More thoughts on Recess

The Importance of Recess

There are too many children who have lost recess time ever since the beginning of the No Child Left Behind Act when many schools began to say that every minute of the school day had to be accountable to standards & that recess was just too big of a distraction.   But, recess is not a distraction if we recognize that it is an important part of the social, emotional and physical well being of our children and a critical part of our students' day.  

Not only is their a myriad of research that talks about the benefits of outdoor time for children, see the Children and Nature Network for an amazing amount of information on this topic.  There is also a lot of research that says that students actually perform better when their social and emotional needs are met and that play is a great way to develop these skills.  

As a teacher and now as a mother of twin boys  I am very concerned about the amount of time and the quality of recess.  I alway inquire when my kids come home.  What did you do at recess?  Their answers tell me about how they are learning to get along with others, how they are processing what they are learning academically (with my kindergarteners I notice whether themes and ideas from class are coming out in imaginative play).  How they are feeling about school.  When kids don't have adequate recess time or lose it due to rain.  I am truly sad, because I feel that one of the most important aspects of the day has been lost.  Often the replacement includes screen time which is non- relational.  

Now a large group of parents, teachers and social justice advocates are putting out the call for a Seattle wide lunch and recess policy to make sure that all children get enough time for food and play- critical components of healthy learning.    I am in support of this issue on a number of levels. 

1. All children need time to play.  For many students school is the only time that children get outdoor time and unstructured play.  

2. The brain needs time to process and play allows for that.

3. As we let our children play more, we will also focus more on what great play environments look like.  We will add things like loose parts and more nature to our school yards so that we have children who come in refreshed from play.  

4. Many parts of the world actually give their students more time to decompress than we do.  See the book Parenting without Borders: Surprising Lessons Parents Around the World Can Teach Us

By Gross-Loh, Christine.

5.  Healthy bodies lead to healthy minds. No child should forgo or rush eating so that they can play.  BOTH food and play are critically important. 

The recess issue is not one easily solved, because so many of our schools are struggling to handle all the things placed upon them, but this is a topic worth advocating for because it is good for kids and it is good for communities.  It will not be simple, but education should not be simple.   This discussion and taking action is important. 

A list of book on Planning Playgrounds and the Importance of Play are listed on my library page  list. 

Staying in touch with the sun and moon

My students have a master kindergarten teacher.  She has taught for forty years.  Not only does she know how to teach reading and writing, but she teaches history, citizenship, and the earth sciences.  The day starts standing on a "shadow line." The children stop each day to notice their shadows before lining up to go into the building.  This connects to their understanding of the world, time, the calendar concepts which are developed further in the classroom each day.

The calendar is not just a simple routine done at circle time.  It is a time for deep understandings about numbers, the season, weather, and patterns.   For our family who spends so much time outside- the activities from class give us new ways to reflect.   We read the poems the teacher sends home each month & play with the language & the ideas within them.  Homework is also a daily  discussion or activity to do.  In September it included: draw pictures of the moon.  Collect three different types of leaves.  Discuss what is the autumn equinox.  Cut open an apple and find the seeds.  Have the children retell the story about the little red house with no doors and no windows and a star inside.

The children also received a tree book. In the book they are supposed to choose a deciduous tree to draw each month of the school year.  The students are learning to observe with a new eye at the same time they are just starting to develop their small motor and drawing skills.

I am thankful to be a parent participant in the new awakenings of my children.

Relaxing in Nature after School

Seattle in September: The air is crisp and clean.  The light is clear and bright.  Tinges of color are starting to appear on the leaves.  Fruits have sugared, many have already peaked.  It is time for school.

This year my boys have begun their formal education. They are in an all day kindergarten.  They were ready for the challenge, but it is challenging.  Six and a half hours of being present and accountable to other people's schedule.  There is not much unstructured playtime.  So I am even more thankful for these beautiful, long days.

Each day after school our walk home is the beginning of unwinding.  By the time we reach the yard the need to roll on our hill, climb a tree or dig a stick in the dirt is all that matters to my young scholars.  We don't even enter the house- I just see them cut loose and play. 

As many people these days observe there are not many nearby neighbors to play with. Many kids play organized sports or head off to lessons-- riding in cars leaving the neighborhood.  But, we settle into our own place.  The boys have a snack.  Then we play our version of soccer or baseball in the backyard...but it is when they are ready to depart from this more structured play that I know the good stuff has begun.  

Tonight one of my boys re-discovered the playhouse "kitchen." First he was just using sand and mixing and making me tacos.  Soon his brother joined and added in new ideas.  "Lets get herbs from the garden to add to the soup."  Then off he went, brother following.  Each boy picking, smelling and occasionally tasting the herbs.  Next came the addition of water.  The simmering soup.... then the mud chocolate bars.  DELICIOUS!

Finally the boys found the allium stalks.  At this time of the year they are beautiful dried wands with exploding dried flower seed pods that are the size a basketball.  They become fireworks- as the boys pull the heads off.  Then they wave the stalks.  Break them and investigate.  Twenty minutes later they are still playing with the same plant.  The sun is going down.  They have experienced the day- fully. 

