*Begin rant*
Despite numerous studies like the one below, schools keep shortening or removing recess and open-ended, unstructured play from schools. It is ESSENTIAL to the learning process. You need time to THINK in order to LEARN!
I and my fellow play advocates will continue to shout this from the rooftops until every school administrator gets it through their thick skulls that by eliminating free play they are only shooting future generations in the foot and hamstringing themselves from achieving the already ridiculous testing goals designated by people who haven’t been in school since the 1960’s!
*end rant*
ahem
The link below is a summary of a very interesting and insightful study about the cognitive effects of play on children and how it impacts their learning in school. Worth a perusal. Enjoy.
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/time_and_learning/2014/09/Exercise-Boosts-Kids-Cognitive-Ability.html
Mental Flowers 