Hanging On to Monkey Bars

Many of us grew up reading the popular comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes." To regular readers, Calvin represents more than just a simple source of humor; he holds a special place in our hearts. Through the power of a child's imagination, we are whisked away to a wonderful realm of talking tigers, fantastic space sagas and breathtaking sled rides.

We love Calvin because we too were once six years old. We too have spent entire afternoons as superheroes, pirates or adventurers. We know how to play "Calvin-ball," the game where the only rule is that there are no rules. We know that when you're six, exploration is that much more thrilling and imagination is that much more powerful.

And so, it's almost absurd to think that a child in kindergarten could read Watterson's strip, blink twice and say, "I don't get it"--that a child would not understand the essence of childhood.

Sadly, it's already happened.

According to a report in the New York Times last week, school districts across the country are eliminating the only time of the day when kids could be kids--recess. Calling it a "waste of time that would be better be spent on academics," schools from Chicago to Atlanta to Virginia have already implemented a no-recess policy, and the trend seems to be accelerating.

At the Cleveland Avenue grammar school in Atlanta, children go through six-and-a-half hours without any free time, except for a 30-minute lunch. Even then they must sit at the table and cannot mill about and talk to friends. The building itself, built two years ago, does not even have a playground. When five-year old Toya Gray was asked about recess, she was puzzled. "What's recess?" she asked. Something is terribly wrong here.

One argument to eliminate recess is that free, unstructured play-time has no educational value. "We are intent on improving academic performance," said Benjamin O. Canada, the superintendent of schools in Atlanta. "You don't do that by having kids hanging on the monkey bars."

But what administrators and school "experts" ignore is that elementary school is a place for learning more than just academics. It's a place for growth. And that means learning how to interact with others, how to deal with unexpected problems and how to solve these problems. Free time and unstructured play give children the chance to develop these skills.

I couldn't tell you a single thing I learned inside my first-grade classroom. But I can tell you that no one wants to play with someone who hogs all the sand in the sandbox. That it takes two to see-saw. And that if you win by cheating, you're still a loser.

And it was on the monkey bars that I learned that if you try enough times, you will eventually make it across.

Recess, besides being a well-needed break during the school day, gives children the rare chance to interact with each other. Because many kids nowadays go home and simply watch television or play video games instead of playing outside, recess serves an even more important function. According to Juanita Gibson, a teacher at Cleveland Avenue, when children are used to playing together, they figure out a way to handle differences. But now, when kids get into a fight, instead of resolving it on their own, they are liable to seek adult intervention.

Opponents of recess also argue that alternative, more structured activities can replace recess while teaching them the same skills. Some school districts, like that in Philadelphia, have implemented "socialized recess," in which children are required to take part in monitored activities such as dance or gymnastics. In addition, more and more parents have begun to focus their children's energies on piano lessons or organized sports. Especially in affluent areas, there is increased pressure to expand the curriculum to include the arts. But while these "alternatives" can be useful, they cannot completely replace recess. The fact that recess is unstructured and free is precisely what makes it so valuable.

Forcing kids to engage in activities we deem "useful" overlooks each child's uniqueness and denies them the opportunity to learn the lessons of life for them-selves. When we give kids their own time to do what they wish, they become creative and resourceful. They invent, they wonder, they discover. And most importantly, they learn.

Parents and educators must realize that young children need to spend time without fancy rules or regulations. Children have enormous potential. Give them a stick and they'll figure out a million uses for it. Show them a stream, and they'll find a dozen ways to cross. Leave them alone and they'll invent worlds. And who knows, maybe 50 years later, they'll have invented a whole lot more.

Bill Watterson's final Calvin and Hobbes strip ran Sunday, Dec. 31, 1995. It shows Calvin and Hobbes standing atop a hill, surveying the freshly fallen snow that lies below. Climbing into his sled, Calvin turns and says, "It's a magical world, Hobbes ol' buddy...Let's go exploring!"

All we need to do is give children their own space once in a while. Give them the chance to explore their magical worlds. Give them the chance to play Calvin-ball. They'll do the rest.

Richard S. Lee '01 is a resident of Straus Hall.