Some schools across the country have said the game of tag is too dangerous for kids to play. Soccer balls are too hard and no cartwheels on the playground unless supervised by a coach.
Many schools are banning common recess past times saying too many children are being hurt. The schools’ policies are outraging some parents.
Are some schools going too far and doing too much to protect students from possible injuries? That’s the question after some schools have started implementing surprising bans on the playground.
Tossing a football during recess seemed to be a right of passage for kids at one Long Island, New York middle school, but not anymore.
Students at Weber Middle School were recently told that during recess, football will now be replaced by nerf balls. Hard soccer balls have also been banned as well as baseballs and LaCrosse balls.
The students are forbidden from doing cartwheels unless supervised by a coach. The school said it changed its policies because of a rash of playground injuries.
“Some of these injuries can unintentionally become very serious. So we want to make sure our children have fun, but are also protected,” said one school administrator.
However, some parents say the school has gone too far.
“Cartwheels and tag, I think it’s ridiculous they are banning that,” one parent said.
“Children’s safety is paramount, but at the same time, you have to let them live life,” another parent said.
The school reported the playground injuries included bumps, scrapes and head injuries and said it was concerned about the possibility of concussions.
There has been a similar playground ban in Michigan. For a lot of kids, tag is their favorite game. But some kindergarten teachers said there would be no more tag and no more chasing after some children went home injured.
But the school district back pedalled on the ban, announcing that “safe tag” and “respectable behavior” will be allowed.
