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Laura Willard

Playground equipment isn't just for little ones.

Playgrounds can be a lot of fun.

Kids love them. Parents are into them because physical activity is good for kids. (And let's be honest: It's also because we know they'll sleep well later.)


Whoops.

But you know who else playgrounds are good for? Senior citizens!

Yep, that's right. Playground equipment isn't just for little ones.

seniors, education, fitness, health and wellness

A playground for seniors offers various means of play and exercise.

Image pulled from YouTube video.

Seniors enjoy doing more than sitting idly, reading a book, and gazing at the young whippersnappers swinging, sliding, and generally having a good time. They like to play, too!

In Spain, where the population is aging, senior-citizen playgrounds have been popping up for a while.

Not only do they provide a place for folks to enjoy physical activity, they also offer an opportunity for socializing.

Public Radio International shared the video below about playgrounds for senior citizens.

"It is very social," says Paz Vidal, a physical therapist. "[We] want to break the myth of the old person coming to the park and just sitting while grandkids play. And then going home. Kids can also have fun here. The parks help create family cohesion. And it's intergenerational."

The playgrounds in Spain sure seem to be serving their purpose.

playgrounds, Spain, nonprofit, community, connection

The playground fills up when seniors come to share time and healthy activities.

Image pulled from YouTube video.

"I am not someone to stay home. I get out a lot," said Franchesca, an 84-year-old in Spain who, in addition to enjoying being active, hasn't lost her sense of humor. "Because if you stay home, you spend all your time criticizing your kids, eh?"

And it's not just happening in Spain. The idea has caught on in the U.S. too!

Folks playing at a senior playground in London. More of these in the U.S., please! Photo by Oli Scarff/Staff/Getty Images.

The nonprofit KaBOOM!, which generally builds kids' playgrounds, partnered up with Humana to build intergenerational playgrounds around the United States. So far, they've built over 50. These playgrounds are created with people of all ages in mind.

"Play is a great connector for adults and seniors and the children in their lives. In addition to the cognitive and physical benefits of play, it can also reduce stress in adults and is proven to help combat toxic stress in kids," Sarah Pinsky, director of client services for KaBOOM!, told Huffington Post.

I mean, just watch these folks enjoying themselves. Who wouldn't want to have fun like that at any age?

This article originally appeared on 08.10.15


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It's ironic: When they're younger, you can't keep them from springing to life before 6 a.m. As teenagers, you can barely get them up for school.

Small children won't sleep in late to save their (or, more accurately, their parents') lives, but by the time they're old enough to savor their sleep, they have to get up early to go to school. When it comes to kids' sleep cycles, no one wins.

But research suggests it might be time to change that by switching up morning schedules and letting teens sleep in.


Scientists now agree: Not only are teens not getting enough rest, but the best way to remedy the problem would be by starting classes later in the day.


Image by husin.sani/Flickr.

In 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report suggesting that the majority of teens were not getting the rest they needed on school nights.

The report showed that while teens need at least eight hours of sleep each night, 2 of every 3 U.S. high school students got less than that during the week. It also reported that 5 of every 6 middle and high schools in the country were starting the school day before 8:30 a.m. — making it difficult for many students to fit in the recommended amount of sleep.

Image by Rob and Stephanie Levy/Flickr.

Now, scientists around the country are beginning to agree: The best way to help sleep-deprived kids is to push school times back.

Following the CDC's report, researchers began studying the effects of insufficient sleep and early class times on middle and high school students. This year, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine — a group of over 10,000 scientists and health experts — formally issued a statement in support of later school times to support increased sleep among teens.

Another study also found a correlation between a delayed school start and graduation rates: Average graduation completion rate increased by 9% when the morning bell was moved to 8:30 a.m.

Image by JohnPickenPhoto/Flickr.

The good news is that parents have the power to help their kids get the extra sleep they need.

But news flash: It won't be by setting earlier bedtimes with their kids.

Adolescent brains generate hormones that induce sleep on a delayed schedule, making it difficult to get to sleep earlier than 11 p.m. — whether they're physically in bed or not.

However, parents do have the power to advocate for their kids within the school system.

Unlike many government-related issues, school hours aren't mandated by state or federal governments — they're set by individual school districts, so parents can work with school leaders to make changes to school schedules.

Image by Piedmont Virginia Community College/Flickr.

That's right: Armed with the above evidence, concerned parents can take the issues straight to their school's administration.

