Recess Requires No Age Limit
Sometimes, it feels like the kids of Harding Elementary school should get a service hour for Recess Buddies, not the other way around.
For one hour, we get to run, jump rope, and play on the swings. We get to hear stories that only an 8-year-old could come up with, and get to exchange the L.E.D. lights of our laptops for glorious, glorious sunshine. Recess Buddies, however, is about so much more.
It’s about teaching inclusion. It’s about demonstrating fair play. It’s about going beyond the bully policy that the students recite in class and actually confronting issues head on.
Like the day that a simple game of tag went horribly wrong. The boy designated as “it” felt like the other boys weren’t playing nice, so he started to yell at them. They yelled back. Names were called and feelings were hurt. The boy ran over to his teacher to complain, but she had not seen the fight start and therefore couldn’t do anything about it.
Since I had been right near where it happed, I was able to diffuse the situation. I first offered to take over as “it,” and then laid down some ground rules. We didn’t start to play until everyone agreed we would all be fair sports, use kind language, and most importantly, have fun.
And that was all it took. The tears dried, the game went on, and everyone had a good time.
APO’s cardinal principal friendship finds its place in Recess Buddies in how we interact as brothers, friends, and leaders through our actions. We act as role models for the kids who truly look up to us and look forward to seeing their friends every week.
For me personally, another inclusion is a big factor of why I love Recess Buddies. Every now and then, a group of girls or boys will exclude one of their classmates, whether intentionally or not. Feeling left out hurts at any age, but it’s that much worse when you’re only eight or nine. Since as Recess Buddies we are right there on the playground with the kids, we can make sure that everyone is invited to play.
Everyone should go to Recess Buddies at least once. Not only do you get the opportunity to play outside, but you also get to impact the young people of our community in a really meaningful way.
Edited By: Megan Burpo