Playworks is a member of the National Healthy Schools Collaborative, a collective impact group of well-established, nationally recognized organizations working in health and education initiated by Kaiser Permanente and has partnered on work in schools and districts with Kaiser Permantente’s Thriving Schools in multiple markets, including California, Washington and Oregon.
Every morning, a decision is made in millions of homes across the country, not just by parents, but by students themselves: “Will I show up today? Will school feel safe, welcoming, and worth it?” “Does anyone care if I’m there?”
These questions are directly tied to one of the most urgent challenges in education today: chronic absenteeism.
At Playworks, we’ve seen how solutions often lie in an overlooked space — the playground.
Recess is more than a break. The playground can be a fun and safe place to build relationships and connections, amongst students and with adults in the school community. When designed with care and intention, recess can be a daily opportunity for students to feel like they belong, where a student who feels isolated in the classroom might find connection. It’s where a child hesitant to raise their hand can develop confidence by being on a team with their classmates.
Picture recess with 100 kids ages 7-9 eager to run and play and have fun. When a Playworks-trained adult sets up a game of Bandage Tag, many kids run to join in. The game moves fast — kids are running to tag their friends (with gentle butterfly fingers, of course), getting out, even doing jumping jacks to get back in — with everyone laughing and squealing until the bell rings. Every child who wanted to play got to be a part of the game. Getting out wasn’t an epic disappointment, but rather an invitation to do an extra movement to get back in. The kids return to class feeling energized and included. This scene illustrates the kind of environment that draws students back to school day after day after day.
Playworks supports over 638,000 students in more than 1,400 schools each year. Our model embeds safe and healthy play into the school day through trained staff, educator resources, and scalable tools like game instruction videos. Our approach includes trained adult facilitators, student leaders called Junior Coaches, and clear norms for the playground that promote physical activity and emotional safety.
Recess matters for learning, in part because when kids feel good at school, they’re more likely to come back. A recent analysis of attendance data from Title I schools found that schools implementing Playworks evidence-based model for safe and healthy play have a statistically significant lower proportion of chronic absenteeism than non-Playworks schools. School principals who partner with Playworks are clear that improving the recess experience is a key component of their attendance strategy.
According to Hedy Chang, Executive Director of Attendance Works, this data finding is consistent with what they know —student experience at school has a direct impact on student attendance.
For school, district, and wellness leaders, this is a strategy that’s within reach. Play isn’t an add-on — it’s a climate investment. It supports teachers, reduces tension, and strengthens the invisible but essential threads of community.
When schools lead with belonging, attendance follows. And when kids experience daily moments of joy, trust, and movement — they’re not just present. They’re engaged.
Let’s treat play as essential infrastructure — not an extra, but a foundation. And let’s partner to build schools where every student feels they belong in the classroom, in the hallway and yes, also on the playground.
