Revamping Recess: Camp Fire Pilots Playworks Program at Three Rivers School

Ask elementary school kids what they love about school,
and you’ll likely hear a number of them enthusiastically shout, “Recess!” But even with a
much-welcomed break from the rigors of class, sometimes recess and playground
experiences aren’t all fun and games.

Playgrounds can be breeding grounds for
problematic behaviors, according to Lorin
Page, assistant principal at Three Rivers
School in Sunriver. While supervising recess
over the years, she’s noted common struggles
on the playground, including excessive
tattling, kids feeling left out, and arguing over
rules or over fair teams.

“We also see kids being overly competitive
and must remind them that playground games
differ from the club team they may play on,”
she says. “When kids have a rough recess for
one reason or another, they come inside and
are often not ready to learn. They are
dysregulated and still fixated on their
problems while playing outside. This not only
impacts their own learning but also the
teacher’s ability to teach and the kids around
them.”

Enter Playworks, A Solution for Better Play

Stepping in to help make recess better and
support the emotional, physical and academic
experiences of our local youth is Camp Fire Central Oregon. The nonprofit youth
development organization has just started piloting the nationally acclaimed Playworks
program at Three River School. Launched before winter break with support from Camp
Fire National, the initiative builds on the nonprofit’s existing relationship with the school,
where it runs Camp Fire Afterschool (CFA) for Grades K-5, including kids impacted by
HUB’s afterschool program closure in Fall 2024.

So what exactly is Playworks—and why is it such a big deal that it’s now available to
local students through Camp Fire Central Oregon?
As explained by the “Playworks” organization itself, for over 25 years, this nationwide
program has offered a proven strategy for helping kids stay active and build valuable
lifeskills through play. Primarily, it nurtures inclusivity and helps kids learn valuable
conflict-resolution skills for working out differences and disagreements. In addition, kids
build leadership skills, or the opportunity to develop a sense of fairness, confidence and
communication. Youth who are engaged during recess are more likely to participate in
class, which means better attendance and better grades.

Through Playworks, Camp Fire staff receive many hours of training, plus tools and
resources designed to transform the way playground experiences look and feel for
youth. With that support and learning, staff are empowered to equip kids with critical life
skills they can use independently.

Making an Impact at Three Rivers School

Avara Roberts, Camp Fire Central Oregon’s
Program Coordinator for South County sites,
has taken on the role of a dedicated
Playworks Coach at Three Rivers School. In
late December, she introduced the program at
an all-school assembly, then started rolling it
out at recess that very day.

“We’re playing games like ‘Switch’ on the
foursquare court, where there’s a high rate of
player turnover,” Roberts says. “Everyone gets
a turn, making it a very inclusive, equitable
playing field. We use tools like ‘rock, paper,
scissors,’ to troubleshoot conflict quickly,
which are skills the kids can take back into the
classroom and use throughout their day and
even their lives outside of school.

“We also have strategies for helping kids
transition from the playground back into the
classroom—little tactics for when they’re
standing in line getting ready to go inside that
help them reset and get ready for learning.”

Right off the bat, Page noticed a difference on the playground with the students and
even a refreshing change in her playground duties.
“Playworks offers our kids direct instruction and support with cooperative games and
problem-solving…the kids need as many of these skills as they can get,” Page said. “It also frees up those of us on duty outside by having additional adult help. I don’t always
feel like I can play with the kids because, without additional help, we always need to
scan the playground to ensure the kids’ safety. Extra adults mean I can be more playful
with the kids, too. Today, I had the chance to play “Switch” with the kids because they
learned it previously with Avara.”

Page says that for that reason, Three Rivers School is already loving this program, and
the kids have embraced it, feeling particularly comfortable with the Camp Fire staff
they’ve already come to know through the afterschool program. But that’s not all:

“Our primary goal is for kids to move their bodies and have tons of fun at recess so they
are ready to learn when they return to class,” Page says. “I am confident that the
Playworks program will help us achieve this goal…plus having Playworks regularly will
help create a culture of inclusivity, positive problem-solving, and fun!”

Looking Ahead, Sustaining & Scaling the Program

Up to 25 Camp Fire Central Oregon staff will receive Playworks training in 2025, scaling
out the strategies into all its school-year and summer curriculum, creating alignment and
cohesion around how staff members engage youth around play and instill lifeskills in
kids. The price tag? The program training alone totaled $24,000, which has been made
possible thanks to collective, generous support: a $5,000 grant awarded in 2024 by
Central Oregon Health Council; a $10,000 contribution from Camp Fire National; and a
Playworks subsidy of $9,000. Offered to Three Rivers School at no cost, Playworks will
require ongoing funding to cover staff wages for training then scale it out. Anyone
interested in contributing is invited to do so at campfireco.org/donate.

This story is based on submitted information and has not been verified by our news team.

This article appears in The Source Weekly January 9, 2025.