Home » Education » Preschool & Elementary School » Preschool and Elementary School Classes

Do you think all children have the right to recess?

Should children have the right to play?

From the lens What happened to RECESS?.

Children Playing at Recess
Children Playing at Recess
Hoffman, Bernard
Buy This Allposters.com


Please let my know by leaving a comment here. Tell me about your favorite game or just how you feel about recess. Don't forget the stars at the top and if you lensroll this page or add it to your favorites please let me know so that I can reciprocate.

  • camiegirl Mar 27, 2012 @ 4:11 pm | delete
    i like recess alot especially PE when our couach say we are going to play flag chaser i love its a game were u have a belt with red things hanging down but there in the back and side.then u pick 4 or 5 players to chase and u chase people and then pull off thier belt if a chaser.wen there are 3 people left with abelt on their the next 3 players.you should try it.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • lizziebeth Dec 28, 2011 @ 8:36 pm | delete
    I was reading about recess being taken away from poor children, which makes for all kinds of problems. Bring back recess!
  • Pastiche Sep 9, 2011 @ 1:50 pm | delete
    Play is the work of children. Let them have recess to recharge, relax, and learn what you cannot learn if all you are doing is sitting in a classroom.
  • LTPParents Sep 8, 2011 @ 10:54 am | delete
    This is a topic near and dear to my heart. I honestly believe we are doing our children such a disservice by taking away their recess. My son spent his entire childhood only having a 20 minute recess. Now he's in 6th grade, is 11 years old and has no recess at all. It's insane.
  • jasminesphotography Aug 26, 2011 @ 7:22 am | delete
    Great lens. Such an important topic.
  • JenniferV May 3, 2011 @ 2:34 pm | delete
    This is a great lens. My sons school in Pinellas county Florida did away with dodge ball and a few other 'old school' games because they were 'too dangerous' for the kids. I could not believe it. We have moved to a new county and its wonderful AND the school system is great - including being allowed to play dodge ball. My son (8 years old) didn't care for it much at first but he has fun with it now.Its a shame that school systems want to take away games like this because they worry about being sued. Just let the kids have fun!
  • careermom Apr 6, 2011 @ 1:35 pm | delete
    I love this lens. Children absolutely need recess.
  • lollyj Mar 29, 2011 @ 8:14 am | delete
    We played jump rope, keep away, Red Rover, Tether ball, and many other action games during recess. When the weather was rainy, we stayed inside and did hall walking and played jacks.
    When it snowed, we had snow angel contests and built snowmen or snow forts.
    Excellent lens.
  • poutine Mar 24, 2011 @ 8:40 am | delete
    Superb lens.

    Recess is as important as the learning inside the classroom.
    The body wasn't made to just sit all day, especially for children.