Little pieces of paper

Every once in a whole my little scraps of paper pile up and it is time to send them to press: Here are some notes that I have written of activities to get young children interacting;
Group juggling
Pattern games
What has changed memory games
Name games including songs and movements
Parachute fun
Bubbles
Chalk
Art activities including: making natural mobiles, painting ( paper and wood as well as natural objects)

Playtime!

This summer we are inviting a flow of kids to our house.  Since our street is sadly without many youngsters I like to help organize playtime with others.  We have been having big kid play dates with other four and five year olds.  I am hoping this age distinction is not setting up hierarchal behaviors, rather I hope it is just allowing for uninterrupted big kid play. 

Then in order to promote positive open ended and imaginative play I try to keep a list of activities up my sleeves & also add new elements into the yard.  I also suggest always having a snack break & even an art activity (play dough, pastels and watercolors have worked well for us).  

Here are a few of the elements we have introduced so far:

The boys had an idea that kids would want to make tools out of cardboard so we had created a “creation station”… and one of my kiddos said, we could even make boats.   The station has grown and now includes scissors, string, a hole punch and pipe cleaners.  There is starting to be pipe cleaner art all over the yard. 

I set out a laminated card of Washington Birds  and when the kids discovered it and went bird watching.   

We have scrap wood all over the yard (without nails) and it is perfect for building/ stacking/ and painting with mud and also for making balance experiments and activities by putting boards on bricks.  This was a child’s discovery and a great way to explore fulcrums, balance & catapults. 

Last week I hid little animals and had the kids find them in the yard and then build an animal habitat. 

Some of the imaginary events that have occurred:

fishing with sticks (pipe cleaner hooks + fish)

tide pool games

play house

zoo & zoo keeper

The best play comes from the kids themselves so beyond props I try to stay at the periphery.  

The Adventure Begins

 My boys are enthralled with the Mercer Island Adventure Playground  They went on opening day and enjoyed being checked out  construction worker hard hats and toolbox.  They walked with pride and excitement to begin their projects- making an idea come to life with real tools.  

The first day they found a place to work that was on a hill.  It made all the measurements, sawing and hammering a bit difficult but nonetheless a bench and table were made.   Projects that were no where to be found just two days later- turned into something else.   I worried that they would feel frustrated to see their projects gone, but it just allowed them a clear slate for today.  

All around us kids and parents were busily working on projects.  I was amazed at the creative projects.  It was truly an adventure playground: kid made rides, forts and furniture.  As a parent I had to try to hold back my own concerns and fears and realize that the learning was greater than the risk.  The greatest challenge for me was the amount of boards I saw with nails sticking out of them.  Sometimes pointing straight up.  There were also many nails just laying on the ground.  There is a reason that you are not allowed in the fenced off area with sandals on: closed toed shoes only.  It is also why I am not yet allowing our backyard to become an adventure playground.  We like to go barefoot on occasion.  

I also realized that it took full concentration as a parent to make sure my kids knew basic sawing and hammering safety.  But, already by our second visit I was much more at ease.  

It is amazing that Mercer Island staffs such a great learning and play activity.  So far it seems that the staff is mostly new to the Adventure Playground concept themselves, but they were always present and are learning quickly.   When we were in need of assistance someone in a bright yellow vest was never hard to find.    They were always friendly and helpful.  It will be interesting to see how the playground progresses during the summer. 

If you are planning a trip- plan to make it a full afternoon.   The adventure playground is set with in a lovely park.  There is also a great trail nearby for hiking and exploring. 

For more on adventure playgrounds: 

Adventure Playgrounds
http://adventureplaygrounds.hampshire.edu/index.html

http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/adventureplayground/

Early Childhood Nature Games

I am trying to write down some of the games that the boys have played in these past years with other friends and teachers because this time is so fleeting and I don't want to forget the wonderful learnings both the boys and I have experienced.  Also, as an educator I want to be able to remember them and adapt them.   I have been very inspired by the teachers at the Arboretum.  They do a wonderful job of creating simple games that connect to the themes the children are studying.  The teachers are great mentors in less is more during early childhood.  Many of there games are based on the "run and find" theme.   For example, last week we were studying colors in nature.  The teacher had the children each take a paint chip (color) square and find that color.  Then, they came back to her and got a new color.  All the children had a wonderful time playing this game & parents were involved by their child showing their glee.  This game can have many versions: it can simply be run and find something with a specific attribute such as wet with dew, soft and fuzzy,  rough.

Another delightfully simple game that the boys have played include make a bird nest out of grass and twigs, hide it, then come and get food from the teacher.   If the kids want they can choose to be a specific type of bird.  One of my boys was a chickadee and the other a crow when we last played this.  They ran back and forth, back and forth to and from the teacher many times trying to get "food" for their baby birds.    I am thinking we may play this game today at big kid Monday!