Improving Recess

At least two or three times a day, students are released from the classroom to go to recess. Recess is meant to be a break and a time to relax the brain and release some energy. But for many students, recess is a stress and a strain. There are many things that can be done to improve recess.

First, the playground itself needs to be improved. There are too many children on the playground at one time. There just isn’t enough for all the kids to do. The playground equipment is designed for about 30 children. In actuality, there are more than 100 children playing at one time.

This poses safety concerns at recess. There are too many activities going on (children running and hitting balls) to have the students so close together. There is not enough space to really play the games and activities safely. Children using the playground equipment are at risk of being injured because of such crowding. Children are also prone to fighting and arguing over the equipment, and they struggle to find things to do at recess. It is amazing that more children have not been hurt or seriously injured.

Along with these issues, there is never enough supervision for all of the children. It’s impossible for one or two adults to adequately supervise 100 students at recess. Parents need to be more aware of what is taking place at recess so that they can push for improvements and changes.