    SAVE THE RECESS
  • KarateKatGraphics Mar 14, 2011 @ 8:25 am | delete
    Fantastic lens! Could not agree more -- save recess!! Rolling this to Homework: How Much is Too Much?
  • CruiseReady Mar 12, 2011 @ 3:00 pm | delete
    This is a great lens, and somebody, somewhere needs to pay attention to it! We no longer let kids be kids, and eliminating recess is one part of that unfortunate malady!
  • MamaRuth Feb 18, 2011 @ 10:37 pm | delete
    I read some research today reporting that adults benefit in the workplace from having periods of intense focus broken up with distractions. Children need that too. I fear that our push toward test-based success in the classroom is having unintended consequences as we push children toward more academics at the expense of other important parts of childhood growth. Bring back recess.
  • Nibbled Feb 16, 2011 @ 11:18 pm | delete
    Congratulations on your purple star! Well deserved!
  • poddys Feb 8, 2011 @ 1:07 am | delete
    All children have the right to play, and to have their school day broken up. Just making them do lessons all day isn't going to make them brighter. Frustrated and fatter maybe... This is an excellent lens Evelyn. Congratulations on your Purple Star. Well deserved.
  • jptanabe Feb 7, 2011 @ 2:56 pm | delete
    Yes. When I asked my daughter which class she liked best in elementary school, without hesitation she said Recess!
  • lilymom24 Feb 7, 2011 @ 1:02 pm | delete
    Great lens and I agree that children need the excersise, fresh air, and socialization. Congratulations on your purple star. =)
  • guardianstar77 Feb 4, 2011 @ 7:47 am | delete
    I understand the concerns about children feeling left out during recess and the concern over inevitable accidents and even the bullying that happens there. HOWEVER, as one of those who was extremely shy (and under-privileged), I suffered all those things and, looking back, I know they helped to make me what I am today. I excelled at jump rope, climbing monkey bars, playing jacks, and hopscotch. And, I truly loved to swing--still do until this day. Although I didn't engage in most of the recess activities, I did learn a tremendous amount about social interaction as I watched and listened to the other children. One wonders if the extreme bullying that happens so frequently in the upper grades today, including physical harm as well as mental, would not have been prevented if these children had learned the important lessons about bullying when they were in elementary school. Thank you for so brilliantly describing the harm to be done to our children by eliminating recess!
  • blue22d Jan 10, 2011 @ 3:55 pm | delete
    I wish more parents would consider home school, especially if they have the education to do so. Recess, however, should be utilized by all parents. Pre-schoolers need to be out as much as possible so that we don't have any over weight children. It is easy to be stuck in an apartment with little ones and allowing the TV to baby sit. Get out, go for a walk, or just play ball on the grass.
  • Pukeko Nov 25, 2010 @ 7:04 am | delete
    Just another reason to add to the long list of why I homeschool.
  • CreativeArtist Nov 24, 2010 @ 10:37 pm | delete
    Recess and activity are very important. I recently drove by the elementary school the other day and kids were outside having recess.
  • MisterJeremy Nov 18, 2010 @ 8:40 am | delete
    I loved recess. Four square, digging in the dirt (don't recall a sandbox) and the swings were my favorite. Blessed.
  • cdcraftee Oct 10, 2010 @ 7:55 pm | delete
    Uh-oh - there's no lensroll icon available at the top of your page - and just checked mine, and not there either. Will come back later and try again. Hope messages are coming into you guestbook.
    Christine
  • cdcraftee Oct 10, 2010 @ 7:50 pm | delete
    I cannot imagine a school world without recess...well remembered for the importance of some sunshine, fresh air, snacktime and socialisation - plus we played just a bit, also!
    Lensrolled to my experiences in the '50s
  • lemonsqueezy Sep 10, 2010 @ 9:28 pm | delete
    Agreed,,, this is a very thorough lens. I don't know which is worse... no recess or the horribly unhealthy food in the cafeteria.
  • TheWhistler Sep 10, 2010 @ 4:44 pm | delete
    My goodness, did you forget to include something. I don't think so. Thanks for the lens.
  • Tiffany Nov 25, 2009 @ 2:08 pm | delete
    Awesome lens... this is such an important topic with so many kids being overweight and generally unhealthy we can;t take away recess. Plus play is central to their development.
  • aj2008 Nov 24, 2009 @ 10:14 am | delete
    The Childrens and Parenting Group that this lens belonged to has survived all the recent changes on Squidoo and is now a Lensography. This lens is now featured at Children and Parenting HQ.

