Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Dr. Frost, Redeemer and Green Ribbon Schools

A rousing Redeemer SHOUT OUT to Dr. Joe Frost!  This marks our first SHOUT OUT to organizations and individuals that have made our Gardens what they are. 

Research on student involvement in the Nature Gardens is part of the 33 year University of Texas Play and Playgrounds Research Project, designed and conducted by Dr. Joe Frost, international expert on child development and the importance of play. 
 
The primary purpose of the research at Redeemer was to study the constructs and developmental benefits of play on playgrounds. 
 
      Joe has been a long-time church member at Redeemer along with his wife Betty (a former Redeemer teacher and men's basketball coach.) During the 1970's, Dr. Joe, an early childhood education and child development professor at the University of Texas approached Redeemer with a terrific proposal; he'd invite major playground equipment companies to provide play equipment for research on children's play under real-life conditions; a real, live playground laboratory! His cadre of UT PhD students assisted in the research, prepared their PhD dissertations, and participated in journal and book publishing. The children received first-rate playgrounds and everyone was happy!
 

Check out this amazing article about Dr. Frost and the importance of play.
He's highlighted this month on the Green Ribbon Schools website:
http://www.utexas.edu/features/2007/playgrounds/index.html

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