Creating the Walk and Talk at Lien Elementary School in Amery! Walk and Talk is a quarter-mile walk with friends that takes place prior to free choice play at each recess. Students may also run the track if they so desire, and many do. Walk and Talk was new this past year on the elementary playground and was created after kindergarten paraeducators Marie Knutson and Tammy Wassberg attended an in-service on positive playgrounds. "At this in-service we learned that when children come out to recess they are full of energy but for some kids the energy is not used positively,” Knutson said. “By providing the kids with a short, organized physical activity, the children burn off some of that energy. After that they are able to play with their peers in an unstructured environment without the excess energy that can lead to poor choices in behavior." Walk and Talk not only provides exercise toward the recommended 60 minutes a day for children, it has allowed a positive, safer playground. This combination of exercise and happy children creates a better learning environment in the classroom as well. Staff at Lien Elementary can see the difference Walk and Talk has made in students’ lives from just one year ago, most notably in the reduction in playground confrontations and bus issues between students. "For me, this is a huge step in educating the whole child."