Peaceful Playgrounds are Sweeping the Nation

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                    CONTACT: Melinda Bossenmeyer

T: 877.444.9888

 

Peaceful Playgrounds Press Release

Peaceful Playgrounds Are Sweeping the Nation

Peaceful Playgrounds, the brainchild of award-winning educator and playground designer Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer.  It is a system of fun and educational activities painted onto a schoolyard surface. The program has been proven to reduce confrontations, increase motor skills, dramatically reduce injuries and maximize playground efficiency. For children in kindergarten through sixth grade, it’s a lot of fun too!

 

As a long-time teacher and principal in the Southern California public school system developed the recess program.  Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer saw more than her share of injuries, problems and violence in the schoolyard. Often a state of controlled bedlam, children swarmed on limited play equipment.  She also observed chaotic versions of competitive sports that usually lead to heated arguments, or just wandered aimlessly. After recess, teachers too frequently found themselves wasting precious class time settling battles that began out on the playground.

 

Dr. Bossenmeyer saw a dire need for more non-competitive, structured games that would limit physical contact and make better use of the entire playground area. She found an affordable solution in the creation of her Peaceful Playgrounds concept. According to Dr. Bossenmeyer, “The program is intended to maximize the number of students involved in physical activity rather than waiting in line for their turn or just standing around talking. Burning off energy, makes kids more focused when they return to class.”

 

Drawing on a strong background in playground safety and design, Dr. Bossenmeyer created a series of age-appropriate games, and learning activities to be painted onto existing playground surfaces using her blueprints and pre-fabricated stencils.

 

The Peaceful Playgrounds program consists of five main components:

 

• A blueprint for game markings – The first objective is to disperse children evenly across the play area. Colorful, strategically spaced markings including numbers, letter grids and various geometric shapes delineate play areas, creating a cheerful amusement park look

 

• A consistent set of rules – The second objective is to foster consistency and training for kids, teachers and aides. Rules for each game are taught, posted and regularly reviewed. As games are learned, new rules are introduced for more advanced levels of play.

 

• Conflict resolution strategy- Children learn to resolve their own conflicts. Various effective options for working out disagreements are taught to the children, freeing up supervisors to do their job- looking after the safety of all those on the playground.

 

• List of required equipment- Game markings and rules are useless without ample and proper equipment to play the games. To allow for budgeting and purchasing, a detailed list of a year’s supply of equipment (various sized balls, beanbags, etc) is provided

 

• Consistent expectations and training- It is paramount to the success of the program that each staff member understands and supports the program’s objectives. Being able to play and work cooperatively empowers children and crosses over into the classroom.

 

In 1995, then Principal Melinda Bossenmeyer put the first Peaceful Playgrounds program into practice at the E. Hale Curran Elementary School in Murrieta, California. It was hailed as an overnight success. Teachers and monitors immediately saw the whole tenor of the playground change from one of chaos to calm, with almost a total student involvement in the games. An unexpected bonus, a dramatic decrease in playground injuries, is attributed to the relief and stress of overcrowded areas on the playground. With activities spread out, children were making use of the entire play area.

 

The success of Peaceful playgrounds brought accolades and recognition. In 1999, E. Hale Curran Elementary was honored with the State of California’s Golden Bell Award in the school-safety category from the California School Boards Association.

 

Through mostly word-of-mouth among educators who’ve been exposed to Peaceful Playgrounds, the concept is sweeping the nation and can now be found in over 7,000 schools across the country.

 

For more information, please contact Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer, 951-245-6970 or visit the Peaceful Playgrounds Website at www.peacefulplaygrounds.com