Play On!®

Best Practice Design Guides Curricula & Programming

Play On!®

Youth Physical Fitness

Play On! is a standards-based physical education program that promotes overall fitness, learning, and fun on the playground! Developed in partnership with Shape America and authored by experts from Louisiana State University, Play On! focuses on overall physical fitness while imploring six essential elements of play. Play On! gets kids actively moving on the playground to help combat childhood obesity and encourage healthy lifestyles.

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The Science

Youth health continues to decline, according to a recent CDC study. By the time they reach high school, only 1 in 4 high school students are physically active for at least 60 minutes daily. Developed in partnership with SHAPE America and authored by experts from Louisiana State University, Play On! focuses on overall physical fitness while implementing six essential elements of play designed into the overall play space. Play On! gets kids actively moving on the playground to help combat childhood obesity and encourage a lifelong love of healthy activity. Play On!® provides educators and play workers with an effective, easy to implement hands-on fitness program for the playground. The program fully aligns with the updated SHAPE America National Physical Education Standards and can help promote moderate to vigorous levels of physical activity to combat childhood obesity.

Why Request Play On?

Schools love Play On! because it maximizes their playground investment, providing a setting for physical education in addition to recess. Since play is fun for children, they love engaging with the age-appropriate program activities, and since educators can enlist multiple areas within the playground, all children keep active throughout the session instead of the usual waiting for a turn that is associated with a lot of PE activities! In a research study at 14 pilot sites, approximately 6,000 children participated in a Play On! Beta study.

Play On includes 125 age-appropriate activity cards, as well as helpful teacher tools like worksheets to help design sessions & track student progress, and send home guides in both English and Spanish to encourage family participation in regular activity. Playgrounds designed with us using Play On! best practice guidelines are eligible for National Demonstration Site status. Maximize your playground investment by adding Play On! programming to your facility.

Contributing Partners

SHAPE America

The Society of Health and Physical Educators serves as the voice for 200,000+ health and physical education professionals across the United States. The organization’s extensive community includes a diverse membership of health and physical educators, as well as advocates, supporters, and 50+ state affiliate organizations. Since its founding in 1885, the organization has defined excellence in school-based health education and physical education. For decades, SHAPE America’s National Physical Education Standards have served as the foundation for well-designed physical education programs across the country, just as the SHAPE America National Health Education Standards serve as the foundation for effective skills-based health education. Together, these national standards provide a comprehensive framework for educators to deliver high-quality instruction and make a positive difference in the health and well-being of every preK-12 student.