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Character Education Through Play

Classroom and Playground Management
Play is not a frivolous pastime of childhood. It is absolutely vital to a child’s personal, social, emotional, and physical health. In fact, the most natural way children learn is through play. Children have, overtime, spent less time playing with each other and instead become passive consumers of entertainment sitting solitarily in front of electronic devices.

Because of this, many have lost the ability to focus on academics, get along with each other, organize their thinking well, be kind or compassionate; self-regulate their behaviors, express delayed gratification, or demonstrate traits of good character. This negative shift harmfully impacts school culture and poses challenges to parents, teachers, staff who want to teach and to those students who want to learn. Classroom and playground management behavior problems such as bullying, aggression, non-cooperation and lack of focus have become serious barriers to academic learning.

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We have an array of options to customize a program meeting your needs
Healthy Play IS a Solution character education program offers educators and students simple, elegant and fun techniques to end bullying, manage aggressive behaviors, build self-esteem, resolve conflicts peacefully, encourage diversity tolerance, practice core values and promote character education. Based on concepts from their book, Learning to Play, Playing to Learn, this teacher-oriented/school community training provides the strategies and to develop positive student behaviors and reduce violence. Additionally, the same character education program fosters a school community's ability to readdress academic issues in a fun and nurturing manner.

 

Healthy Play Trainings 
Why Healthy Play Works
Healthy Play Concepts
Workshop Options

 

Classroom & Playground Consultations 
Build empathy and self-regulating skills
Structured activities
Consultation Options

 

Team-Building & Staff Development 
Improve staff morale
Enhance communication
Develop Staff Cohesion

 

Navigating Relationships 
Courageous Conversations Workshops
Foundational concepts explored 
Staff Development

The Book

Learning to Play, Playing to Learn, Revised Third Edition

Curriculum and Activities for Classroom and Playground Management Reduce Bullying, Build Character and Support Learning An estimated 640 acts of aggressive behaviors occur on a typical playground each hour. Disruptive student behavior in the classroom impedes the learning of all students. Learning to Play, Playing to Learn, provides teachers, school counselors, parents and youth servicing professionals with curriculum and activities that will reduce bullying, build character and support learning.

Book details, purchase here

  

Healthy Play specializes in solutions to school yard and classroom issues

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Empathy

Empathy

Students who have empathy don't hurt or bully each other. Healthy Play internalizes compassion.
Self-regulation

Self-Regulation

Knowing what responsibility, caring, and respect are is not the same as "living" those skills. Healthy Play provides students opportunities to practice and act upon skills.

Problem Solving

Giving students opportunities to learn how to solve their problems peacefully creates the life-long ability to deal with conflict in a healthy manner. This also reduces unnecessary tattling behaviors as students learn to solve conflicts on their own without trying to turn the teacher into the arbitrator of insignificant conflicts.

Build Character

Character education is essential for students to develop an ethical core and follow a moral compass.

Reduce Bullying

Bullying does not need to be a “normal” part of childhood. Children who are frequently bullied are at risk of having anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, somatic symptoms, social withdrawal and lowered academic performance. 

Social Emotional Learning

Social and emotional learning happens as children and adults acquire and apply the knowledge and skills to manage their emotions, self-regulate their behaviors, make sound decisions and create and continue positive relationships.

Testimonial

"We began use of Healthy Play is a Solution at one elementary school in 2002. It was so overwhelmingly supported by staff at that school that the remainder of the 15 elementary schools in our district requested the training and support during the subsequent years. Healthy Play continues to be an important component of our support programs in every Chico elementary school. . . .
Read the full testimonial  
  
Scott Lindstrom, PhD

Student Support Coordinator, Chico Unified School District Technical Consultant;
Early Mental Health Initiative, CA Dept. of Mental Health