2026 / Children, Participatory Design, School

Recess and After-Hours Behavior Patterns Associated With Community Schoolyard Transformations

Citation

Hazlehurst, M. F., Wolf, K. L., Simmons, C., Evans, S., Steiner, M. K., Garrett, K. A., & Tandon, P. S. (2026). Recess and after-hours behavior patterns associated with Community Schoolyard transformations. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 23(1). doi.org/10.1186/s12966-026-01899-9

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This study looked at whether transforming ordinary schoolyards into more active, nature-filled spaces makes a real difference.

The project focused on two elementary schools in Tacoma, Washington, where the Trust for Public Land led a community-designed schoolyard renovation. Crews painted colorful markings on paved areas, installed new play structures, added walking paths and log seating, and planted trees. Researchers observed recess behavior and after-hours community use at the two renovated schools before and after the work, and compared them with a third school that did not get a renovation.

Using a validated observation tool called SOOPEN, the researchers tracked moderate-to-vigorous physical activity — the kind that gets hearts pumping — during recess. They found that physical activity increased about 1.5 times more at the renovated schools than at the comparison school, though the difference was statistically significant only for boys. Where kids were most active varied by school: at one, grassy areas saw the most active play, at 69% of observations, while at the other, newly painted paved zones did, at 75%.

The renovations did not change how often children showed prosocial behavior — things like sharing and helping — during recess, but that behavior was already common before the work began. Outside of school hours, the renovated schoolyards saw a much bigger jump in community use, especially among groups of children, whose use rose about 5.8 times more than at the comparison school.

Overall, the findings suggest that schoolyard transformations can boost physical activity and draw more community use, both during the school day and after hours, as long as campuses are open to the public. More rigorous research can help guide future projects aimed at supporting children’s health and closing gaps in access to green space.

Abstract

Background

Spending time in nature and physical activity are both linked to better health outcomes for children. School environments provide the potential for multiple interventions to promote healthy behaviors. Transforming these existing public spaces to serve broader activity functions provides opportunities to support healthy child development and to increase nature access for local communities.

Methods

Our quasi-experimental design capitalized on a community-engaged schoolyard redesign and redevelopment project completed at two elementary schools in Tacoma, Washington, USA, led by the Trust for Public Land. Renovations included painting paved surfaces, installation of new play structures, adding walking paths and log seating areas, and planting trees. We used a validated momentary time sampling observational tool, the System for Observing Outdoor Play Environments in Neighborhood schools (SOOPEN), before and after for two schools undergoing the transformation and a control school. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and within-group behaviors in the schoolyard were observed. We used a difference-in-difference approach to estimate the effect of the schoolyard renovation on behavior during recess, and on community use of the schoolyard outside of school hours.

Results

The schoolyard transformation was associated with a 1.51-times greater increase (95% CI: 0.95, 2.40) in MVPA during recess at intervention schools compared to the control school, although this association was only statistically significant among groups of boys. After renovation, MVPA was highest in grassy areas at one school (69%), but highest in paved zones with newly painted markings at the other (75%). Renovations were not associated with changes in the prevalence of prosocial behavior during recess, which was high at baseline. The schoolyard transformation was also associated with increased community use outside of school hours, especially for groups of children (5.8-times [95% CI: 1.4, 23.8] greater increase in use over time at renovation schools compared to the control school).

Conclusions

Schoolyard transformations have the potential to increase schoolyard use and physical activity both during and outside of school hours, if campuses are open to community use. Additional rigorous research can inform future projects to support the health of school-age children and address inequities in distribution of community greenspaces.