We hope everyone will join us this
week on March 24 for our next scrumptious Pathfinder Produce fresh fruits and
vegetable market at the Village Commons. Last week’s third anniversary
celebration was a great success, and we love serving our loyal patrons.
Come on down on to the Village Commons on Thursday from 1 to 5 p.m. for the
freshest produce and best prices around!
***
“Play is often talked
about as if it were a relief from serious learning.
But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of
childhood.”
-- Fred Rogers
Many of my blogs focus on nutrition, recipes and
food culture, but through the blog we also hope to encourage people to become
more physically fit, in keeping with the goals of Edmeston’s 5210 Wellness
Committee. For the past few months on my Facebook wall, I’ve been
seeing lots of posts regarding the value of outdoor playtime, and I thought, as
it’s spring, it’s a worthy topic to explore.
For kids, it’s especially important for them to
unplug, run, jump, and role play outside. Play is not just physical
exercise, it’s an all-encompassing activity that provides a way to de-stress,
build relationships, and use the imagination. Based on findings from a 2013
study by researchers Robert Murray, MD and Catherine Ramstetter, PhD, the
American Academy of Pediatrics recommended in its journal, Pediatrics,
that:
1. Recess is necessary for
optimizing a child’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development.
(Recess shouldn’t be withheld for academic or punitive reasons).
2. Thinking and academic
performance depend on regular breaks from concentrated classroom work for
children of all ages. (The frequency and duration of breaks should allow
students to mentally decompress).
3. Recess is a complement
to, but not a replacement for Physical Education classes. Recess provides
the creative, social, and emotional benefits of play.
4. Recess can counterbalance
being sedentary, and can be counted toward the one hour that the AAP recommends
for physical activity each day. (That’s the “1” in 5210!)
5. Whether structured or
unstructured, recess should be safe and well supervised by trained individuals.
6. Peer interactions that
play out during recess build lifelong skills for communication, negotiation,
cooperation, problem solving, and provide foundations for healthy development.
In
general, the AAP dislikes and questions a growing trend in which schools take
away kids’ recess time and use it for more class time. As a mom, I agree
with them; if kids can break out of the classroom during times of supervised
play, I think they are more ready to learn once they return to the classroom.
Until
next time, get some playtime, and enjoy life!
Lori
