Contributed by JC Boushh Since 1990, 40 percent of the nation’s 16,000 school districts have either modified, deleted, or are considering deleting recess from the daily elementary school schedule due to increased pressure from numerous sources to improve achievement. (American Association for the Child’s Right to Play, 2000)As schools, administrators, and teachers feel the ever-growing pressure to meet academic test scores and No Child Left Behi…

Contributed by JC Boushh
There has been an enormous amount of research conducted on the important role recess plays in healthy child development, concluding that recess is necessary for a child’s: Physical Health, Mental / Emotional Health, Social Development, Cognitive Development, and Academic Achievement. An article titled “Even Turtles Need Recess: Many Animals -- Not Just Dogs, Cats, and Monkeys -- Need a Little Play Time” in Science Daily …

Contributed by JC Boushh An article by Gordon Clark in THE PROVINCE titled “We modern parents are safety freaks” had me reminiscing about my childhood in the 1970’s. At that time my parents, specifically my mother because my father was at work, allowed me to play outside in the rear yard where we had two large acacia trees growing and I was allowed to wander around the neighborhood without to many restrictions. Looking back at the amount of free…

Contributed by JC Boushh With the incredible advances in technology kids today have a very short distance to go to be entertained. The internet, texting, and satellite TV have brought children into a world of constant stimulation and entertainment. Today’s children cannot tolerate solitude or boredom, and they seem to be in a constant state of alert. In essence parents, teachers, and caregivers have become cruise directors for kids, thereby stif…

Contributed by JC Boushh With the school year fast approaching a new film by Paramount Pictures is ready for release on September 24. Waiting for Superman examines the current state and continuing crisis of our public education system through the stories of several students.The film’s Director Davis Guggenheim states in the film’s press release; "I made this film for and about kids and their parents, struggling to get a quality education in…

Schedule a Recess Event

In recognition of National Recess Week March 2-6 why not schedule a recess event?

Get kids up and get active. Perhaps schedule a "Recess Games Day." Have volunteers and teachers teach students a recess game and rotate students through age appropriate games and playground activities.

Good luck with the National Recess Week drawing. We hope you signed up for the $10,000 drawings as a result of the announcement thi…