Sunday, June 27, 2010

Recess = Stress Reduction

Stress caused by a number of factors, including a lack of recess, can have a negative impact on children. By including recess as part of a child’s school day, it can reduce stress. Children need a developmentally appropriate strategy to reduce this stress. Recess allows children to engage in high level thinking which fosters cognitive development. Adults should encourage interaction of children that guide children toward solutions, but refrain from providing all solutions for them. Free play can look like just playing to the casual observer, but to the child, play is developmentally important. For more information on the importance of play, check out the following link: http://www.nifplay.org/

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Father's Day


Today is Father's Day. Take time to remember the Dad's in your life and tell them thank you for being there. Whether you have a special day planned, or just a time home with your Dad, be grateful that you have a father to spend it with. For those of you that don't remember the good times you had with your father. Talk about special memories with your children to help them remember too.

Take time to Play today and every day!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Remembering Play

Many things come to mind when I hear the word recess. I remember my elementary school days at Sunset elementary school. I looked forward to recess both before school and after lunch. This was a time to socialize and play with my friends. The recess time I had was spent playing in the dirt, on the swings, slide, and monkey bars creating a world of fun with my friends. Children today are rarely given the opportunity to participate in this type of “free spontaneous play”. The recess time when I was a child has been replaced with a structured play time or has diminished so much that one would not recognize the time as recess. Children are not given the chance to explore their world in their own way.