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

The post Recess Playground Equipment During A Pandemic appeared first on Love Grows Learning.

Of course, my hope is that states, counties, and school districts are making safe choices about whether or not to open schools, and offering teachers a choice in whether they prefer in-person teaching or a distance learning option.

But for any teachers who are headed back to the classroom soon, I am here for you! Let me know in the comments about any questions you have about school and classroom safety during Covid-19.

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Covid Teacher Tip #5 : Jump on that fanny pack trend! This is the perfect way to have all your necessary supplies easily on hand You can fit your hand sanitizer, some gloves, and wipes so that you don’t have to run and find what you need every time you need clean hands to do something! Huge time saver! I also think the front pocket is perfect for keeping my phone, so that it’s separate and easy to access. For the playground, I stick a couple bandaids and alcohol wipes there too for cuts and scrapes. When I saw some of my colleagues rocking these when we reopened, I thought it was brilliant! I jumped on that fanny pack wagon and got one too! Luckily, these days there are so many different styles available, it’s easy to find one that still looks cute #tftpickme

A post shared by Laura White, Teacher, she/her (@lovegrowslearning) on Jul 28, 2020 at 3:35pm PDT

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Covid Teacher Tip #4: Stock up on cleaning supplies! It can feel scary going back to the classroom, but having a cupboard full of all the necessary cleaning materials definitely makes me feel safer Even though my school has pledged to keep us fully stocked on the supplies we need, they sometimes have orders that get delayed and we have to ration what we have. I was so glad I had some supplies on hand that I had picked up at Target before school opened. I try to keep at least one or two back-ups of gloves, wipes, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant spray in my cabinet at all times. I’m also loving the microfiber cloths to use with the disinfectant spray so I’m not constantly using up paper towels As we all know, wipes and sanitizers are hard to get these days… so start getting a little stash now What cleaning supplies are you going to get for the classroom?

A post shared by Laura White, Teacher, she/her (@lovegrowslearning) on Jul 24, 2020 at 5:38pm PDT

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Covid Teacher Tip #3: Keep some extra child masks in your classroom! Just today, a girl in my class couldn’t find her mask after lunch. Luckily, I had these handy and could give her a spare! Swipe to see a helpful solution for lost masks. Tie some yarn or attach to a lanyard and the mask becomes a necklace when they’re eating or outside, but easy to find when they come back in the classroom! Big shout-out to the parent who donated this stash of extra child masks to my classroom. You could even ask parents to send a second mask to school that stays in the classroom. Tag a friend who would want to see this tip! And check back for more Covid teacher tips soon

A post shared by Laura White, Teacher, she/her (@lovegrowslearning) on Jul 20, 2020 at 2:00pm PDT

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Covid Teacher Tip #2: Use chalk and floor tape to make markers for spaced out lines. This helps students stay socially distanced when they’re lining up outside the classroom or inside the classroom. It’s hard for students to tell what six feet is, but having a clear place to put their feet helps them remember. It can also be used on a rug to make socially distanced sitting spots to play or gather Swipe to see a couple ways I’ve marked lines this summer. Check back soon for another Covid Teacher Tip! #covidclassroom #coronaclassroom #quaranteaching #teachersofinstagram #teacherblogger #covidteachertips #teachersfollowteachers #firstgradeteacher #californiateachers

A post shared by Laura White, Teacher, she/her (@lovegrowslearning) on Jul 17, 2020 at 9:28am PDT

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Covid Teacher Tip #1: I’m trying a new thing! Every day I’ll share a tip that I am finding helpful to stay safe in the classroom while teaching kids! Tag a friend who might be in the classroom in fall or share in your stories to pass on to teacher friends! Tip #1: Wear gloves! Gloves are great for… helping a child with something at their seat, handling student belongings, passing out materials to the class, or collecting student work. Just make sure you change your gloves before helping another student! I also find that wearing gloves makes me less likely to touch my face Check back tomorrow for another Covid Teacher Tip! #covidclassroom #coronaclassroom #quaranteaching #teachersofinstagram #teacherblogger #covidteachertips #teachersfollowteachers #firstgradeteacher #californiateachers

