We Speak Playground

Today’s school-age children, the first generation born in the 21^st century and the most tech-savvy group ever, are exposed to more screen time daily than outdoor time.

Designing a playground structure can be overwhelming. There are so many types of equipment out there, that you may find yourself wondering what you need on your playground and why.

With seemingly endless waves of COVID-19 barraging the nation, some schools are open, some aren’t. There are also more families opting for home schooling even if their district is open. If your child is learning at home, it’s essential to keep them active outdoors to help them stay balanced, healthy and happy. Check out these upsides to promoting outdoor time for your kids in this growingly uncertain world.

The pandemic has thrown a wrench into nearly everyone's plans, and it doesn't help that Texas has not seen the decline in cases that we were hoping for after reopening. The threats have caused nearly every industry to rethink plans, including several school districts that have already come out with potential schedules for the 2020 - 2021 year. We'll look at how this could have an impact on the construction schedule of recreation structures and what everyone can do to minimize the disruption. 

You want a playground that gives everyone a chance to learn and have fun outdoors. However, some children with physical or intellectual limitations have a harder time navigating a traditional play structure than others. That’s why it’s important to make a few simple changes to ensure all children have a great time at recess. Check out these five tips for making school playgrounds more inclusive.

It seems like the pressure on children to produce perfect test scores in school only gets stronger every year. The pressure is equally strong on teachers and education administrators since performance is typically tied to state or federal funding for schools. The STAAR test in Texas is one such example of test performance determining how much money each school receives in state funding.

Organizations across the country are recognizing the benefits of daily recess for elementary school students. With increased academic pressure and focus on standardize tests seeming to become more and more prominent, some schools are pushing back and doubling the dose of daily recess. They realize that that their students actually perform better with more unstructured playtime.

Over the last 20 years, due primarily to the enactment of No Child Left Behind in 2002 and the adoption of 2010's Common Core State Standards, test scores have become increasingly more important for schools in the United States. Sadly, uninterrupted and unstructured playtime in the form of recess has simultaneously become increasingly more rare.

Schools across the country are recognizing the benefits of daily recess for elementary age students. In a time of increased academic pressure and focus on standardize tests some schools are pushing back and mandating daily recess. They realize that that their students actually perform better with more unstructured playtime.