My Nonprofit Reviews

For 25 years, Playworks has been changing the way that kids across America experience safe and healthy play! By making recess accessible, inclusive, and fun, everyone on a Playworks playground is moving their bodies and learning essential life skills such as conflict resolution, cooperation, and leadership. I feel honored to be a small part of the Playworks family!

Playworks is a one-in-a-kind nonprofit that provides students the opportunity to feel included on the playground. By striking the nearly impossible balance of delivering physical activity and life skills (like conflict resolution, leadership, inclusion) at the same time, Playworks makes sure that all students have as rich an experience during recess as possible. I was lucky enough to serve as a Playworks coach and observe firsthand the magic of Playworks. No other organization out there does what Playworks does and has done for 25 years.

My first encounter with Playworks was on the ground as a coach at a K-8 school in East Oakland, California. Even as someone who loved recess and P.E. as a student and considered the experience positive, Playworks transformed my understanding of what effective recess and class game time could be. Using the Playworks playbook, I was able to quickly and effectively implement a program that promoted physical play, inclusion, cooperation and outright fun. The magic of Playworks was evident when I observed previously unruly students becoming compliant, self-described "non-players" leading games and the sheer joy on the faces of everyone on the school yard, from young kindergartners to near-teens. And kids went back to class ready to learn - what a double-win! Playworks definitely works and every school should be lucky enough to experience Playworks!