"Having students take their lunch recess before lunch has had some unintended, healthy consequences," according to Tulsa, Oklahoma principal Carolyn Moore.
"We switched recess to before lunch because I was seeing so many office referrals of students with stomachaches, but now they're hungrier and more ready to settle down and eat. They're not going to pitch that food out so fast because they want to go outside and play," Moore said.
Patrick Henry Elementary School is just one of many elementary schools across the nation making the move to switch from the traditional eat first-play later lunch hour. "Most schools report positive results when children play first and eat later," according to Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer, a national recess and playground consultant from Peaceful Playgrounds Inc."schools report that children waste food less, are calm when eating, and return back to the classroom ready to learn."
