Yay Recess!

 Turns Out Monkey Bars and Kickball Might be Good for the Brain

Yes!  Here's another news story that affirms the notion that recess is not only good for kids' bodies, but is an essential component to a well-rounded school day that can lead to a boost in academic achievement.  

Eagle Mountain Elementary School in Fort Worth, Texas (yes, Texas) has increased recess time for students to four chunks of fifteen minutes each.

These breaks help students get the "blood out of their butts and back into their brains", provide processing time for learning, and give them time to play!  Eagle Mountain took to heart what schools in Finland have known and been doing for a long time: short breaks from academics combined with the opportunity for physical activity help make students more focused for learning.

At the high school level, we don't have unstructured "recess" time, but the school where I work - Chanhassen High School - has instituted 20-minute breaks on block days.  During this time students can get a snack, visit with friends, enjoy a game of ping-pong in the student union or just use the time any way they wish.  The idea is that they both get a break from academics and have a choice as to what they do with it.

What are YOU doing to advocate for more recess time for kids?

UPDATE:
A recent story in the Star Tribune, "Across State, Kindergarten is Becoming the New First Grade". discussed the increase of academic rigor for kindergarteners at the expense of play and recess.  I think this is very unfortunate.  I think that Finland and other countries have proven that play is critically important for healthy development in brains and bodies.  I fear that fewer opportunities to play will lead to more stress.  I hope I'm wrong.

Play!

"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. 

But for children play is serious learning. 

Play is really the work of childhood."

~ Fred Rogers ~ 

It's unfortunate that many children today will not have the same experiences with Mr. Rogers that my children and I did, unless they catch him on Netflix.  We spent a lot time in the land of make-believe with Mr. Rogers, wondering what Lady Elaine Fairchild and Daniel Striped Tiger might do next.

It is also unfortunate that some schools are cutting back on or eliminating altogether recess and unstructured play time for students. 

During my school finance course our groups researched the implementation of all day kindergarten in several suburban school districts.  I was shocked to find that St. Louis Park had eliminated all unstructured play time for kindergarten students, instituting instead "purposeful play" do be directed and supervised by adults.  How does this teach or encourage self-direction?  Kindergarten classrooms in Shakopee were stripped of their toys, including their play kitchen sets.  Teachers were upset by this new policy, but could do nothing about it.

"Play is the work of the child."

~ Maria Montessori ~

According to Montessori, the essential dimensions of play are:

• Voluntary, enjoyable, purposeful and spontaneous
• Creativity expanded using problem solving skills, social skills, language skills and physical skills
• Helps expand on new ideas
• Helps the child to adapt socially
• Helps to thwart emotional problems

I heard this often when I was a kid, "Go outside and play!"  I am amazed and I love it when I see children in my neighborhood running or biking or playing kick-the-can in the park.  Surely this is good for kids.  Surely this helps kids learn valuable life lessons.

Lest we lose heart completely, here is a story about a group of Florida parents who are fighting to keep recess in their children's public schools.  They will not go quietly, and I support their efforts!

 

Go Outside and PLAY!

I was driving down the street on my way home tonight and I paused to watch some neighborhood kids as they were playing a game.  They were running and shouting, making quite a ruckus, and it was AWESOME!

The article "Why Free Play is the Best Summer School" challenges adults to give children the freedom to play.  

Consider this quote: "Unscheduled, unsupervised, playtime is one of the most valuable educational opportunities we give our children. It is fertile ground; the place where children strengthen social bonds, build emotional maturity, develop cognitive skills, and shore up their physical health."

Do you know kids in your neighborhood that have unscheduled, unsupervised playtime?

When I was a kid I couldn't wait until summer because we had free time every day.  My mom and grandma used to tell us to go outside and play, and we did!

We rode our bikes and raided the clothespin bag and stuck playing cards in the spokes to pretend that they were motorcycles.  We ran screaming "Red Alert" through the backyard chased by an imaginary rabid dog all the way to the swingset and climbed up to the top.  We climbed trees and made forts.  

We played outside in the dark with flashlights.  We had fashion shows with dress up clothes, acted in plays with scripts we improvised and lip-synched to our favorite groups on LPs.  We baked cookies and made our own lunches.  We decided what we wanted to do and we did it.

 When the weather was bad we watched reruns on TV or daytime dramas ("stories" as my grandma called them).  Even then we made up our own game - the "Commercial Game" where we competed to see who could call out the name of the advertised product before they said it or displayed the name.

I worry about today's generation of kids who are missing out on unstructured play time because they are scheduled within an inch of their lives.  Play dates carefully monitored with plenty of hand sanitizer to pass around, store-bought individual snacks, and parents stepping in to ensure that toys are shared and turns are taken seem to be the norm.

Are we doing a disservice to children when we set up their summer schedules and supervise their every movement?  I think so.  Classrooms are filled with students who have trouble monitoring their own behavior, with students who have trouble prioritizing and problem-solving, who can't handle small setbacks and disappointments because their parents - no doubt with good intentions -  have sheltered them from having to do this for themselves.  It's only natural that we don't want our children to get hurt or be disappointed, but I think we serve them better when we give them the space they need to exercise their creativity and let them be in charge of themselves.

This summer, let's tell kids to go outside and play!