    And of course this visit gives me the chance to Bless this excellent lens.
  • NanLT May 30, 2009 @ 9:38 am | delete
    interesting that recess seems to be growing shorter and shorter while here in the UK OFSTED, the education regulatory authority is emphasizing more and more the importance of getting children out of the classroom and providing opportunities for play outside. The school where my boys attend, and where I am a governor, is in the process of installing canopies outside 2 of the lower classrooms so that the kids can get outside even if it is raining.
  • OhMe May 30, 2009 @ 4:49 am | delete
    I used to love to play Mother May I and Red Rover. This is a super lens and yes, I think children need Recess and some free time to play and explore. My grandson and some neighbor children spend a lot of time in the creek behind our house.
  • aj2008 May 20, 2009 @ 5:41 am | delete
    This is one of the first lenses of yours that I ever visited Evelyn. Just revisiting lenses in the Children and Parenting Group to say how proud I am of the quality of lenses in the Group and that I am so glad this is one of them. You have been Blessed by an Angel!
  • JaguarJulie May 17, 2009 @ 9:34 am | delete
    Our recess time, the nuns would go outside and play baseball. I miss recess today now that I'm all grown up! ;)
  • naturegirl7 May 6, 2009 @ 7:58 am | delete
    I love this lens. All school administrators should read it.
  • alteredkat Apr 22, 2009 @ 8:13 pm | delete
    What a great, complete lens! 5* very informative...I for one LOVED recess!
    ...thanks for commenting on my depression glass lens...I appreciate it!
  • Evelyn_Saenz Apr 6, 2009 @ 3:16 pm | in reply to spirituality | delete
    Thank you, Squid Angel!
  • spirituality Apr 6, 2009 @ 3:14 am | delete
    You've just been blessed by a squidangel :)
  • kschoch Mar 6, 2009 @ 2:08 pm | delete
    Evelyn, this lens rocks! You are so on target with this. I teach fourth and I wish ALL grades, yes, even high school, had recess. Check out my lens on Dodgeball and you'll see that I am all for kids getting the physical and social benefits of play. 5 stars, but only because I couldn't give it more.
  • lakeerieartists Nov 3, 2008 @ 7:33 pm | delete
    Very complete lens.
  • Lisa_Jo Oct 30, 2008 @ 3:26 pm | delete
    This is a superb lens. I did not realise that recess was a problem. My youngest is 18. My best to you in your quest.
  • Cajean Oct 11, 2008 @ 8:02 pm | delete
    Super lens, now it has to get into all the right hands! ;-) Playing, socializing,exercising, problem solving...all a part of very needed skills for today's "needy" children...and guess what? It's FREE. Very well-researched lens, 5* and my faves too.
  • EverythingMouse Sep 11, 2008 @ 6:42 pm | delete
    I really liked this lens when I first saw it a while back. Now it is good to return to it again.

    You have been Blessed by a Squid Angel
  • stargazer00 Sep 8, 2008 @ 3:15 pm | delete
    When I was in elementary school we had 15 minutes in the morning and the afternoon, an hour after lunch and also had PE. Kids need that. We did a lot of roller skating, jumping rope and playing baseball. Fun!
  • WhitePineLane Aug 29, 2008 @ 6:04 am | delete
    Another excellent lens, and a very important topic! At my kids' school, they have 15 minutes of recess a day, and they have to wolf down their lunches to have even that much! (And it's cut even shorter in winter when that time includes putting on boots and snowpants, etc.!) How pitiful is that??
  • spirituality Aug 26, 2008 @ 4:23 am | delete
    I know: my pe teacher told me once that one of the things kids learn from pe and just playing freely outside is a sense of space: which is necessary for math.
    And recess is absolutely necessary for developing social skills as well. I don't think it's a bad idea for parents to play with their kids, but more important for kids to play and develop their own initiative and learn social skills from hanging out together - or even fighting or pointedly ignoring each other. Not everything has to be controlled - except the amount of time kids sit in front of a tv or computer screen :)
  • aj2008 Aug 23, 2008 @ 3:43 am | delete
    Great topic! Thank you for joining the Children and Parenting Group
  • BFuniv.com Aug 22, 2008 @ 1:34 am | delete
    Recess is about the only reason for public schools. As a kid the games played changed by fad or season. I remember tiring of the current games and bringing marbles to start a new fad. In a week everyone was playing marbles, in three weeks they moved on to something else.
  • debnet Aug 18, 2008 @ 8:27 am | delete
    Thank you for joing the Emotional Wellbeing Group :)
  • mulberry Aug 16, 2008 @ 9:58 am | delete
    No Child Left Without a Big Behind...OMG, that title alone was worth a visit! Excellent lens once again.
  • The_Homeopath Aug 15, 2008 @ 11:33 am | delete
    Oh, this is just awesome! I'm going to send it to my kids' school and teachers!!!
  • StephenC Aug 9, 2008 @ 6:08 pm | delete
    Recess is a time to forge friendships, make enemies,
    learn teamwork, etc. Almost like adult relationships but on a child like scale.
    Terrific Lens! Liked the information. Will come again!
    Be an Unforgettable Teacher!
    StephenC
  • funcoolcollectibles Jul 22, 2008 @ 1:54 pm | delete
    What a great lens! I couldn't believe it when my kids told me they no longer had recess...unreal.
  • Hanitan Jul 9, 2008 @ 12:57 am | delete
    Nice lens. Great work. Check out my lens on "Downloading Free PSP games"
  • triathlontraining Jul 4, 2008 @ 9:39 pm | delete
    Kids should definitely be encouraged (or coerced) to go outside and run around. 5*
  • Joan4 Jul 4, 2008 @ 8:50 am | delete
    Excellent lens! Some children only play outside that one time a day -- how scary is that? As a grandma, I long for the days when children could safely play in the yard, running from house to house, playing all kinds of games, and making up games. All of this is important part of growth and maturity!
  • kiwisoutback Jun 30, 2008 @ 12:17 pm | delete
    Great work here, I think I majored in recess in college...but it is important for children. Adults do need recess, too, as you can see in our how to take a break lens!
  • beachbum_gabby Jun 26, 2008 @ 1:29 am | delete
    My favorite part of the day. :)

