"Tag, you're it!" It's a familiar phrase we hear in just about every single playground across America. It's one of those games that you played, your parents played, and your kids will play during recess.
It doesn't matter what neighborhood you're from or how much money your parents make, if you're a kid, playing tag comes as naturally as using your imagination.
These days kids can easily be sucked into computers, phones, or tablets, so it's all the more important to encourage children to play games that require them to get up and move. Which is why it's strange that the Mercer Island School District in Washington banned tag during recess.
“Good grief, our kids need some unstructured playtime,” said mom Kelsey Joyce. “I totally survived tag. I even survived red rover, believe it or not.”
Moms and dads fail to understand why they weren't included in this decision and why tag was the only banned game.
Instead of playing tag the school wants students to join sports leagues — a bizarre alternative since not all kids want to be athletes, but most kids do want a chance to run around with their friends.
“In this day and age of childhood obesity, there’s a need for more activity,” said another mom, Melissa Neher. “Kids should be free to have spontaneous play on the playground at recess. It’s important for their learning.”
Neher is concerned because she has seen a visible change in her son, who now prefers video games over all else.
“He has been spending most of his recesses wandering around with his friend talking about video games, which is the last thing I want him to be doing," she said.
Please SHARE if you believe a game of tag is completely harmless!
