Studies on Playworks

Researchers have established evidence that recess provides cognitive and academic benefits, social and emotional benefits, and physical benefits to children during the school day. Over the past two decades, Playworks…

Between Fall 2021 and Spring 2022, Playworks collaborated with Partnerships in Education and Resilience (PEAR) to collect data across 8 regions involving 710 4th and 5th graders in schools offering…

Based on the evidence obtained from the authors’ investigation with Playworks participants and coaches, five strategies were identified for health and physical education practitioners to consider in the implementation of…

This study established initial evidence for a valid and reliable assessment tool to observe school recess environments with a specific focus on safety, resources, student engagement, adult engagement, pro-social/anti-social behavior,…

A new review conducted by RAND Corporation and commissioned by The Wallace Foundation found that Playworks stands out among social and emotional learning (SEL) programs for evidence of impact. The…

Summary A randomized control trial by Mathematica Policy Research and Stanford University found that compared to control schools, Students are more physically active at Playworks schools: There was a 43%…

Results from this study provide evidence that school recess can be used to teach social–emotional competencies that can impact student behavior during recess and in the classroom. There were an…

Urban youth face more barriers to physical activity outside of the school day. Results from this study suggest that youth have the ability to be change makers in the school…

The Playworks TeamUp program can help schools make recess more organized and safe, and ensure healthy play is taking place. Participating schools reported improvements in recess organization, students’ familiarity with…

The impact of Playworks was larger among minority students than among non-Hispanic white students. One possible explanation is that minority students in non-Playworks schools typically engaged in less physical activity,…

Girls in Playworks schools had significantly higher accelerometer intensity counts and spent more time in vigorous physical activity than girls in control schools. Girls in the treatment group were also…

In schools that achieved a high functioning recess, teachers and principals agreed that by the end of the year, recess offered more opportunities for student engagement, conflict resolution, pro-social skill…

Accelerometer data showed that Playworks had a positive impact on students’ physical activity during recess. Students in treatment schools engaged in physical activity during recess that was, on average, more…

After one year of exposure to Playworks, students showed statistically significant increases in the following four protective factors as compared to students with no exposure to Playworks: (1) Physical Activity,…