Research has shown that a positive school climate improves social, emotional, and academic outcomes for youth and is influenced by: (1) school structure, policies, and leadership; (2) teaching and learning environments; (3) physical and emotional safety; and (4) positive relationships. Results from the Study of Playworks in Eight Bay Area Schools show that with successful program implementation, Playworks can support an improved school climate.

The State of Play
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
February 4, 2010

A new, first-of-its-kind Gallup poll reveals that elementary school principals overwhelmingly believe recess has a positive impact not only on the development of students’ social skills, but also on achievement and learning in the classroom.

School Recess and Group Classroom Behavior
Pediatrics
January 1, 2009

Children in urban, low-income schools are less likely to have recess than students in other schools. Teachers cite improved behavior in the classroom when students have recess.