Recess: Not What It Used to Be

It seems the schoolyard is more boring than ever. Researchers found that lackluster playground designs brought to us by strict equipment safety rules and low budgets have made outdoor playtime unappealing to toddlers at child care centers around the nation. The need to meet stringent academic requirements is leading schools to underemphasize physical play too. –ARK

MedPage Today:

Strict safety rules for equipment and low budgets at childcare centers were largely blamed for playgrounds that don’t make kids feel like playing, Kristen Copeland, MD, of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and colleagues reported.

… The other main problem cited was pressure to focus on academic readiness at the expense of physically active play time, Copeland’s group noted.

… [T]hree-quarters of U.S. kids attend childcare at ages 3 to 5, where studies have shown that nearly all their time is spent sedentary.

Read more