by Margot Locker
The importance of play in a child’s life has been debated from every angle in recent weeks. Articles have discussed the value of recess, the significance of structured play during the school day, the need for creativity, and most recently, from the perspective of the “Tiger Mother,” the benefits of extreme structure and no play. Groups, such as Alliance for Childhood, have formed that are dedicated to increasing the culture of play in children’s lives, while at the same time, schools are devaluing the importance of recess, art, and physical education as a result of NCLB and the focus on standardized testing that has swept the nation. Parents, educators, and researchers all have varying, often conflicting views on what is appropriate for children in their “free” time.
During my two years teaching 3rd grade in West Philadelphia, I viewed the 30 daily minutes of recess time as almost equally important to time devoted to math and reading. 8 year-olds have a remarkable amount of energy and, without a space to release it, behavior, anger, and attention issues are sure to follow. On days without recess, my students’ behavior and attention levels were noticeably decreased. Their engagement in lessons was not there, and thus, their ability to internalize the material declined. Learning was far more challenging for my students without the 30 minutes they usually had to run around, socialize, and have the freedom for creative play. Further, for many of my students, this was the only time they had to run around outside, as many lived in urban areas where outdoor safety and supervision were unavailable for them if they desired to play outside. Recess was a special time for my students, and a time where they could explore, create, and be kids.
Recess took place on a large blacktop. There was no playground equipment, and the toys and sports gear were long lost or broken. Despite the lack of resources, I was always amazed to watch what my students did during their free time. They created games, made up dances, and devised elaborate games of tag. Their ingenuity and resourcefulness impressed me, and I viewed this time as its own form of learning. Due to space and financial constraints, gym classes had been cut to once a week, so recess truly was a unique time of day.
I find it hard to consider the issue of play without thinking about GoodWork. Teaching a lesson where students stayed in their seats and were talked “at” often resulted in sleepy eyes, heads on desk, and an obvious lack of engagement. However, when I attempted to incorporate some aspect of play in a lesson-a skit about verbs, a race outside to learn decimal points, a hands-on science experiment-the engagement level skyrocketed. Further, the understanding of the material, and the excellence at which the students retained and processed the lesson was always far higher following creative lessons. No child can be expected to sit still in a classroom for 8 hours a day and remain focused. Countless studies reveal that physical activity aids in learning and triggers brain activity. Beyond the academic benefits of play and movement, the childhood obesity epidemic in our country, coupled with the fact that children spend 7 hours 38 minutes a day on average in front of a television or computer (according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation last year) should motivate teachers and parents alike to encourage activity, structured or not. Taking away the chance to play from a child is taking away an essential part of growing up.