    great lens indeed!
  • jeffwend Jun 16, 2008 @ 1:59 am | delete
    I think adults need recess too! Great topic, blessings from me on this one.
  • enslavedbyfaeries Jun 11, 2008 @ 9:44 am | delete
    It saddens me to think of the direction that our public schools are taking. I feel truly blessed that my girls attend a Montessori/Liberal Arts school where the value of play is understood and nurtured. Thank you for bringing this subject to light and creating such a informative lens. 5*'s!!
  • funwithtrains May 16, 2008 @ 2:48 pm | delete
    Great lens Evelyn! 5 stars and a favorite! I agree, children need recess -- and probably adults do too!
  • Becca_Sanz Apr 26, 2008 @ 5:44 am | delete
    Your lens is very informative. Staying healthy is very important. I hope you will support movement to promote Healthy Food on college campuses.
  • Winter52 Apr 25, 2008 @ 7:20 pm | delete
    I also did a lot of recess volunteering and each year the rules for what they could and couldn't do increased. Some were valid but a lot were rather silly. Kids definitely need that little bit of time to run free. 5 stars :) most definitely.

    And oh yes... in the early years, our favorite activity was to pretend that we were a band of wild horses. Haven't thought of that in years lol...
  • EverythingMouse Apr 16, 2008 @ 5:59 am | delete
    Another great lens. I agree with you about recess. My daughter was in school only for a few weeks before I decided to homeschool and I couldn't believe the children weren't really allowed any time to play.
  • utradesports Apr 16, 2008 @ 5:20 am | delete
    Wow, this is great stuff. Recess was great for socializing as kids. It also allowed us to blow off steam. 5/5*
  • Apr 10, 2008 @ 11:46 pm | delete
    This is an awesome lens! I can only wish my school would have seen this lens when I was a kid.
  • Victoria_Neely Apr 5, 2008 @ 12:29 am | delete
    I agree with Rwoman--many of the kids diagnosed with ADD probably just need recess to burn off their energy. It can't hurt!
  • riff999 Apr 4, 2008 @ 5:08 pm | delete
    Recess is a very valuable part of the school day. More people should be aware of exactly how important it is. Great lens.
    ~Jane
  • chefkeem Apr 4, 2008 @ 5:06 pm | delete
    As many of my completely unsubstantiated sources tell me - most of the world's great yodelers discovered their vocal talents during recess!

    Bravo! Beautiful lens - 5*s!
  • spirituality Mar 30, 2008 @ 8:02 am | delete
    great topic for a lens.
  • Silver_Lotus Mar 25, 2008 @ 2:58 pm | delete
    Kids need to be able to play and mess around, and they should have a break from their studies during the school day. It was a great thing when I was a kid, and it still is.
  • rwoman Mar 25, 2008 @ 11:47 am | delete
    I have long wondered how many of the children who who are diagnosed with attention deficit disorder and the like are simply children not given enough time to play and run. I think ADD is real, btw, but I do think it is overdiagnosed.