A post shared by Laura White, Teacher, she/her (@lovegrowslearning) on Jul 16, 2020 at 2:04pm PDT

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So it’s no wonder that children also have trouble social distancing. I decided to approach it like I would any new concept with my students. Fist I introduced with concrete examples (showing two yardsticks put together), encouraged them to make connections (what can you think of that’s 6 feet long), and displayed visual aids (reminder posters in the classroom). But of course, one of the most important parts of learning is independent application and practice! 

So to help kids practice social distancing, some of my colleagues and I put together a list of games to play with them outside.

Game #1: “6 Feet, My Friend!” 

Find a kickball diamond or a basketball court and have all the students spread out. They walk around the court, trying to stay six feet away from each other at all times. If someone gets too close, they call out a friendly reminder, such as “Six feet, my friend!” or “Too close, my friend!”. 

At any point the teacher may yell “Freeze!”. If any two people are closer than 6 feet (you can even bring the yardsticks outside to measure if you want to), then they are out of the game for one round. Increase from walking to running if the game is too easy. 

Game #2: “The Wind Blows”

Stand in a large circle (six feet apart from each person) outside. The teacher calls out “The wind blows for anyone who _____” and they complete the sentence with some kind of description, such as “anyone who is wearing blue” or “anyone who has a younger sibling” or “anyone who like strawberry ice cream”.

All the students to whom the phrase applies run into the middle and try to find a new place in the circle. The challenge is for them to also stay six feet away from each other. If students are having a hard time keeping apart, add in yelling “Freeze” at random times to check their distance and call out students who are too close.

Game #3: “Egg, Chicken, Dinosaur, Alligator, Dragon” aka “Evolution”

Once your students have some practice with the first two games, you can try this next game to put their skills to the test. In this game, students all start out as an “Egg” (hands in a circle above their heads). They walk around until they can make eye contact with another egg. They say that egg’s name to make sure they see each other, and then they do roshambo with them. They must stay six feet apart. Whoever wins goes up to the next level of chicken (arms folded like chicken wings). Then they have to find another chicken to roshambo with. 

The game goes on – they roshambo with someone at their same level, the winner goes on to the next level, and the loser has to go backwards a level. After chicken is alligator (arms open and close like alligator jaws), after alligator is dinosaur (two fingers like claws in front of their body), and after dinosaur is dragon. When someone reaches dragon, they are the winner, and the game is over and everyone starts over as an egg.

At any point the teacher may yell “Freeze!”. If any two people are closer than 6 feet (you can even bring the rulers outside if you want to), then they have to go all the way back to being an egg.

Game #4: “Noodle Freeze Tag” 

This requires every child to have their own pool noodle, labeled with their name (Amazon has an inexpensive value pack here). One end of their noodle is for them to hold, and the other end is to tag. The tricky rule is that to tag someone, they have to tag that person's pool noodle, not their body. T

wo people are it. They run around and tag with their pool noodles. If a child's noodle gets tagged, they are frozen. Other children can unfreeze them by tagging their pool noodle.

This game is better with older kids, because it takes reminders to have them hold the noodles out in order to maintain six feet. But it's definitely a fun way to incorporate an actual game of tag!

Game #5: “Spaced Out!” – to practice social distanced lines

Designate where the line will be, and where the running area will be. Students start by running around, then a teacher calls out “Space out!” When they say that, the students have to run to the line area and create a line with six feet between them as fast as they can. Then the teacher checks and if anyone is closer than 6 feet. Keep playing until they can all do it correctly. You can give them a specific line order, or just have it be a random order.

How are you preparing for the changes we'll be dealing with at 
school in the fall?
xoxo
Laura

The post Games To Help Students Practice Social Distancing appeared first on Love Grows Learning.