Don’t be fooled by the nytimes.com URL, folks. This is actually an Onion article:
“School Recess Gets Gentler, and the Adults Are Dismayed”
I mean, it’s gotta be, right?
…children are encouraged to jump rope, play with Hula Hoops or gently fling a Frisbee. Balls are practically controlled substances, parceled out under close supervision by playground monitors.
…
At Oakdale, Mr. Johnson finally relaxed some prohibitions after a parade of parents complained. Now, twice a week when a parent or grandparent is present, fourth and fifth graders are allowed to play a modified version of kickball as long as the score is not kept.
…
Children are still encouraged to move about, he said, and are free to walk the grounds with the school nurse, or depending on the day, sing in the chorus, play chess or pick up litter…But Ms. Clewell was dismissive of the alternatives. “I’m not having my son pick up trash around the school,” she said. “This is recess.”
…
Mr. Johnson, who insists that students are having fun despite the constraints, was offered hugs as he strolled through the playground recently. Just as often, he jumped in to make sure that the play did not get rough.
This is what happens what you stop letting kids play tag and kickball and make them sing and hold hands with the nurse–they start hugging the principal! Is any further evidence required to prove that this policy is warping the mind of young children?
Ethan,
Agreed and thanks for mentioning the absurdity. I too was shocked when I read this headline. My mom has always touted the importance of kids eating dirt, scruffing up knees and exploring solo. But today we live in an age of anti-bacterial soap, hula-hooping for recess, and leashes on toddlers.
Challenges build character–without them we are vapid. If you never know what it feels like to not be chosen for the baseball team, how can you ever empathize or learn to stand up for yourself. I’m afraid the little ones these days are missing out. There is something gratifying about being accidentally slammed in the face by a volleyball or kickball and then surviving bruised and proud. We are underestimating the resilience that comes with being a child.
[...] that school that banned kickball last year? Now we’ve got a Little League that won’t let a nine-year-old kid pitch [...]