vop

The Value of Play: A Common Good Initiative to Restore Recreation to America's Youth

Fear of lawsuits, excessive safety regulations, and society’s growing aversion to risk have fundamentally altered the nature of play and recreation in America.  Playgrounds have become boring – stripped of seesaws, swings, and jungle gyms – and recess is becoming a thing of the past.  Opportunities for sledding, swimming, and diving are disappearing as well.  Yet we know that play is critical to children’s physical, social, and mental health.  And the loss of recreational opportunities is particularly troubling in this age of rising childhood obesity rates. 

Because of this, Common Good is working to protect and restore play and recreational opportunities to American life.  We are currently developing legislative solutions and raising awareness of the effects that removing all risk from our children has on their lives.  

FEATURED STORY UK and Irish Courts Defend Play The United Kingdom ’s Court of Appeal recently affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by a British school employee against a 13-year-old boy who had crashed into her while playing tag, causing bodily injury.  Agreeing with the lower court’s decision, Lord Justice Waller stated: “Thirteen-year-old boys will be 13-year-old boys who will play tag.  They will run backwards and they will taunt each other.  If that is what they are doing and they are not breaking any rules they should not be held liable in negligence."  An Irish judge expressed a similar sentiment a week earlier regarding a lawsuit brought against a school for failing to provide adequate supervision on their playground.  A four-year-old boy had been injured there in 2006 after being pushed by another boy.  “Children push each other.  Children fall,” argued Judge Jacqueline Linnane in dismissing the injured boy’s suit.  “This was a simple if unfortunate accident and I cannot find any liability on the part of the school ….”

RECENT NEWS Council OKs Playground Mat Warning New York Daily News  "Free-Range Kids" New York Post Wanted: 100,000 Places to Play USA Today Cuts to Parks and Playgrounds Are Damaging to Kids, Adults Atlanta Journal-Constitution Report Calls on Society to Nudge Kids Outside Wichita Eagle The 3 R’s? A Fourth Is Crucial, Too: Recess New York Times Bill to Protect Parks from Suits Introduced Again Herald-Dispatch (Charleston, WV) Mums Hit Out at 'Ugly' Playground Equipment Richmond-Twickenham Times (UK) School Recess Improves Behavior New York Times » More on parks and playgrounds » More on recess

DID YOU KNOW? A 2006 survey conducted by the National Parent Teacher Association found, in part, that: • Nine out of ten teachers say “recess and the free time spent with peers is an important part of the school day and is crucial to a child’s social and emotional development”; and  • Three-fourths of PTA leaders say that taking a break in the day helps kids concentrate and more than half think kids are less disruptive after recess. (“Press Release: Recess Is at Risk, New Campaign Comes to the Rescue,” The National Parent Teacher Association, March 13, 2006)