From Classroom to Community: Stencil Project Enhances Playgrounds for Active Play
May 2025
Making a positive impact on community isn’t an experience every junior high student gets to have, but that wasn’t the case for students in childcare classes at Sheridan Junior High this spring. A collaboration between the Cent$ible Nutrition Program (CNP), and Family Consumer Sciences teacher Jenn Cramer, offered students a chance to gain experience in creating meaningful community change through a sidewalk stencil painting project.
CNP educator Tanya McCoy connected with Cramer in the spring of 2025. Cramer was interested in partnering with CNP on a community service project that would give students in her three Child Care Basics classes hands-on experience.
“A core component of the class involves applying what students learn in meaningful, real-world ways—especially through service learning,” said Cramer.
Called Spray and Play, sidewalk stencil projects aim to increase opportunities for physical activity, like hopping and jumping, by enhancing outdoor spaces with games like hopscotch and mirror me. Physical activity is a critical part of both development and health for children. Since 2019, CNP has partnered with schools and childcare centers to paint the stencils and offer new ways to be active throughout the day. McCoy shared the idea with Cramer, who presented the opportunity to her classes for consideration.
“The idea immediately resonated with the classes because it gave them a chance to actively promote child development through physical play, while also making a creative and lasting impact on school playgrounds,” Cramer said. “Students were especially excited about the opportunity to mentor and collaborate with elementary students, and the idea of leaving behind something that could be used and enjoyed for years to come was a big motivator.”
The collaboration between CNP and Cramer’s classes helped to overcome one of the challenges with the stencil project.
“It takes quite a few people to paint the stencils, especially in a large area,” said Kali McCrackin Goodenough, program manager for CNP. “In the past, finding volunteers to help with planning, prepping, and painting has been a challenge.”
Cramer and McCoy connected with two elementary schools and a childcare center in Sheridan that were interested in the stencils. The elementary schools agreed to have stencils painted around the playground areas. The childcare center asked for stencils painted on canvas tarps that could be used inside to help keep kids be active when it is too cold to go outside.
The junior high school students took on planning for the project as well as developing a game booklet to coordinate with the various stencils.
“During the planning phase, they enjoyed brainstorming where the stencils might go and what colors they would use,” Cramer said.
After months of planning, the stencils were painted in May 2025.
“Students from the Child Care Basics classes visited local elementary schools—Sagebrush and Coffeen—and worked alongside 5th grade leadership teams to lay out and paint a variety of engaging playground stencils,” said Cramer. “Despite a few weather concerns, everything came together with strong teamwork, great communication, and a lot of enthusiasm from both the middle and elementary school students.”
In total, almost 60 students from Cramer’s classes and 40 from the 5th grade classes participated in the stencil painting across the two elementary schools and childcare centers.
“Watching the junior high students work with the elementary students during planning and painting was very positive,” said McCoy. “I witnessed teamwork and universal focus to the project. All participated and seemed to be having a good time.”
Cramer’s students painted the stencils onto tarps before taking them to the childcare center.
“When the canvas games were delivered to the childcare center, the littles seemed to really enjoy it,” said McCoy. “Many of the junior high students visited and played with the littles. I saw many smiling faces that day which also put a smile on my face.”
Students in Cramer’s class enjoyed the project from start to finish, and many commented that it was the best part of the class because they felt that they were doing something real and meaningful.
“Ideally, this becomes a lasting model for similar community collaborations in the future—where middle school students apply their learning in ways that benefit the broader school community,” said Cramer.
The planning and painting may be done, but the impact of the project is just starting. With every hop, skip, and jump, students in Cramer’s class encouraged physical activity today while gaining skills they can take with them as the next generation of teachers and caregivers.
