Banning “tag”

A Washington state elementary school banned the game “tag” on the playground.  The purpose was to prevent children from touching each other.  After parents protested, tag was reinstated, but schools are giving recess new scrutiny.

From Ban on ‘Tag’: Are school children getting the right playtime? – CSMonitor.com:

The playground game of “Tag” was temporarily banned at a Washington elementary school, but the ban was met by parent protests at a time when school recess is considered by many educators as one of the keys to better test scores.

Parents at Lakeridge Elementary School protested when they learned that the school’s new “hands off” policy – designed to reduce injuries during recess – also banned “Tag,” reported the Bend Bulletin.

“While at play, especially during recess and unstructured time, students are expected to keep their hands to themselves. The rationale behind this is to ensure the physical and emotional safety of all students,” Mary Grady of the Mercer Island School District told Q13 Fox News.

Many Mercer Island parents protested that rousing recess game of chase and touch was not only safe, but also healthy.

“Good grief, our kids need some unstructured playtime,” a concerned mother Kelsey Joyce told Q13 Fox News. “I totally survived tag, I even survived red rover, believe it or not.”

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