{"id":60988,"date":"2022-01-05T16:39:58","date_gmt":"2022-01-05T21:39:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=60988"},"modified":"2022-01-05T16:40:24","modified_gmt":"2022-01-05T21:40:24","slug":"60988-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/60988-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Recess is a time of conflict for children. Here are 6 school design tips to keep the peace"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
\nConflict is one of the main barriers<\/a>\u00a0to children\u2019s play during school recess. Research\u00a0has found<\/a>\u00a0students experience an average of one conflict at recess every three minutes.\u00a0My own research<\/a>\u00a0shows how well-designed school grounds can reduce conflict and help vulnerable students take part in recess play activities.<\/p>\n

Clashes happen most often\u00a0when children organise play themselves<\/a>. Causes include difficulties sharing resources and disputes over who\u2019s taking control of them, including\u00a0play space<\/a>. School staff\u00a0can manage conflicts<\/a>. However, this tends to limit children\u2019s self-directed\u00a0executive functioning<\/a>, through which they regulate thoughts and behaviours to support goal-directed actions.<\/p>\n

My study<\/a>\u00a0explored children\u2019s views on the activities that usually triggered conflict and the ways in which school grounds could be designed to avoid it. The study was carried out at three public primary schools in Sydney, Australia. It offers the following six design recommendations that draw upon children\u2019s perspectives.<\/p>\n

1. Offer more than one grassed area<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Children recognise grassed areas as major areas of conflict. The school rule of \u201cNo Running Fast on Concrete\u201d generally restricts running games to these grassed areas, but these activities can easily clash when all in the same area.<\/p>\n

Instead of having a single grassed area, children prefer to \u201cplay more separate games\u201d. This means they need separate grassed areas for playing soccer, gymnastics or bullrush \u2013 a game in which children must race across a field without getting tagged by those who are \u201cin\u201d.<\/p>\n

Children in a focus group voiced their dissatisfaction with the lack of alternative grassed areas. As students said:
\nWhen you\u2019re back to score a goal, someone just runs in the way and kicks it [\u2026]<\/p>\n

There\u2019s three goalkeepers in the goals [\u2026]<\/em><\/p>\n

You can\u2019t even see your ball and it makes everyone stop.
\nWhen multiple grassed areas are not available, older children, particularly boys, often\u00a0dominate the main play space<\/a>. As a result, more sensitive children \u2013 usually younger girls \u2013 feel excluded from these settings. They retreat to the edges or corners to avoid those who play \u201crough\u201d.<\/p>\n

2. Separate zones for different types of activities<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Although this seems an obvious design recommendation, separate zones are not always available, particularly in schools with limited space. As a result, a zone is used for both fine and gross motor activities. Children running around fast or playing with balls are then seen as \u201cdisruptive\u201d to those sitting or playing with cards, and vice versa.<\/p>\n

The space is no longer felt as a \u201cvery relaxing place\u201d. Children who seek \u201cpeace\u201d and \u201cquiet\u201d have to withdraw.
\n

\"\"

Hectic games and quieter activities don\u2019t fit in well with each other. Photo: Fatemeh Aminpour, Author provided<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

3. Offer more natural settings<\/h4>\n

My\u00a0research<\/a>\u00a0indicates that children of diverse personal characteristics \u2013 including gender, age and ability \u2013 use natural settings without conflict, although their play activities in these settings vary. They hide behind tree trunks, use them as \u201cbase\u201d in running games, practise balancing on their massive roots, build imaginary houses under their canopies and use their malleable resources in their creative play. These activities don\u2019t usually come into conflict.<\/p>\n

As indicated by children, their preferred natural settings in Australian schools include trees such as bottlebrushes, Moreton bay figs and paperbarks, and bushes with no \u201cspiky\u201d leaves. Increasing these natural environments can encourage more peaceful school ground activities, with benefits for children\u2019s social functioning.
\n

\"\"

Despite children\u2019s varied uses of natural settings, their activities in these areas do not usually come into conflict. Photo: Fatemeh Aminpour, Author provided<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

4. Use physical barriers to separate activities<\/h4>\n

To reduce disruption, barriers can be subtly incorporated into the design of school grounds. These might be\u00a0a row of trees, furniture, raised edges or retaining walls<\/a>. Barriers can be also imposed, such as fences or netting around playing fields.<\/p>\n

Children identify ball games as the most invasive activity that justifies barriers. Children can be easily struck by balls flying out of playing fields, but physical barriers can stop this sort of interference with other activities.<\/p>\n

5. Allow buffer space to create clear pathways<\/strong><\/h4>\n

If a school playground is densely populated and\/or play areas are in close proximity, children inevitably pass through the playing fields and that can cause conflict:
\nI found it annoying when the year 6s run through our handball court [\u2026] When we\u2019re playing with the ball, they run through it and they take the ball and hit it and it sometimes becomes really hard to find it.
\nProviding an adequate buffer area allows children to pass around games and avoid situations like this.<\/em><\/p>\n

6. Ensure all students have a place to play<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Enough play areas and opportunities are needed to keep all children engaged during recess. Otherwise, as\u00a0observations<\/a>\u00a0show, children can loiter and annoy others to avoid getting \u201cbored\u201d.<\/p>\n

If school grounds lack suitable settings, children may also create informal play spaces in areas disruptive to other play activities.\u00a0Unorganised play settings<\/a>\u00a0can worsen conflict and bullying.<\/p>\n

Contrary to\u00a0common beliefs<\/a>, children who retreat to the edges of school grounds are not necessarily \u201cunable\u201d or \u201cunwilling\u201d to take part in play; they are often trying to avoid conflict in the main play zones. By minimising the chance of conflict during recess, school design can support children in building\u00a0positive, reciprocal social relationships<\/a>\u00a0through play.<\/p>\n

Author Bio:<\/strong> Fatemeh Aminpour is an Associate Lecturer, School of Built Environment at UNSW<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Conflict is one of the main barriers\u00a0to children\u2019s play during school recess. Research\u00a0has found\u00a0students experience an average of one conflict at recess every three minutes.\u00a0My own research\u00a0shows how well-designed school grounds can reduce conflict and help vulnerable students take part in recess play activities. Clashes happen most often\u00a0when children organise play themselves. Causes include difficulties […]\n… learn more→<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15645],"tags":[428843],"coauthors":[11733],"class_list":["post-60988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-education","tag-recess"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRecess is a time of conflict for children. 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