Please, please, please tell me that you regularly, daily encourage your kids to go outside and just play. If I have a pet peeve with the home schooling community this is it. I have met parent upon parent who seems to be convinced that physical education, is secondary to the “real academics.” Going outside and letting the kids just play, after all, may take up time from the curriculum. Almost as bad, are the parents who think that little league or soccer practice once a week is sufficient to meet the need of getting enough exercise and free play.
If you fall into either of these categories may I implore you to mend your ways? Of course I say this tongue and cheek but I truly believe that not only does unstructured play make kids better learners, but it’s just plain healthy for them. Do you need some convincing to stray from your curriculum and plan to have outdoor, active free play?
Reasons To Have Recess in Your Homeschool
1. Studies have shown there is a direct correlation between obesity and a lack of time spent outside.
2. Unstructured, outdoor play reduces stress for your child. Having a bad day? Head outdoors.
3. Unstructured play actively engages the body, and mind. Again, research shows that up until age 9, learning happens best when the whole child is involved in the concept.
4. Kids often work out their feelings through unstructured play. You can think of it as free therapy.
5. Free play outdoors helps encourage a life long healthy lifestyle.
6. Free play outdoors helps kids sleep better. (Conversely studies have shown that watching T.V. after dinner helps kids sleep worse.)
7. Unstructured outdoor play is now regularly being recommended by the American Association of Pediatrics. This means that at your child’s well-child visit, your pediatrician might start asking about it.
8. Playing outside increases your child’s imagination. You likely have the fortress of a noble knight or the cave of a fire breathing dragon right in your back yard!
9. Kids who regularly play outdoors are stronger than kids who don’t.
10. Some research suggests that kids who play outside demonstrate an increased ability to concentrate.
Hopefully I’ve given you enough reasons to make unstructured outside play time a regular part of your day.
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