Peaceful Playground (SMGT 393) - Teri Walter
Abstract:
Eleven Otterbein University students from the SMGT 393: Sport Facility Design and Management class partnered with fifteen 5th grade students from Avalon Elementary School to design and develop a Peaceful Playground program for their school. All students met at various times throughout this Spring Quarter 2008, to secure (grant write, solicit and acquire donated equipment and supplies, and seal-coat); design, lay-out (blue-print), and paint a 20,000 square foot inviting and safe playing space where children can be physically active during recess and physical education classes. (To complete the project, a training session/workshop will be conducted in August 2008 for the teachers and playground supervisors on peaceful playgrounds, games, rules, forms to use in the program, etc.)
The purpose of the Peaceful Playground program is to introduce children and school staff to the many choices of activities (100+) available on playgrounds and field areas. Since Avalon's playground was very limited in what it had to offer the children, this new Peaceful Playground will provide the school with a low tech, low cost, comprehensive method of getting its students to move and play nice in a fun and exciting place.
Partnership and Collaborative Development - Avalon Elementary School playground got cleaned and seal-coated (materials donated)
- All students laid out, marked, and painted 46 diagrams onto a 20,000 square foot playground that will allow for over 100 games/activities to be played
- Playground now has activities designed for special needs and typical children alike
- Otterbein students acquired over $800.00 in donated materials and supplies for the painting of the playground from Home Depot and Lowes
Evaluation - University and elementary students together, successfully transformed Avalon Elementary School's playground and open field area into a safe, colorful, inviting, cooperative, and fun learning environment
- Cleaned up and resurfaced the playground with asphalt sealer
- Acquired donated items (equipment and supplies) for painting the playground from Home Depot and Lowes
- Designed, laid out, and painted the markings on the play areas and open fields
- Students got experience in design layout/blue printing for playground and field areas
- As for the actual effects of the Peaceful Playground program regarding playground behaviors and student participation, it will be determined throughout the next academic year (2008-09). Due to time constraints, the Peaceful Playground program training workshop for teachers and administrators did not occur. It will instead resume this August 2008 with several Otterbein and Avalon students assisting with the teacher's in-service session.