Parents have won! A Connecticut school district is creating a new recess policy after several complaints from parents at their children were not receiving consistent access to recess. Without an official recess policy requiring teachers to take students outside to daily recess, some children were not getting outdoor play each day.
According to a New Haven Independent article, some students were receiving less than ten minutes of recess or even none at all on any given day. New Haven parents teamed up to create a Recess for All campaign, encouraging other parents to sign a petition and speak up about their opinion on play. “I believe it is child abuse not to provide children daily real recess!” Marcy Guddemi, a local early childhood expert said.
A task force is currently drafting the new recess policy. Current recommendations include:
- Principals must offer supervised recess, for at least 20 minutes per day, to kids in grades pre-K to 6.
- Recess must be in addition to gym class, not as a substitute.
- Recess should be outdoors when possible; outdoor play will be permitted regardless of temperature.
- School staff should not take away recess for disciplinary reasons.
It is these great stories of success that encourage ourselves and play advocates everywhere to continue to fight for child’s right to play. Congratulations to the parents of New Haven, CT!
Looking for ideas on how to advocate for recess in your community? Check out these tips for restoring recess.
