Last school year, some schools in the U.S., started a new recess program. Each day, teachers set up organized activity stations. Students can choose from games like soccer, volleyball, and four-square. This type of program, called a structured recess, is used by thousands of schools across the United States.  Why can’t we just get to do what we want?

At my school, recess is free time. Of course, teachers are around to make sure everyone behaves. But we can play whatever we want. After sitting in classes all morning, students need a break so we’ll be refreshed and ready to learn in the afternoon.

Plus, sometimes you just want to hang out with friends at recess. We have P.E. class to make sure we get enough exercise. Recess should be a time without so many rules so we can actually do something without being controlled.