Gym Games & Playground Fun!

Recess Is Not Just Fun & Games, Sometimes It’s a State Law

Have you ever asked an elementary school student what their favorite part of the day is, and the answer is recess? Recent surveys show that 80% of elementary school kids rank recess as the highlight of their school day.

Physical activity during recess helps to improve social and emotional development.

Making Recess Mandatory for AZ Elementary Students

Senate Bill 1083 was signed on April 4, 2018, requiring Arizona schools to provide recess breaks each school day. The law defines recess as “a period of time during the regular school day, including the time before or after a scheduled lunch period, during which a pupil is able to engage in physical activity or social interaction with other pupils.” Thirteen states and the District of Columbia have mandatory recess laws.

Studies by the Centers for Disease Control and SHAPE America (Society of Health and Physical Educators) show that the benefits of recess include students getting better grades, having better school attendance, better classroom behavior, social skills, COGNITIVE performance, and that recess keeps the students physically active. 

School is exciting for many students as they learn to write their full name, learn the multiplication table, understand how laws are made, perform science projects and have fun participating in STEM and STEAM activities, but recess is a much-needed break for students to clear their minds. Recess and playground games improve a child’s social and emotional development. Kids learn to take turns, share, follow rules and find new things or games they are good at and enjoy. 

Recess usually does not continue after fifth grade unless a student is enrolled in a K–6 or K–8 school. In middle and high school, students have a lunch break and recess is replaced with walking while changing classes and gym class or physical education classes.

Get In On the Fun, and Make Some Friends!

Physical Education

The Arizona Department of Education has physical education standards that schools must follow. The Arizona standards for K–12 physical education were adopted in May 2015. The standards state “The goal of physical education is to develop physically literate individuals who have the knowledge, skills and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity.”

For K–5 students, the standards include motor skills and movement patterns like hopping, jumping, sliding, leaping and skipping. As the student advances in age the standards become more challenging with catching, throwing and striking a ball with a bat, hockey stick, or golf club. Visit azed.gov/standards-practices/k-12standards/standards-physical-education to read more about Arizona standards.

Physical education or gym classes give students a chance to try out a sport or game that they may have never experienced before. Many times PE or gym classes introduce students to gymnastics, tennis, bowling, volleyball, competitive running and even archery. There are PE alternatives for students participating in school sports, swimming, cheer squad and marching band.

Playground Games and Activities

School playgrounds are designed for all children, combining physical activity with social connection. Playground equipment is ADA-compliant making sure that every child, even those with a disability, can play safely. Many playground areas are shaded and some even have sensory play areas.

Bear Essential News recently polled students in grades K–5 to find out their favorite playground games. Games that have been around for decades, like jump rope, hopscotch, hide and seek, duck, duck, goose, Simon says, mother may I and red rover are still very popular and so is tag. Tag has evolved over time with variations called freeze tag, zombie tag and Pac-Man tag.

Sports games like baseball, basketball, soccer, kickball and dodgeball are popular games and, one gaining popularity is called gaga ball. Gaga ball is played in an octagonal pit and is described as a kinder, gentler version of dodgeball played with a soft foam ball. You can visit gagacenter.com for instructions and rules of gaga ball.

Swings, slides and monkey bars were the top three choices for playground equipment, and other favored activities were obstacle courses, rope climbing, dancing and hand clapping games.

For some students just hanging out with friends is what they enjoyed most about recess. 

States That Have Mandatory Recess Law

Don’t Let the Monsoon Ruin Recess of Arizona Can Help 

In Arizona school is back in session towards the tail end of monsoon, and for many students those rainy and stormy days mean no outdoor recess. Indoor recess games and activities are played so that kids AVOID going stir crazy when they miss recess. Most teachers prepare for indoor recess when it storms or on days when there is an excessive heat warning.

If the school has a large cafeteria or gym, physical activities can take place for indoor recess. Some favorite games for active indoor recess are musical chairs, hula-hoops, jump rope, tug of war and the floor is lava. Usually, a rotation schedule is set if recess takes place in the cafeteria or gymnasium so that it is not overcrowded, allowing for all the kids to have fun. 

For sit-down activities, kids can make paper crafts, color and draw. Paper fortune tellers, paper airplanes and easy origami projects are fun to make. Board games, cards, I spy, animal charades and the telephone game are also great indoor recess activities.

ACTIVITY

Kids–just for fun, ask your parents and grandparents what games they played at recess. You might learn about games you’ve never heard of before.