I dare anyone to say that kids don’t need recess to learn. There is no better way to prove this than an old-fashioned rainy day.
Today was such a day.
By 3:00 pm (when we pick up kids from school for afterschool), they were jumping out of their skin. The noise level on the bus was loud and a few kids were standing up on their seats and acting crazy. I addressed the noise and behavior by using the “clap once if you can hear me” strategy. When I had their attention, I acknowledged their day and the lack of outside time.
Think about it. They had been in school for 7 hours without recess. When they got on the bus, all that energy exploded. It had to.
When we got to the Center, the noise and activity continued and it took
a while for the kids to calm down. Snack helped.
Meanwhile, the rain kept coming down with no sign of stopping.
We made it through the day, but hopefully, the sun will come out tomorrow.
The kids need their outside time and so do the teachers.
Pent up energy causes behavior problems and shorter attention spans.
Rainy days can be fun sometimes, but let’s hear it for recess.
Share your stories about recess and why it’s important. Have you ever had an outside recess on a rainy day?
Diane Schwartz is an Outdoor Education Teacher at Goodman Community Center in Madison. Today, she subbed in the after school and stayed inside with 19 K-1 students. Subscribe to this blog now and receive a free 11-page bubble activity guide. Thanks for reading.