WEBVTT

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Once last year, I got armor and a sword.

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I found a dog and played with him.

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I built a house and made a garden.

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Night came, and monsters were everywhere.

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There was an evil lord
that I started killing.

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Just as I was about to destroy him ...

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(Whistle)

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"Time to line up!"

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Hello, my name is Simon Link,

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and I'm talking about why kids
should have an hour-long recess.

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Did you know that genes change
when they get playtime?

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Out of 1,200 genes
that scientists have studied,

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one-third of them have changed
when they had a half-hour playtime.

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Since the 1800s,

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research shows that you learn
better and faster when having playtime.

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Work that has breaks is more effective
than work with looooong stretches.

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Some colleagues visited
a school that had no recess.

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They asked them
to have recess twice a week

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so that they could watch them
and see what they were like.

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They were more focused and less fidgety
on days when they had recess.

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Stress impacts on learning and health.

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For many children, especially
those considered hyperactive,

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recess is an opportunity to expend energy
in a healthy, suitable manner.

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Recess develops social skills.

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Recess may be the only time of the day
when children have an opportunity

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to experience socialization
and real communication.

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The outside light triggers
the synthesis of vitamin D,

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which many studies have shown
increases academic learning.

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The outdoors is the best place
for children to burn calories,

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practice emerging physical skills,
and experience the pure joy of movement.

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According to Rae Pica, who is
a children's physical activity specialist,

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recess may be the ...

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research even shows that you learn ...

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research even shows ...

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that ...

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when having physical activity at school,

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you usually have
more physical activity at home,

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and children who don't have
the opportunity

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to be physically active
during the school day

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don't usually compensate
during the after-school hours.

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Running around helps the brain.

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Thanks to advances in brain research,

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we know that most of the brain
is activated during physical activity

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much more so than being a couch potato.

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Now, stand up,

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and do ten jumping jacks when I say go.

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Go!

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One, two, three, four, five,

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six, seven, eight, nine, ten.

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Now, sit down.

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I imagine a world where every child
gets lots of playtime.

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I hope that if you have children,

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you will make sure that those children
get lots of playtime.

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Thank you.

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(Applause)