Community Schoolyards Boost Physical Activity and Access to Nature
Transforming schoolyards into green, community-centered spaces can significantly increase children’s physical activity while expanding access to nature for entire neighborhoods—especially in communities with limited park access.
This peer-reviewed study, led by Trust for Public Land (TPL) Health Director Dr. Pooja Tandon and published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, provides new evidence that schoolyards can serve as critical public health infrastructure.
Examining two elementary schools in Tacoma, Washington, the research shows that when schoolyards are redesigned with community input and opened for shared use, they support more active play during the school day and become heavily-used neighborhood green spaces after hours.
Key Takeaways:
- Schoolyard redesigns boost physical activity: Students at renovated schools were 1.5 times more likely to engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during recess.
- Stronger Community Use: Community use increased 3.2 times overall during after-school and weekend hours, with 5.8 times greater increases in visits by children.
- Design Matters: Different play spaces drive activity. Up to 69–75% of observed groups were active in high-use areas like grassy fields and painted play surfaces.
- Expanded access to nature and safe play: Community schoolyards can serve thousands of residents who lack nearby parks, helping close the park access gap. The Tacoma program will serve more than 40,000 residents lacking nearby park access.
- Community input drives success: Schoolyards designed with students and neighbors better reflect local needs and encourage use.
Together, these findings reinforce the role of community schoolyards as a scalable, sustainable strategy to promote physical activity and social connection—and underscore their potential as vital components of a more equitable, healthier community landscape.
