“Lark Creek Elementary was short on everything, especially athletic equipment, so all the balls went to the upper grades at recess time after lunch. Even if a fifth grader started out the period with a ball, it was sure to be in the hands of a sixth or seventh grader before the hour was half over. The older boys took the dry centre of the upper field for their ball games, while the girls claimed the small top section for hopscotch and jump rope and hanging around talking. So the lower-grade boys had started this running thing. They would all line up on the far side of the lower field, where it was either muddy or deep crusty ruts. Earle Watson who was no good at running, but had a big mouth, would yell “Bang!” and they’d race to a line they’d toed across at the other end.”
The above extract from ‘Bridge to Terabithia’ initiated a class discussion on ‘recess’, or ‘break’. Primary 6 students acknowledged recess as a common part of the school day for children around the world and an important time in the academic day that counterbalances the sedentary life at school. During recess, children play, and learning through play has been long known as a vital aspect of childhood development. Moreover, recess at its core is a social experience for children and the playground is a place for them to role-play essential social skills.