One evening, my kids (both P1 students), happily announced that Recess Play is finally starting! Not having experienced it before, they were very curious and wondered about how to manage time between recess and play. They even asked me to pack lesser food for recess to allow for more playtime. After their first recess play, both kids couldn’t stop telling stories about it – what their favorite stations were, who they met and played with from other classes.
I finally got to experience it first-hand in May when I had the privilege to serve as a parent volunteer. Some kids came alone, some in pairs, some in groups. Knowing that it’s only around 10 minutes of play, all kids were very focused on which station they will visit and what they want to play. The pure joy on their faces as they concentrated on playing instruments in the Music Kingdom, playing in the field, in the playground, or doing bumblebee crafts in Cozy Connection was priceless. Incorporating play during their school hours, even if for only these precious 10mins was enough to power and energize them throughout the rest of the day.
It was only after the volunteer experience that I realized how much we have taken physical connection for granted as we lived through the pandemic in the last 2 years. We managed to ‘live with it’ and as such, did not realize what the students were missing. Having seen the positive impact of these interactions on the kids, I do hope we will have more opportunities for such events going forward, aided by parent volunteers to help keep the entire event safe for all. And if you haven’t signed up for the parent volunteer session, I encourage you to do so. It is fun and allows us, parents, to be part of our children’s learning journey, even for a few precious hours!
Written by Mom M of class 1 Respect and 1 Integrity
