Should traditional playground games be timetabled in at primary schools?

[FlowerFairyDaisy]

TLDR: would the return of traditional playground games be beneficial to young children? Would they benefit from a scheduled slot in the school timetable for this? I am not a journalist.

Hi

I have been thinking about this recently and another thread has prompted me to ponder it again now.

My children are all grown up now so I don't know what break times in primary schools involve these days. But when I was at school, we spent break and lunch times doing the following:

• Skipping (sometimes quite a few people were involved in this and obviously 2 on the ropes)

• 'Hop Scotch' and variations of it (a grid was marked out on the playground)

• Games such as 'What's the Time Mr Wolf', 'Tag' or 'Catch' and 'Om Pom'

• Shooting balls into the netball basket

• Football

• A game called 'British Bulldog' was banned! But we used to play a gentle version of it

• Rounders

• 'Piggy in the Middle.'

What other games and activities can people remember playing?

Some of my golden memories of junior school are of the times I spent with people playing these games outside (in most weathers!).

Do children still play together in this way at break times?

These games and activities felt like a lovely way to pass leisure time in school but really, when I think about it, they were actually beneficial to us all in so many other ways, such as:

Teamwork
Laughing with our classmates (bonding)
Physical activity
Fresh Air

Did these games somehow play a part in wiring our brains in a really healthy way? Would they act as a counterbalance to screen time?

The only time in recent years that I have played these games has been with our local Scout group.

Do you think that children might even benefit from a dedicated time slot in their weekly timetable for 'traditional games' (like P.E. but in addition to it)?

I am would love to hear people's thoughts as I am considering taking this idea further (petition, speak to my local teachers and MP's etc. perhaps).

Thank you for reading.

YABU - no need to bring back traditional playgroup games
YANBU - get on and start that petition!

Yep sit or stand
Just hang out

In year 6 she used to say some people would just stand around at break times but she would never. She'd be playing still. Standing around is just boring she said. Now she has no choice.

And I do believe it's actually detrimental to her that she can't be active apart from in PE (and sometimes that's not active enough eg Fitness)

Lots of schools encourage this by providing equipment for these games (skipping ropes, hoops, balls etc). Getting older pupils to act as buddies to encourage younger children is not uncommon.
Children do still play.

Timetabling it is a step too far - there id enough pressure on schools to fit everything in the timetable as it is.

However, if you feel strongly about it, you could teach your own children these games so they could pass on their knowledge. Or, I am sure your children's school mught be glad of a volunteer at lunch or break times coming in to teach such games.

The comment absolutely does make sense.

We need to think about what play actually is. If it is scheduled and compulsorily taught, it then stops being play and starts being another part of the curriculum. There is a school of thought that says that the value of play lies in the very fact that it is child-led and intrinsically motivating. If you're doing it because it's Thursday afternoon and Mr Hall wants everyone to do it now, is it even play?

There is a difference between a scratch game of football, rush goalie, jumpers for goalposts etc and two fixed teams with a ref. Both can be fun, but only one really fulfills the requirements of play.

Ok so your idea is based on nonsense as you’re trying to fix something you’ve no idea is even a problem. I’ll help you out…it’s not, kids still play.