    Looking for preschool education information? Please check out my lens!
  • clouda9 Mar 25, 2008 @ 1:12 am | delete
    Stellar as always! Added you to my Getting Back on Track lens!
  • Christina_Lemmey Feb 19, 2008 @ 3:05 pm | delete
    Great lens! I was so relieved to hear last year that the teacher refused to use recess as a punishment and this year my 5th grader actually gets extra recess! Everybody needs a break in the day.
  • Roving_Band Feb 14, 2008 @ 10:10 pm | delete
    This is such a cool lens. It's great to be in the "Fun For Kids" group with you!
  • thomasz Feb 13, 2008 @ 2:49 am | delete
    I like this lens. 5 stars to you.
  • Susan52 Feb 1, 2008 @ 6:45 pm | delete
    I agree that recess is very important, but I don't agree with a government mandate. Parents should be responsible for their children's physical education and well being. Too bad families are just too busy to play together every day. The adults need to leave their "big behinds" behind, too. (Loved your Squidcast!)
  • Comfortdoc Jan 31, 2008 @ 9:39 pm | delete
    There is a quote from SuperSize Me that says "We're raising a nation of fat readers." Let's hope that people start realizing it is important to teach kids to be active as a part of their daily life.
  • rms Jan 31, 2008 @ 6:43 pm | delete
    Great lens. Your Squidcast made me laugh!
  • ShortSaleRealtor Jan 22, 2008 @ 3:58 pm | delete
    great lens 5 stars 4 u
  • ProJumpRope Jan 11, 2008 @ 9:14 pm | delete
    I'm really glad you included Rope Skipping. It's a great exercise and can do wonders to combat childhood obesity. It's also a sport that doesn't require expensive equipment so anyone can participate.
  • Music-Resource Dec 25, 2007 @ 8:53 am | delete
    Hi Evelyn, I hung on every word of this lens. Very well done. I am in strong agreement with all of it. You are really in touch with what is healthy and important for kids. I loved and valued recess as a child. I wish recess would be taken more seriously. ~Music Resource~
  • tonyab Dec 15, 2007 @ 5:12 pm | delete
    What a great lens! I totally agree with this - children need time to break off, get outside, get exercise and then get back to it! 5 stars from me. (Thanks for paying me a visit!)
  • KCStargazer Dec 11, 2007 @ 2:41 pm | delete
    Unstructured time has been eliminated because it means more work for those supervising the children. They fear chaos and find it easier to supervise when they are all in organized activities. It is ridiculous to expect a child, or anyone, to be "ON" the entire day. Downtime is essential for balance.
  • crunchymom76 Oct 27, 2007 @ 9:49 pm | delete
    Love this lens. I'm a former public school teacher turned homeschooling mom. Why am I homeschooling?? It's actually for many reasons, but my MAIN reason is that I think kids should be able to be KIDS!!! I'm homeschooling my kindergartener and loving it!
  • Eevee Oct 25, 2007 @ 9:18 pm | delete
    Recess is the best part of the day.
  • JJ37 Oct 25, 2007 @ 3:54 pm | delete
    Me again, I forgot to rate your lens. And thanks for including my lens Books for Parents Who Care About Their Kids under "More great lenses." I'll check out your other lenses.
  • JJ37 Oct 25, 2007 @ 3:23 pm | delete
    Great topic for discussion! I once read that the children who are kept in at recess as punishment for their "disruptive" behavior are the ones who need recess the most to get rid of their pent-up energy if they are to have any chance of being able to focus in the afternoon.
  • Barkely Oct 16, 2007 @ 4:31 pm | delete
    My son's favorite subject is recess, he'd be devastated.
  • Eevee Oct 15, 2007 @ 5:16 pm | delete
    I miss recess. I have a hard time concontrating without a break and sometimes I fall asleep in the afternoons.

by

Evelyn_Saenz

My passion is teaching and finding ways to teach children in fun, hands-on, creative ways. The unit studies I make on Squidoo reflect my view that learning... more »

Feeling creative? Create a Lens!

Explore related pages

Related Tags