Students need physical activity at recess time even when the weather doesn’t permit going outdoors. This page offers some ideas for structured indoor recess movement.

Play isn’t all fun and games- it is an important teaching tool.

OK Early Ed is a forum for Oklahoma's early childhood educators to support one another through sharing ideas, resources, and information with one another! We are better together!

The High Quality Early Learning Project conducts and communicates research about teaching that supports effective learning for young children and their families. Focusing on documentation of those who work with diverse groups of children in early childhood settings, the Project produces videos and professional development resources for teachers, teacher educators, policymakers, and other stakeholders in order to strengthen education in the early years.

Slides from SDE workshop on Purposeful Play.

Academically rigorous, developmentally appropriate learning environments are those in which teachers provide children with multiple learning opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills needed for success in elementary school. These learning experiences take into account children’s developmental, individual, and sociocultural needs. As the school year progresses, teachers build on content of instruction and increase their performance expectations for children. At the same time, teachers ensure they provide appropriate levels of support to children through regular and consistent monitoring of children’s achievement across developmental domains. The goal is that by the end of the school year, every child has—or is on a developmental trajectory to soon attain and demonstrate on a regular basis—the knowledge and skills needed for kindergarten success.

Developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) is an approach to teaching grounded in the research on how young children develop and learn and in what is known about effective early education. Its framework is designed to promote young children’s optimal learning and development. DAP involves teachers meeting young children where they are, both as individuals and as part of a group; and helping each child meet challenging and achievable learning goals.

When you think back on your childhood, what happy play memories come to mind? Adults today tend to think back on their childhood play memories with nostalgia and often call them the “good old days.” Memories of joyful and meaningful play experiences help bind families together emotionally, even long after children are grown. Are our children experiencing the same kind of joy, meaning, and family bonding in their play?

Information from the Oklahoma State Department of Education about programs and services for families and children birth through 3rd grade as well as a variety of resources for parents, teachers, administrators, educators, and students.

Power up the best in every kid!

GoNoodle gets over 14 million kids moving in classrooms
and homes around the world!

If you are like us, you are you are always looking for new ways to use play as an educator. Explore what’s working in schools across the country.

No matter how long you’ve been making learning playful, there is always more to discover. We hope that our collective learning can add to your toolkit. Playworks has helped educators get kids playing for more than 20 years. While we got our start at recess, teachers tell us that the games and strategies we share are lifesavers in the classroom as well. We’ve assembled our best below. Enjoy!

Elementary and middle school energizers are classroom-based physical activities that help teachers integrate physical activity with academic concepts. These are short (about 10 minute) activities that classroom teachers can use to provide physical activity to children in accordance with the North Carolina State Board of Education's Healthy Active Children Policy. In addition, energizers have been created for use in after-school programs.

Research shows that students whodo brief bursts of exercise before tests perform better.

Brain breaks have been all the rage for quite some time now.  We’ve learned that regularly incorporating short movement activities into the instructional day not only allows children to get their ‘wiggles’ out, but energizes them and increases their ability to focus on the next learning activity as well.