Recess Guardians

Taking Back the Playground

Meet the Team

Michael McDonald

Bachelor of Kinesiology from U of S

Recess Guardians Executive Director

Certified Personal Trainer

Exercise Expert

Why is Recess Important?

23 ½ Hours

Playworks

Problems with Recess

Bullying

Gossiping

Physical Inactivity

Boredom- Unbusy hands can lead to bad situations

More harm done than good

Reasons

Students grow up too quickly, forget how to play

Unfamiliar with games to play

No one will take responsibility for getting game started

The Act of Play

Play is a lost art

Students grow up too quickly

Play is crucial in ones upbringing

Recess is a time for kids to be just that... Kids!

Prescription for Play

Facts

Bullying occurs once every 7 minutes on the playground

Obesity rates among children and youth aged 2 to 17 years are staggering

Childhood Obesity

Increasing amount of interactive, immobile games

Source: Stop a Bully, www.stopabully.ca/bullying

Past Programs

• Canadian Intramural Recreation Association of Ontario (CIRA)

• P.A.L.S. (Playground Activity Leaders in Schools)

• PROPS (Peers Running Organized Play Stations)

• Active PlaygroundsSource: The City of Hamilton Public Health Services

Our Advantage

Empowering students through peer leadership

On-the-ground interaction

Ownership and Accountability

A Safe Recess Should:

Promote FUN and participation

Increase physical activity levels

Teach movement and dexterity skills

Promote creativity and problem

solving

Reduce bullying

Promote fair play

Teach cooperation and respect

Provide equal opportunity for all

Mission

Recess Guardians’ mission is to motivate children to bring positive attitudes to the playground, while

teaching their peers how to play in an energetic, fun and constructive way.

What is Recess Guardians?

How to play

Leadership Skills

Empowerment

CTV Interview

Recess Guardians Musts

A teacher who will take responsibility for the program

A way to get equipment out on the playground

School must show excitement behind it, reward the students for taking a leadership role

How it All Began

Started September, 2008

Started as drop in program

In 11 Core Community Schools in Saskatoon

Kids participated, but turnout varied greatly

Year One Analysis

Pros

Kids had fun

Learnt games to play in their own time

Received shirts

Has positive grown-up role models

Cons

Turnout was inconsistent

Sometimes wouldn’t play the games if they didn’t like them off the start

Inexperienced adult volunteers

Changes

Have a group of 8-16 students assigned to the program, grades 4-8

Decrease the amount of schools

Have the same coaches at each school

Students must participate or they won’t be welcome back

The RG Model: Option 1

8-16 Children

Grades 4-8

Minimum of 12 sessions

1 day a week, 1 hour after school

1-2 Volunteers per school

Option 1

Positives

Get different students working together

Allowing only the students who want to attend, to attend

Extra physical activity during the day

Negatives

Not giving every student a chance to participate

Inconsistent turnout, having to chase students after school

Other activities can get in the way

The RG Model: Option 2

One entire class during Phys. Ed. Time

Grades 4, 5, or 6

6 to 12 sessions

1 day a week

Either volunteer(s) or teacher

Option 2

Positives

Everyone has a chance to succeed and participate

Teacher is there to see how it is run

Consistent attendance

Negatives

Disruption from children who don’t want to play the games

Not having physical activity after school, cuts down on time they are active

The RG Model: Option 3

One entire class during Phys. Ed. Time

Grades 4, 5, or 6

6 to 8 sessions

3 to 4 days a week for 2 consecutive weeks

Either volunteer(s) or teacher

Option 3

Positives

Everyone has a chance to participate

Sessions are close together so they can remember the games better

Teacher is present

Negatives

Students who don’t want to play may distract others

Now What?

Volunteer

Volunteer or teacher?

In a volunteer you want someone:

Reliable

Energetic

Positive

Likes to play

Games

Decide on a group of 10-12 games

Should require very little or no equipment

Easy to organize

Popular

Games cont’d.

Teach most of the games in the first 3 to 4 sessions

Have the students replay the games after that, but always add in a new game for each session

Get a student to explain the rules to the other students, allows them to lead their peers

For last session or two, bring care partners in for the class to teach them

Teacher’s Role

Be EXCITED!

Organize students on the playground

Get the students participating in the learning sessions

Teacher’s Role cont’d.

Different organizational ideas:

Assign 2 groups of students (3 in each group) to organize games at recess.

Have them come up with one game idea, and to run it for a specific recess.

Change up groups for each recess.

Teacher’s Role cont’d.

More ideas:

Have two students bring out equipment at recess and allow others to play with it.

Have them work one on one, or in a group with younger children and teach them to throw/catch.

Run indoor recesses with the games they were taught.

Physical Literacy Push

Sport Manitoba’s “Games with a purpose”

Teach the students these skills

Have them work with younger students on the playground with these skills

Students love teaching younger students

Physical Literacy

Have the students set up circuits in the gym for the students to do for indoor recess

Students love to be EMPOWERED

Obstacle courses and relays work great for this type of program

Questions

Michael McDonaldmike@recessguardians.com

306-280-7244

Thank You!