Organizations like Start School Later offer resources for parents looking to lobby for change in their kids' schools, and districts in 44 states have already implemented pilot programs to test for improved performance with later morning bells.

Whether or not you're parenting a teen yourself, it's an issue that affects everyone. Research also shows that risk of smoking, drinking, using drugs, and being overweight are all associated with teens not getting enough shut-eye — which means it should be a matter of national concern that an entire generation of teens might be sleep deprived.

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Amy Schumer isn't happy about being included in Glamour's plus-size edition.

And her reason isn't that there's a problem with being plus-size.

For many students, teachers, and parents across the country, it's that dreaded time of year: standardized testing time.

:: collective groan ::

While not everyone feels the same about standardized tests, many kids feel a lot of pressure to perform, many parents feel frustrated that they've become such a focus in our education system, and many teachers feel stressed when their teaching skills are evaluated based on their students' test performance.


But while the system might be flawed, there is still something to celebrate this time of year: the loving, dedicated teachers who know just how to put things in perspective.

Photo via iStock.

The teachers at Blue Lake Elementary School in Volusia Country, Florida, wanted their students to know they're more than test scores.

The third-grade teachers at the school felt so strongly about it, in fact, that they got together and composed a letter that they sent home to each and every one of their third-grade students.

Aleshia Crimmons, whose son Christopher is in Rhonda Sylvia's third-grade class at Blue Lake, was brought to tears when she read it. She was so moved that she posted it to her Facebook page and sent a copy to her local news station.

Photo belongs to Aleshia Crimmons, shared here with permission.

The letter reads (emphasis added):

"My dearest students,

This week you will take your Florida State Assessment (FSA) for Reading and Math. I know how hard you have worked, but there is something important that you must know: The FSA does not assess all of what makes each of you special and unique. The people who create these tests and score them do not know each of you the way I do, and certainly not the way your families do.

They do not know that some of you speak two languages, or that you love to sing or paint a picture. They have not seen your natural and beautiful talent for dancing. They do not know that your friends count on you to be there for them, that your laughter can brighten the dreariest day, or that your face turns red when you feel shy. They have not heard you tell differences between a King Cobra and a Rattler. They do not know that you participate in sports, wonder about the future, or that sometimes you take care of your little brother or sister after school. They do not know that despite dealing with bad circumstances, you still come to school with a smile. They do not know that you can tell a great story or that you really love spending time (baking, hunting, mudding, fishing, shopping...) with special family members and friends. They do not know that you can be trustworthy, kind or thoughtful, and that you try every day to be your very best.

The scores you will get from this test will tell you something, but they will not tell you everything. There are many ways of being smart. You are smart! You are enough! You are the light that brightens my day! So while you are preparing for this test and while you are in the midst of it all, remember that there is no way to 'test' all the amazing and awesome things that make you YOU!"





Crimmons wasn't surprised by the letter — she told Upworthy that the teachers at Blue Lake are the best — but she was still moved and impressed.

"We have some amazing kids who need to know and hear everything that was written," she told Upworthy. "Kids need to know that they're different, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with them. We need to teach them to be understanding of each other's differences. That is what makes all of us great."

That message is what so many teachers are imparting up on their students: They're great just the way they are, standardized test scores aside.

Katie Sluiter, an eighth-grade English teacher at a Title 1 school near Grand Rapids, Michigan, stated it quite bluntly: "I hate standardized tests," she told Upworthy. She says it's especially stressful this year because her students are required to take the tests on the computer.

Photo via iStock.

"I don't see my students as test scores at all," she said. While she understands why the state feels standardized tests are necessary and the politicians believe they keep everyone accountable, "they are just hoops. Hoops we jump through each spring rather than do what we should be doing: reading and talking about reading."

Sluiter is confident her students will do the best they can, but she also knows those scores don't reflect the whole story.

"I know some are great test takers and some are lousy test takers. It is what it is," she said. She wants her students to do the best they can on the test, but not to stress over it. Because when the tests are over, what she really wants is for them to "pick up a book and continue with the business of learning."

Her parting words are so important and likely similar to what many teachers feel: "Kids get very stressed because they don't want to let the district down. They feel that if their scores aren't 'good enough,' their teachers will be the ones to suffer (they are right), and that is a lot for those little shoulders," she said.

"I want my students to know I love them no matter what happens that week of testing. It's OK. Really."