education, continue sports with enhanced
controls, add structure to free time, and reimagine
music and theater classes.
My husband and I helped build a play area
that included a labyrinth, a large area for an
organic garden, wood stumps for hopping
or running around, a small treehouse, and a
spectacular maple tree that would come to be
called the giving tree. Over the years, our children
strengthened their large motor skills and
learned to play fairly. As a young adolescent,
our daughter had serious talks with friends
about her next steps and what the future
looked like. The “playground” we built continues
to serve children and families as a safe
place, now a safe place to breathe without
facial coverings.
Each of the five pertinent parts outlined in
the Harvard manual has a bulleted list of suggested
activities. These guidelines include:
Move outdoors.
Play outdoors as much as possible.
Do not limit children’s access to recess, the
schoolyard, or fixed play equipment.
Hold physical education classes outdoors
when possible.
Now, when outdoor activities matter more
than ever before, parents at our school started
to rally and ask teachers about what they
could do to support their children and their
outdoor activities. Our school focused on gardening
and, yes, the playground. But, this year,
we needed to think of our playground spaces
as outdoor learning environments. It needed to
be a place where children could work without
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