"We haven’t had recess since like fourth grade…[one day] we just got to have a free day…just a moment to get all the extra energy out and then be able to really look at the art a little more."

That was a quote from high school girl at my thesis focus group last week. Well did this make me think or what! First of all, I was already thinking about he recess issues because my little 4th grade cousin (who I pick up from school sometimes) was complaining last week because the teacher's punishment for not doing homework is that you "get the wall". This means that you have to stand against the wall of the school and watch everyone run around at recess. Ok, now I think homework is super important and believe kids should be punished if they do not do it but COME ON. "The wall" sounds horrible for everyone. First of all 4th grade kids NEED recess, taking it away only makes kids more rambunctious in class.

Anyways relating this to what this high school girl said i was thinking about how we are not allowing this free time anymore. With high school programs becoming more and more specialized coupled with the general societal push to grow up faster, are depriving this kids of the development that occurs when kids just chill. Even some of the best out of school programs in this city may border on being too rigid for kids who haven't had an ounce of free time all day. However free time means danger far too often. So what do we do?