WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — A group of parents is asking the Williamson County School Board for more recess time for students. The parents say their kids are only getting around 20 to 30 minutes of playtime during a 7-hour school day.
"This is a no-cost, easy addition to a child's day to give a better outcome for the children, but also to give teachers a better outcome in the classroom,” Kimberly Calcote, a mom in the school district said.
A group of five moms told News 2 they want to work with Williamson County Schools to reallocate time during the day to have one hour of recess time, preferably splitting time between one session in the morning and one in the afternoon.
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“It’s a win-win,” said Erin Grimmett, another mom. “It’s a great win for the students and a great win for the teachers as well.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recess time not only boosts a student's level of physical activity, but recess can also increase memory, concentration, and attention as well as reduce disruptive behavior in the classroom.
The group of Williamson County parents says when given the option between playing outside or playing with Chrome books, sometimes their children's class will use free time inside to play on laptops. They say they're worried their children are too sedentary during the day and have too much screen time, which could lead to health or behavioral issues over time.
According to the Tennessee Department of Health, nearly one in five Tennessee children are considered obese.
“We are fighting for our children's future and their overall health long term,” said Tricia Reichter. “Creating these healthy habits when they're little is much easier than trying to reverse that when they're older."
Traci Anderson said her daughter has high-functioning autism and also benefits just from having time spent outside.
"Recess is really the best time that we've found for her to make friends,” said Anderson. “She's the kind of kid who likes to dig in the dirt and play with dinosaurs."
Other parents across Tennessee have also pushed for more recess including moms in Clarksville, who have successfully negotiated for more recess time.