Jill Vialet - Why Play Works: Big Changes Start Small

Why Play Works is an inspiring literary game changer for community leaders + educators. Jill generously shares a plethora of insights + wisdom + a game plan to maximize the power, value & positive impact that recess can offer. GameON! #amazing #unlock #cheatcode #gratitude

Kevin Carroll, author + katalyst

WOW. In why play works, Vialet offers a well written, fast moving and compelling case for why play that seemingly frivolous childhood obsession holds the seeds to social connectedness, civility and democracy itself. A must read for anyone who cares about children and the future of society and for all who can use a little more recess in their lives.

Kathy HirshPasek, Professor of Psychology, Temple University; senior fellow Brookings Institution; author Becoming Brilliant and Einstein Never Used Flashcards

What this book, celebrating 25 years of Playworks leadership and its proven accomplishments does, ison close scrutiny, provide a compelling sciencebased workable narrative and methods for resolving seeming insoluble problems with which our inner city schools (and society) struggle. Problems which historically explode regularly in recess settings that then continue to disrupt the overall school settings, and reflect unsolved broad societal dysfunctions. However, the solutions described in this book work magically in many varied and highly challenging settings., But beyond this book are also play based solutions broadly applicable to transforming our polarized society itself. Jill's leadership and Playworks track record and the details within this book provide the keys to providing an antidote to connection, isolation, fear, distrust and despair, replacing it with joyfulness, resiliency changemaking skills,and more.

Stuart Brown, MD Founder, National Institute for Play

Why Play Works makes the case for play equity in a moment when we need it more than ever. Vialet has brought together stories, insights and playfulness in a useful, readable format that we hope will shift the thinking of educators, activists and families of the important role of play to physical and mental wellbeing."

Renata Simril, President and CEO, LA84 & President, Play Equity Fund.

JILL VIALET

Copyright 2021 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.

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Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data

Names: Vialet, Jill, author.

Title: Why play works : big changes start small / Jill Vialet.

Description: [San Francisco] : JosseyBass, [2021] | Includes index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2021027139 (print) | LCCN 2021027140 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119774549 (paperback) | ISBN 9781119779124 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781119775508 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Play. | Socialization. | School recess breaks.

Classification: LCC LB1137 .V53 2021 (print) | LCC LB1137 (ebook) | DDC 306.4/81dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021027139

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021027140

Cover image: Getty Images | Passionartist
Cover design: Paul McCarthy

In 1995 I was running a small local nonprofit organization called the Museum of Children's Art (mocha) in Oakland, California. We had a number of partnerships with schoolsbasically artist residenciesand one of them was with a local school named Santa Fe Elementary where Mrs. Peyton was the principal.

Although much of the world has changed since I was a kid, school offices have not. They are typically busy hives of activity, with a counter that keeps visitors from coming in too deep, two desks for the school secretary and another administrative helper, and an inner sanctumthe principal's officejust off to one side. The Santa Fe office was set up just like this, and I recall sitting in one of the chairs generally reserved for students anticipating punishment up against the front wall, waiting for Mrs. Peyton.

The meeting had been scheduled for just after the lunch hour, and Mrs. Peyton was running late. After about 20 minutes, Mrs. Peyton emerged followed by three little boys. The young men seemed about nine or ten years old, and they all looked absolutely miserable. Mrs. Peyton, in turn, was furious. She ushered the boys to the school secretary, conveyed some instructions about contacting their families and then marched back into her office, stopping briefly to signal that I should follow.

Once in the office, I sat in the chair opposite hers and, before I had fully settled in, Mrs. Peyton launched into the litany of reasons that, basically, recess was hell. The teachers found every reason to be anywhere but the playground, the students didn't know how to get a game going or to keep a game going, the conflicts that arose on the playground followed the students back into the classroom, and, most frustratingly, these same three boys kept getting into trouble. She was building up steam as she went, and the description of the scene that she painted sounded hopeless. But the thing I remember most clearly was when she said, And the worst part is that, because of recess, these boys are starting to believe that they're bad kids. These are not bad kids.

I hadn't said anything yet, but I must have nodded or signaled some sort of understanding because Mrs. Peyton took a breath and asked,