The definition of play: “[To] engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.”
In the United States, more academic early education has spread rapidly in the past decade. Programs like No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top have contributed to more testing and more teacher-directed instruction.
By many measures, American educational achievement lags behind that of other countries; at the same time, millions of American students, remain far below national norms. Advocates say that starting formal education earlier will help close these dual gaps.
Play has a magical effect, at times, of taking away some of the stress and pressures of life. It is in these carefree moments that kids and adults develop and enhance certain skills that will play a huge role in personal and professional development. I find myself reflecting on the seemingly endless positive impacts that play has on kids and yet it is being cut from schools across the country. Ask any young kid what was their favorite part of the school day and they will respond in no specific order – recess, gym, or art.
Our kids need and deserve more play, not less! Recess in particular is needed not just in our youngest grades, but also even through the middle and high school years.
In order to create schools that work for kids a concerted effort has to be made to break up the monotony of formal learning that places a great deal of stress on students. Structured and unstructured play should be integrated into every school schedule, regardless of the age group of the kids. Below are a few ideas:
- Add more recess (kids need it and the benefits are clear)
- Integrate makerspaces
- Replace study halls with play options and open choice
- Integrate games such as chess, checkers, Trivial Pursuit, and Xbox to common areas
- Add time to lunch. With a full length lunch period at my school (48 minutes) students would regularly go outside and play, visit the make space, or play video games thanks to our BYOD initiative.
- Develop a play-based elective
These are just a few ideas to implement the power of play into the school day. Students should be excited to attend school and learn. By integrating more play we can begin to create a culture where more students want to learn. Once that is achieved the possibilities are endless.
It’s time for you to get in on the conversation. For more information about this topic and others visit the links below: https://www.youtube.com/user/TIAssociation
Here are some social links:
· https://www.facebook.com/geniusofplay
