What: Colorado Recess Day
When: Friday, October 5, 2012
Where: Infinity Park, South Fields
Who: Everyone is welcome!
Time: 11:30am – 1pm
Remember when running was effortless because it was all a part of the game?
Remember when you could hula hoop without even trying?
Remember when all you wanted was 10 more minutes of recess before you had to go back to class?
The American Academy of Pediatrics explains that play is vital to keep children healthy, and to help them reach important social, emotional, and cognitive developmental milestones. Play also helps children manage stress and builds their resiliency. In its 2007 report, “The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development,” the Academy advocates for more opportunities for play, stating: “Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. Play is important to healthy brain development.”
Despite these facts, across the board, play is at risk. In addition to the cuts in recess, many lowincome children live in areas where safety is a concern. They thus have less opportunity to play freely outside. Playworks’ mission is to improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for safe, meaningful play.
Playworks Denver created Colorado Recess Day to bring awareness to the importance of play and physical activity at every age. This is a chance for adults to rekindle the curiosity of childhood with a couple hours of games and food.
But this is no ordinary recess, it’s recess reversal! Our 4th and 5th grade Junior Coaches will be using the skills they’ve learned at Playworks to help us remember what it’s like to have fun playing games outside. They’ll be leading their favorite games at 4 different game stations and we’ll also have hula hoops, jump ropes and a corn-hole toss to play with.
Once you’ve revisited your childhood, you can visit one of the 3 delicious food trucks at the park for lunch.
We will be giving away fun door prizes and telling you a bit about what makes Playworks so successful at accelerating learning through play in schools.
