Kids at the Mercer Island School District aren't allowed to play the game of tag, causing their parents to react.
With kids nowadays spending more time playing with gadgets and game consoles, less and less children are able to enjoy physical fun games such as the popular childhood game of tag. And for kids in the Mercer Island School District in Washington, the odds of playing tag are lower, since the game has been banned by the school officials.
Q13 Fox News reports that parents are reacting to the school district's decision to ban kids from playing tag during recess. Worse, they did not know it was banned until their kids told them.
“In this day and age of childhood obesity, there’s a need for more activity,” said mom Melissa Neher. “Kids should be free to have spontaneous play on the playground at recess. It’s important for their learning.”
Mercer Island School District communications director Mary Grady explained that the district’s decision was a move to ensure the physical and emotional safety of all students.
“The Mercer Island School District and school teams have recently revisited expectations for student behavior to address student safety. This means while at play, especially during recess and unstructured time, students are expected to keep their hands to themselves," Grady said in an email to Q13 Fox.
"School staffs are working with students in the classroom to ensure that there are many alternative games available at recess and during unsupervised play," she said, "so that our kids can still have fun, be with their friends, move their bodies and give their brains a break.”
In a Facebook group created to spread awareness about the ban, hundreds of parents voiced out their concerns and opinions.
“This decision needs to be reevaluated with input from the kids and from the community,” said Neher, who was responsible for creating the group.
Because of the ban, one of Kelsey Joyce's kids stopped playing during recess.
“He has been spending most of his recesses wandering around with his friend talking about video games, which is the last thing I want him to be doing," she said.
Yahoo Parenting reports that Kyle Snow from the National Association for the Education of Young Children said that “schools need to balance concern for children’s well-being with the freedom for them to learn and experience the world.”
“Research is clear that children benefit from recess during the school day,” Snow explained. “And at least part of that benefit derives from its active nature.”
How about you? Do you agree that kids should be banned from playing tag?
