Do Your Children Get Recess at School? The Story of How One Town Fought and Won & The Movie Made to Tell Our Story. NaturePlay the Film
In America, we build expensive schools with huge playgrounds and picnic areas, only to force our children to sit inside classrooms with no windows practicing for tests all day.
Image Source - NaturePlay the Movie
Years ago, when my youngest daughter was in elementary school, it dawned on me that she never got to go outside for recess. There was no free time built into her schedule. I was a teacher at the same school, so I started poking around for answers. I learned that the county did not require recess, essentially because they felt the time would be put to better use preparing the students for the state exam.
Seriously. My daughter was seven.
So, I went to the local school board with a few of my mom friends and we waited for the time allocated for community input. One by one, we went to the microphone and requested the elected school board members instruct the school superintendent that they hired to run our schools to add time in each school day for outdoor recess.
We came with plenty of research on the subject. Recess is not just free time. It is crucial in the development of a child. Add all the test prep into the equation, children were getting burned out of school at an early age. We did not win a vote that night. But we returned. Week after week, we went to the microphone and spoke to the panel of elected school board members. Week after week, they denied us. Each week, we came with more and more parents. Finally, the local reporters who hounded the meetings took notice of our crowds. At three minutes each at the mic, a crowd made for a long night.
Our final evening there, we had nearly a hundred parents packed in that board meeting. The room was hot and tensions were high. With three minutes each at the mic, we would have these five board members and our superintendent there in that board meeting until morning.
About half an hour into our testimonies at the microphone, one board member called a recess. Everyone got up and stretched. The board members left the room for awhile. They returned and the three minute speeches from the community members continued. About an hour later, a different board member called another recess. I chuckle at the irony.
When it finally came my turn to speak, we were three hours and three recesses into the meeting. I took the microphone and politefully reminded the board members that I was a teacher employed in their schools. I reminded them that my contract allowed me a break each day and my students deserved the same. I also pointed out the ridiculousness of them refusing a child one recess in an eight hour day yet they already took three recesses in one night.
That got a good laugh out of the crowd. We got our vote. All elementary students in the county were guaranteed fifteen minutes of unstructured recess play each day. It was a great day.
The news picked it up the story and it went viral. Soon, parents all over our state of Florida were fighting for the same. Last year, they matched our local rule statewide with a statute guaranteeing 20 minutes recess to all elementary children in the state. What a blessing.
One wonderful result of the whole adventure into local politics was the connection I made with Aimie Stilling. She was visiting Disney World in Orlando, Florida with her family and heard of our recess success story on the news. She and her husband were just starting a new movie.
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They asked me if I would do an interview so I drove out to the beach one weekend with my daughter and met up with Aimie and her family. We all hit it off. She expected to interview me about health and recess, but I forayed the conversation into America's obsession with testing. She and her husband couldn't believe how much our schools focused on accountability. The drive for scores is what was keeping our children off of the swings. Immediately, Aimie and Daniel, her husband, knew what direction the movie would take.
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They took much video of our interview that weekend. They also took some beautiful photos of our daughters playing on the beach together while we chatted. A few years later, I was delighted to see the picture featured on the cover of their film.
I am honored and blessed to be featured in their movie. It has played in theaters all over the US and the World. I have watched a director's cut sent to me by Aimie and I am so impressed. If you ever see it in the theaters, it is worth the ticket. Look for me. I am listed as the only teacher from America featured in the film. I got a kick out of seeing my name in the credits, even if I still haven't seen myself up on that big screen. It seems crazy to me that one small group of loud moms could make such a ripple, but it is possible. It certainly is.
Aimie and Daniel Stilling of CineNordic Films do a great job illustrating the importance of nature and play in a child's life while also advocating for better schools in the US and worldwide.
The movie is entitled NaturePlay the Film. Here is some info about the movie from their website. It has done well, winning many international awards.
"This stunning, Award-winning documentary in 4K, takes the viewer on an inspiring Education journey to the Nordic North in a CINEMATIC portrait of childhood, education and play. Filmed in Denmark, Norway and Sweden and the USA, NATUREPLAY portrays the Scandinavian method of teaching, living and enjoying nature, juxtaposed with the high stakes testing/high stress Edu culture of "rigor". The film has won seven international awards, including one for Cinematography and a Global Humanitarian Award. Including Matt Damon." NaturePlay the Film
There you have it. This is our story. Recess moms made a difference. You can, too. Stay involved in your child's education. Attend local board meetings. Sometimes one voice matters.
Blessings, Gator
@gatorlynne
The breaks at the board meeting is hilarious. It's amazing that you were able to institute guaranteed recess. I glad I'm not a kid, today.
That's amazing your message is now in a movie. In California, we seem to have the same problems with testing. Hopefully, things will change for the better.
Glad you enjoyed. With politics these days, you gotta laugh to keep from going insane. Still fighting the testing. Ugh it’s epidemic. Thanks again. Blessings