Program Aims To Get Local Kids Moving At Recess

LANGHORNE, PA — A program sponsored by St. Mary Medical Center aims to get students at local schools up and moving during recess.

Now in its second year, the program has St. Mary partnering with schools to provide funding and training for Playworks, a program designed to train school aides in how to better plan health-enhancing recess activities and games for their students.

With funding from the medical center and training from Playworks, the aides learn new recess techniques, activities and games. The activities vary based on the size of the group, the children's ages and their skill sets.

The aides learn to teach students how to exercise and play the games. Since the program was started in 2017, more than 5,600 students have been reached, according to St. Mary.

"Students just don’t play outside like they used to," said St. Mary’s Joann Dorr, manager of Community Health & Well-Being. "They either don’t remember or were never shown the best ways to play inside or outside, which is why we are excited to bring Playworks to our local schools."

Playworks is a national, evidence-based program designed to harness the power of play to transform children’s physical, social and emotional health. It's designed to coach and train staff at elementary schools, districts and after-school programs to integrate games into recess to create a welcoming place for every child on the playground.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, young children need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily. The CDC says that exercise not only provides children the health benefits of maintaining a healthy weight and good cardiovascular health, but that it also provides students the benefits of improved memory and attention in the classroom. Additionally, exercise can improve a child’s social and emotional development, the CDC says.

"St. Mary Medical Center is committed to improving the health of our community by partnering with schools to provide programs like Playworks for our area," said Dorr. "Improving the health of our community only works if we partner together to make significant change."

For more information on the program and other community health initiatives, you may visit St. Mary's community health page or call 215-710-4590.