Who does not remember the feeling it gave in childhood to go out to recess after long hours of class, to breathe, rest and play outdoors?
Recess is one of those parcels of time that are never forgotten , especially as we grow older and observe how truly hard life can be. But it is no less important for children, because they need to be able to disconnect, play, socialize … and a school day can be as hard for them as it is for adults to go to work. However, as important as recess can be, the truth is that these days it often tends to be belittled or shortened in order to accommodate the often strenuous, overly ambitious and unrealistic school planning.
Are the children guilty of the fact that the syllabi always exceed school hours ? Does it make sense to waste minutes of an already short break, in order to buy time to say a few more sentences or dictations? The answer is almost as evident as modesty can give to recognize it, especially for certain schools.
But the reality is that it is not an entirely current problem, since in the past there were already teachers and centers that resorted to the suppression of recess to punish or reprove the failure to deliver homework, the talk of more in class … But , Is this really effective for children?
Play, a fundamental source of learning
It may seem that subtracting minutes from recess in order to be able to dedicate more time to a subject is time well spent, since it is focused on learning, but the truth is that play can be as good a teacher of learning as traditional subjects , and neither parcel can be substituted for the other.
Playing outside can provide multiple skills in the little ones, such as the promotion and development of physical exercise , the improvement of concentration and levels of socialization , the increase of creativity and cooperation in groups, the relief of stress and anxiety, the enhancement of the positive spirit … Natural elements, such as the air or the sun, not only improve health and are a source of vitamins, but also improve the mood and invite reflection and reflection. fun, which certainly affects your later ability to focus and work effectively. In short, recess allows children to remain children and disconnect, as well as to be more relaxed and calm when facing long hours of sitting and complex agendas and exercises.
That is why it would be good to reflect on the importance that currently as parents and professionals we attach to recess time, so that it never again serves as an excuse or as a remedy for lack of time. It is essential that children can continue being children and enjoying the game as they did decades ago; that recesses continue to be spaces for the transmission of oral culture and the most traditional games , such as the circle or the rope; or to study how to teach without punishing or renouncing the important need for movement of our minds and our bodies.
Shall we get to it?
