Creative Playground Equipment
Intervention Overview
Recess is a popular time of day for elementary students to spend time outside and be physically active. One way to encourage students to be more physically active and creative during recess is to incorporate moveable play equipment, such as hoola hoops, jump ropes, tires, pool noodles, buckets and crates (Hyndman et al., 2018). Researchers at multiple universities in Australia have been studying the use of unconventional recess materials on physical and social activity as part of the Sydney Playground Project (n.d.). The use of moveable playground equipment and everyday materials allows children to adapt their play to meet their needs. Traditional, fixed playground equipment can often be overcrowded and provide limited play options (Hyndman et al., 2018). Changing up the materials on a daily or weekly basis can also encourage student creativity(Hyndman et al., 2018). Additional examples of materials to use and how to implement this activity at your school can be found by visiting the references below.
Intervention Guide
| Grade Level: | Pre-K - 6th |
| Materials: | Moveable playground equipment such as hoola hoops, jump ropes, cardboard boxes, crates, milk jugs, pool noodles, etc. |
| Duration: | Varies |
| Implementation: |
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Does it work?
In a study of two elementary schools, Hyndman & Mahony (2018) found that providing students with moveable playground equipment increased students’ creativity during recess. The moveable equipment challenged students to repurpose, redesign, and plan for their play needs. Students’ interactions and communications became more sophisticated during play. The equipment fostered alternative forms of movement, which helped students’ physical development and physical activity levels (Hyndman & Mahony, 2018).
Bundy and colleagues (2017) assessed the impact of unconventional playground materials on students’ level of play, creativity and physical activity. Twelve schools were randomly assigned to either include recyclable, non-conventional materials such as milk jugs, pool noodles and car tires on the playground during recess, or to act as a control group with traditional recess equipment. Among children in the intervention schools, physical activity during school increased and sedentary time decreased, over the 13-week study. However, in control schools that did not participate in the intervention, physical activity actually decreased over the course of the study (Bundy et al., 2017).
References:
Bundy, A., Engelen, L., Wyver, S., Tranter, P., Ragen, J., Bauman, A., Naughton, G. (2017). Sydney Playground Project: A Cluster-Randomized Trial to Increase Physical Activity, Play, and Social Skills. Journal of School Health, 87(10), 751–759. https://edtechbooks.org/-JFdP
Hyndman, B. & Mahony, L. (2018). Developing creativity through outdoor physical activities: A qualitative exploration of contrasting school equipment provision. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning,18(3), 242-256. https://edtechbooks.org/-TxVu
Sydney Playground Project (n.d.) Home page. https://www.sydneyplaygroundproject.com/
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