MY VIEW
Christina Fecio: Children’s right to play is worth fighting for
At age 3, my daughter attended preschool at our highly regarded, public neighborhood school. School was in session 180 days, from 8:10 a. m. to 2:10 p. m. During those 180 days, her class went outside a total of seven times.
At age 4, she attended preschool at a small, highly regarded, private school. Her class went outside to play every day, often twice, and sometimes three times. “Children need fresh air and freedom to play,” her teacher remarked. “The outdoor space is an extension of our classroom.”
At age 5, my daughter began the school year at a small, private Montessori school, where they also went outside daily, often twice. The outdoor “work” included time to garden, to explore nature, to run and to play.
When she transferred to her current public elementary school — an amazing, small charter school — she fell in love with the incredible enrichment programs.
Participating in dance, music, phys ed and art twice a week (in addition to Spanish and library) was a dream come true. Outdoor time, however, is sorely missed: recess is scheduled for only 15 minutes daily, is sometimes indoors and is sometimes cut short.
The stark difference between “outdoor space is an extension of our classroom” and “we had a five-minute recess today” saddens me. I can clearly see the difference in my child’s behavior; her body aches to run, jump and roll in the grass. That need to play and to breathe fresh air surely manifests itself in the classroom, too. I’m sure teachers can see it in the children who fidget, the children who are distracted and the children who are sluggish — and I think a healthy dose of recess just might cure what ails them.
As a parent and as an educator, the demise of recess confuses me. Children’s need for outdoor play is more pressing than ever — childhood obesity rates continue to rise and average amounts of “screen time” have climbed to five hours daily. Yet recess continues to be sacrificed—for more instructional time, as a consequence for poor behavior and whenever a day is “just too busy.”
“Recess—It’s Indispensable,” a recent column in Young Child, echoes this sentiment: “We believe that recess, with its fun, movement and opportunities to socialize through play, is a basic need and that policies against recess, whether made at the school system, school or teacher level, discriminate against children.”
The authors compare depriving children of recess to depriving them of a meal, commenting that “Just as hungry children cannot concentrate well, children deprived of breaks cannot concentrate well either. Sometimes the most disruptive children need recess the most.” Most adults wouldn’t dream of denying a child lunch to make more time for math, or consider withholding breakfast if a child misbehaves, but recess seems to be up for grabs. As a result, some of our children are starving.
Advocating for recess may seem trivial, considering the varied challenges our schools face. I am hesitant to sign my name to this column, worrying that I should pick a more pressing battle. Worse yet, I worry that this will come across as a criticism of our incredible school or our amazing teachers. But as I look outside and feel the breeze coming though the window, I remember playing hopscotch and freeze tag and I know it’s necessary. If we are committed to meeting children’s needs — of mind, body and spirit — then recess is a requirement. The right to play is worth fighting for.
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