Recess Advocacy Team - January 2019 Newsletter

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View this email in your browser RECESS NEWS Recess helps students reach their full potential Are you new to the Recess Advocacy Team? Check out the January blog post from Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative all about recess written by Trying Together.   Recess Tips & Resources Playing and staying active in the winter Outdoor Play Children should play outside every day -  even during the cold, winter months. The Pennsylvania Early Learning Keys to Quality position statement holds the expectation that children need to play outside when the forecast temperature and wind chill is above 25 degrees Fahrenheit and there is no precipitation falling. Of course, safety is always important. Check out tips and guidelines below for staying warm and safe during winter outdoor play: Tips - Dress warm and have a plan to stay active! Guidelines for Winter Outdoor Play - Green Zone (30 degrees and above), Yellow Zone (20-30 degrees), and Red Zone (below 20 degrees)! Benefits to playing outside in snowy weather - why kids should play outside during the winter! Indoor Play While going outside for recess is recommended and preferred when possible, the weather may not always allow. Here are some ideas for indoor physical activities that can be done in a classroom or indoor play space. Use a deck of cards (1-10 and Ace only) and make up some movements for each card. 10 - Ten jumping jacks 9 - Jump an imaginary rope nine times 8 - Eight mountain climbers (four each leg) Read more on this brain break handout Dance Freeze Play some music to get kids moving and have the class dance until the music stops — when they have to freeze their current dance pose. Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative Play Boxes The Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative wants to help you with activities! Check out our collection of Play Boxes from our partner organizations and request access to borrow some for your indoor recess needs! Partner Spotlight United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania's fitUnited fitUnited works to improve the health and wellness of children. They bring their expertise and resources to the Recess Advocacy Team to support more opportunities for physical activity during the school day. This past October, more than 500 young professionals joined nearly 800 local kids for United Way’s Games for Good, sponsored by First National Bank. The annual volunteer event is an afternoon of fun and games focused on encouraging kids to be active and eat healthy. The event is part of United Way’s fitUnited initiative, which works to inspire local kids to adopt and maintain healthy habits. Share with a friend! Please forward this newsletter to a friend who you think would be interested and ask them to subscribe. Thank you for signing up to receive updates from the Recess Advocacy Team. Help us help you by filling out this short form to let us know how we can support you and your school! Learn More on Our Website Our school guidelines suggest that  if it is storming we do not go out, but a light rain/drizzle is ok for outdoor play. We ask parents at the beginning of the year to send their child in with an additional pair of shoes and a change of clothes in case they get wet. If weather does not permit for outdoor play, our message to staff is that we do not use electronics or watch movies when they are inside for recess.  Instead we offer games, art supplies and time to socialize with friends. -Environmental Charter School Forward this email      Update your preferences       Unsubscribe from this list Copyright © 2019, Trying Together, All rights reserved. Contact: recess@tryingtogether.org