As schools and teachers think about going back to school, one big question that educators are starting to have is about recess. What will recess look like? How many kids can play at once? What games can students safely play? How does equipment get cleaned?
These were all questions our teaching staff had to handle before we opened for summer schools a couple weeks ago. We got together as a group (over Zoom of course), and we brainstormed playground equipment that could be used in safe ways as well as procedures for keeping the equipment clean.
Here are the outside safety rules we came up with:
Students can only play outside with other children in their cohort.
This means we have a staggered recess time. We’ve divided the playground into sections, and each class gets a section of the playground to be on. This way, students are only exposed to their class, even while playing outside.
Every classroom has their own bin of playground equipment, so that there’s never any sharing of equipment between student cohorts.
Students cannot touch the same playground equipment or toys.
This means that recess games are very limited compared to what students are used to being able to playing. Most group games like tag and basketball are off-limits because they would require children to touch each other or share the same ball in order to play.
Here are some examples of equipment we are allowing children to use:
- Scoop Ball Sets: These are great because students can play catch without touching the same ball. They pick the ball up with the scooper. I purchased an extra set to have for my classroom on Amazon.
- Velcro Ball: This has to be done individually so that students don’t touch the same ball. Some of them just throw the ball up in the air to catch it, some of them throw it against a ball wall. I bought mine for my classroom on Amazon.
- Tennis Rackets: Played with just like the Velcro Ball set – individually or against a ball wall.
- Soccer: Soccer is allowed, as long as the students remember to social distance (yes, they need lots of reminders!) For older children, we give the goalie gloves to wear so that they can safely touch the ball.
- Other Kicking Games: 2-touch against a ball wall is very popular right now!
- Sand Toys: my school researched and discovered that sand is not a transmitter of Covid-19, so students can use a bucket and shovel set in the sandbox, but they can’t share sand toys and the sand toys get sanitized after every use.
- Jumpropes and Hulahoops: These would be for individual playing.
For older kids, we sometimes give them gloves if they would like to play catch or be goalie. But they have to understand that they can’t touch their face while they have the gloves on.
Equipment needs to be cleaned after every use, and before another child uses it.
Every time a child finishes playing with a piece of equipment, it needs to be properly cleaned before another child can use it. After equipment is used, it goes on a shelf marked “Needs To Be Sanitized”. Then it gets sanitized and placed on the shelf above, marked “Sanitized and Ready For Use” so it can be put back in the classroom’s outdoor equipment bin.
Playground equipment is sanitized after every cohort uses it.
- Swings: the swings are open for use, but a teacher has to Lysol them after every student use.
- Monkey bars: are currently open, and a teacher Lysol sprays them after their class has used them so they are clean for the next class.
So recess looks a lot different than it used to, but the students are getting used to the new rules. And I’m glad my school is taking all the steps they can to try to keep everyone safe.
How do you think your school will handle outdoor recess?
xoxo
Laura
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