Shorter Recess Times: Beneficial or not?

These days it is quite a rarity to see children actually playing outside. It was very common once, but with the ever-expansion of the video gaming and tech-savvy world, kids are staying at home and multiplying screen time fast. This is becoming a big problem for parents like me, who realize all that sitting around and staring at TV screens is only adding to the already-high rates of childhood obesity. And if there's one thing that's further helping this morbid cause, it's the cutting down of recess times at schools.

Children as young as six years old only get about 15 minutes of playing time a day and schools are quickly progressing towards having one gym class per week as well – all of this, despite numerous studies showing how beneficial playing is for children. So why are we still letting this happen? Whatever happened to the days we'd see children run around and play on school playground equipments or ones you'd find in the parks? Well I've got news that might encourage you to take your kids to the parks more often.

Studies show that children who don't play much or engage in physical activities more tend to struggle with learning and self-control which can hamper their growth and development in later life. And a report published in 2008 states that 32% of all the children in the United States are overweight or obese, and every time there has been only one solution to this – more exercise, less food. But it's something, American parents in general, are failing to take note of and address properly.

Playing is a necessity for the proper development of every mammal and especially when humans are called to question. Not only does it provides us with great leisure time but is also important in teaching children valuable pro-social skills from a very early age. Skills such as cooperation, friendship, problem solving and intimacy with other people are extremely crucial for every individual to be well-versed in. Play shapes and sharpens our executive control centre which is a part of the brain that handles and is responsible for traits such as, long-term planning and judgement. And not being able to exercise this executive control centre in our childhoods, we lay the foundations of bigger and long-term problems with social behaviour, motivation and aggression.

Increased homework and screen-time are to be blamed here along with sheer parental negligence. Emphasising on play from a very early age and sending out the children to parks to play on the commercial playground equipment is what should be exercised. And so should have been the need to play outside rather than on PlayStations and Xboxes.

It isn't too late to reverse the effects that have already taken place. We're responsible for shaping the next generation so why start off with the wrong foot?

It's a slightly controversial topic so I assume you guys have something to say on this. Well, we'd love to hear that from you in the comments section below.