Sample Letter to the Editor: Promoting Recess

Dear Editor,

Keeping recess as part of our children’s daily school activities is not a luxury, but a critical part of their fundamental development.

Unstructured, unplanned, spontaneous, and self-motivated play is on the decline as children spend less and less time outside at parks and playgrounds and have their recess time shortened or removed from our school curriculums.

We know that children who play are healthier and suffer fewer obesity and obesity-related health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease. We also value the fact that children who play do better in school and develop cognitive skills that are positively linked to learning and academic performance. During unstructured play, children also learn the social skills that help them become happy and well-adjusted adults. (Stanford School of Medicine study, 2007)

We wish to raise this community’s children to become healthy, happy, and successful adults – let’s start by giving them the time and space to play.

Sincerely,
Jane Doe
Anytown, USA