Benefits of Recess in Early Childhood Education

If its no secret that kids need recess—then why is recess being cut from many elementary schools?

For many adults, recess is a fond memory of playing outdoors with friends—from the sandbox to dodgeball games, recess was an integral part of socializing. Today, kids are lucky if they get 15 minutes of outdoor playtime during the school day. And people wonder why childhood obesity  is on the rise.

Although recess programs began to be cutting the late 1980’s, it wasn’t until 2001 when the No Child Left Behind Act came into play, that urban schools in particular began to lose their recess time entirely. Recess became a safety issue and was thought to bring down test scores.

So, administrators, believing their school’s test scores would improve if children spent more time on schoolwork, began to cut recess. But, while there is no research that suggest test scores improve by keeping children in the classroom all day, there is a lot of research proving that recess improves both cognitive, social andemotional traits within children. 

Cognitive Benefits of Recess

• Children with recess fidget less and complete tasks more efficiently—even children with disorders like ADHD benefit

• Recess provides break for the brain to recharge, improving the recollection of information

• There is a relationship between physical activity and the development of brain connections

• A school system that devoted a third of the day to nonacademic activities (art, music, physical activity) improved attitudes and fitness and slightly increased test scores, despite spending less time on academics

Social Benefits of Recess

• During recess, children exercise leadership, teach games to one another, take turns, and learn to compromise

• Intervention programs during recess can successfully improve social skills.

Physical Benefits of Recess

• Recess before lunch leads to healthier eating

• Children who are active during the day are more active after school, whereas children who are sedentary during the day tend to remain sedentary after school

Emotional Benefits of Recess

• Teachers rated children’s behaviors better in classes where children had at least 15 minutes of recess

• Teachers get to know the children better when supervising them on the playground.

• Time on the playground is a change of pace for the teacher as well as for the children.

With all of the benefits of recess, its hard to believe recess is still being cut—there must be something that can be done. The International Play Association (IPA) has a lot of resources regarding the positive effects of research. If parents and/or teachers band together and meet with principals, superintendents, legislators and elected officials, recess can hopefully be saved for children to enjoy and benefit from for generations to come.

Share your thoughts on recess in early childhood education by commenting below, or on our Facebook or twitter pages. 

Grants Available for Child Care Providers Looking to Improve Nutrition

As childhood obesity continues to cause national concern, there's a lot child care providers can do to help, and now, grants are available to implement enhanced nutrition programs.

We’ve recently discussed how child care providers can help with America’s childhood obesity epidemic.

Even if parents do not prepare healthy meals, child care providers will still be able to aid in childhood obesity prevention by ensuring that children get enough physical activity and are fed healthful foods. But, how do child care providers go about improving the nutrition of the foods they serve and increasing physical activity? Healthy foods are often more expensive, as are the toys and equipment needed to get children moving. But, did you know that you may be able to receive grant funding for such things?

Child care providers in Pennsylvania will be able to afford feeding children healthier foods and help them increase their physical activity. Through Keystone Kids Go!, the Pennsylvania Department of Education developed and online nutrition and physical activity self-assessment and plan specifically design for child care facilities. Through USDA CACFP Child Care Wellness Grant Funding, grants are available for child care centers selected to participate.

Learn more about the grant program and apply here.

If you’re not eligible to apply, there are still a lot of great programs you can implement to aid in the prevention of childhood obesity. What has your childcare facility done to improve nutrition and increase activity? Share your tips by commenting below, or on our Facebook or twitter pages.

Food Industry Concerned on Ad Regulations to End Childhood Obesity

Child obesity is a growing epidemic, so why is the food industry fighting back?

It’s evident that the national concern against childhood obesity continues to grow as the health and future of our children becomes more and more questionable. Now, the food industry is getting concerned because of proposed government guidelines.

Despite the mounting evidence that junk foods and fast foods are contributing factors toward the childhood obesity epidemic in America, the food industry is trying to fight the proposed national nutritional guidelines for food advertisements directed toward kids.

Several studies have been conducted with not so surprising results—kids prefer known brands, such as McDonalds, and are also more inclined to crave food endorsed by their favorite television characters. Typically, this food is almost always junk food, the very substance that is changing the face—and waistline—of America’s youth.

While the government is trying to regulate the kind of advertising toward children, the food industry does not plan on going down without a fight and are already looking for loopholes.

In our recent post on childhood obesity, we offered some tips for parents and daycares to easily enforce healthy eating habits and physical activity, but what else can we do to help?

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Let us know how we can contribute to ending childhood obesity by commenting below, or on our Facebook or twitter pages.

Can Childcare Providers Help Stop Childhood Obesity?

Learn simple steps childcare providers can take in order to prevent childhood obesity.

Currently, approximately 60 percent of children under age 5 are in some form of child care, spending approximately 29 hours a week there. Over half of obese children first become overweight at or before age 2 and one in five children are overweight or obese by the time they turn 6.

First Lady Michelle Obama launched the Let’s Move campaign, releasing a checklist of best practices for reducing childhood obesity that child care providers could implement in order to aid in the prevention of it. The checklist includes:

Physical Activity
Childcare providers should offer 1-2 hours of physical activity throughout the day, especially outdoor activity if possible.

Screen Time
Children under 2 years of age should not look at electronic screens, but for children age 2 and older, screen time should be approximately 30 minutes per week during child care hours. Providers should work with parents to ensure that children do not get more than 1-2 hours of screen time per day, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Food & Beverage
Childcare providers should serve fruits or vegetables at every meal, avoid fried foods and eat in a group when possible. Beverages should consist of water, which should be offered throughout the day, low-fat or non-fat milk and no more than 6 oz. of 100% juice per day. Sugary drinks, such as soda should be avoided.

Childcare Providers & Parent Involvement
While we’ve discussed how parent involvement is crucial in early childhood development, it’s also crucial for reinforcing these healthy habits. Even if childcare providers are following the checklist, it may not be enough unless they are actively pursuing parent involvement and engagement.

Engaging Parents
If parents are able to see that their child is eating and drinking healthy and getting a lot of physical activity, they may become inspired and thus more inclined to continue those habits at home. Childcare providers can easily do this by sending pictures and/or videos of their children eating healthy snacks and playing outside via childcare management applications. Seeing a video of their child playing outside, and how happy it makes them, may inspire parents to play with their children outdoors more—despite their busy days.

If you’re a childcare provider, let us know how you plan to, or how you already have, implemented the checklist by commenting below, or on our Facebook or twitter pages.