Ep. 32 Sydney Playground Project

What do old tires, crates, pool noodles, and hay bales have in common? They're the secret ingredients that revolutionized recess for hundreds of kids in Dr. Anita Bundy's groundbreaking Sydney Playground Project. In this episode, we get into the occupational therapy research that proved when you add "junk" to a playground and let kids take risks, magic happens. Kids moved more, played harder, and got creative in ways that fancy equipment could never achieve. This study is changing how OTs and schools think about recess, shares why risky play isn't actually dangerous, and gives you everything you need to bring loose parts play to your occupational therapy practice (it’s super simple!). And, don't miss Michele's therapy dog hide-and-seek ‘Nailed It’ and Lacy's cringe-worthy confession about turning test items into goals.  Next week, Dr. Anita Bundy will join us on the podcast!

👉 Click here to get the OT Zones of Regulation fidelity measure & planning resources, shared with permission from the author.  Thank you Dr. Peters!

We share our own thoughts in the Research Review and encourage you to read the articles too.

Bundy, A., Engelen, L., Wyver, S., Tranter, P., Ragen, J., Bauman, A., Baur, L., Schiller, W., Simpson, J. M., Niehues, A. N., Perry, G., Jessup, G., & Naughton, G. (2017). Sydney Playground Project: A cluster-randomized trial to increase physical activity, play, and social skills. Journal of School Health, 87(10), 751-759. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12550

Hodges, V. C., Centeio, E. E., & Morgan, C. F. (2022). The benefits of school recess: A systematic review. Journal of School Health, 92(10), 959-967. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.13230

KEYWORDS: Occupational therapy; evidence-based practice; OT; OT ideas; Peds OT; pediatric occupational therapy; school-based OT; playground; recess; loose parts play; risky play

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Stay informed, stay curious, and stay playful!

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