Promote Positive Playground Behavior
Promote Positive Playground Behavior
Develop Playground Rules Playground supervisors should collaborate with school or agency staff and children to develop rules and guidelines that promote safety, encourage positive behavior, and allow children to be active, experience new challenges, and mature developmentally. There is no hard-and-fast set of playground rules. Rules will vary based on the ages of the children, the site-specific play environment and playground equipment, the number of playground supervisors, what is socially acceptable in that particular setting or community, and other factors.
Usage during inclement weather or other weather- related hazards
You may wish to develop playground policies for activities such as lining up and checking out balls, toys, and other portable equipment. When developing rules about the playground equipment, consider these things among other factors:
• Encourage the wearing of sun protective clothing and/or sunscreen.
Age and ability of each user group
Examples of “Supervisors” Playground Rules:
• Consider height and complexity of activity.
• Tag games should be played in the grassy area away from the equipment. • Children should use slides by going down feet first. • Shovels, buckets, and other sand toys should remain in the sand and water play area. • Children must wear helmets when riding bikes and other riding toys, and helmets should be returned to the designated area before getting on playground equipment. • Fences, trees, lamp posts, and other site amenities should not be used as climbing equipment.
Ultimately, your school or agency can develop playground safety rules in two ways: First, supervisors can collaborate to establish school or agency- wide rules, providing guidance and understanding as to what type of activities and behavior will be encouraged/discouraged on the playground; Second, rules can be developed with children that relate specifically to the desired behaviors your school or agency wants to encourage on the playground. Including children in this process can help them take ownership of the rules. Supervisors’ Playground Rules Supervisors’ playground rules should be developed in a group discussion with supervisors and members of your school or agency staff and administration. These rules will be based on behaviors that the
playground supervisors determine would be unsafe for children, but they should also address the desired behaviors that would encourage fun, engagement, and safer play. As a group, the supervisors should decide what is considered acceptable/unacceptable play behavior. What skills and behaviors do you wish to encourage while children are playing? (Example: Running, jumping, climbing, pushing, ball play, piling on, curiosity, hiding, social daring, etc.) During this process, work with your school or agency to decide what behaviors will be allowed in each area of the play environment and on and around the playground equipment. The acceptable behavior may vary for different age groups and for different types of equipment.
Look for signs and labels on and around the equipment that indicate appropriate user groups. Unsuitable objects brought onto the play equipment (Example: Helmets, clothing with strings, sharp objects, etc.) • Work with and educate parents, so they can help discourage the wearing/carrying of these items. • Scan the play environment frequently, looking for dangerous objects and other hazards. • Consider creating a “playground dress code” that restricts the wearing of drawstrings, other strangulation hazards, and inappropriate footwear .
17
Preserving the Play Environment • Promoting the Value of Play • Protecting Children
Preserving the Play Environment • Promoting the Value of Play • Protecting Children
18
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator