Outdoor Toys and Games

Children learn and grow and thrive with outdoor toys and games. Schools are cutting recess — that’s a shame — but parents also need to make an effort to get kids out of the house and into the yard.

Schools try anything and everything to increase brain power, from extending the school day to eliminating outdoor toys and games. But listen up: Recess — or any outdoor play — may trump them all.

That’s right. 11,000 3rd graders were tested and researchers found that students who had more than 15 minutes of outdoor play behaved better. Hello!!?! Ask any mom. Boys, girls, rich or poor. It doesn’t matter. Kids need to play. This is true across the board — gender, ethnicity, class size and type of school made no difference.

How can it be said differently? Outdoor toys and games are tools to better classroom behavior. Good classroom behavior translates to classroom success. How do we know for sure? Well, do you trust Harvard? Harvard researchers verify the correlation between physical fitness and classroom success.

Still not convinced?

A recent ADHD study conluded that students’ concentration was more improved when they were allowed to play in grass and trees than when they were confined to indoors. Scientists believe that exposure to nature gives the brain a chance for rest and recovery.

Encourage your schools to reinstate recess. Then do your part, as well. Children need to play at home. Be the parent. Insist that your children play outdoors, every day, weather permitting. They’ll have a great time, won’t be able to argue about a shower, and they’ll find the academic work easier to conquer. You will give them the outdoor toys and games and love — and the satisfied smile when they bring home that report card.