Once last year, I got armor and a sword.
I found a dog and played with him.
I built a house and made a garden.
Night came, and monsters were everywhere.
There was an evil lord that I started killing.
Just as I was about to destroy him ...
(Whistle)
"Time to line up!"
Hello, my name is Simon Link,
and I'm talking about why kids should have an hour-long recess.
Did you know that genes change when they get playtime?
Out of 1,200 genes that scientists have studied,
one-third of them have changed when they had a half-hour playtime.
Since the 1800s,
research shows that you learn better and faster when having playtime.
Work that has breaks is more effective than work with looooong stretches.
Some colleagues visited a school that had no recess.
They asked them to have recess twice a week
so that they could watch them and see what they were like.
They were more focused and less fidgety on days when they had recess.
Stress impacts on learning and health.
For many children, especially those considered hyperactive,
recess is an opportunity to expend energy in a healthy, suitable manner.
Recess develops social skills.
Recess may be the only time of the day when children have an opportunity
to experience socialization and real communication.
The outside light triggers the synthesis of vitamin D,
which many studies have shown increases academic learning.
The outdoors is the best place for children to burn calories,
practice emerging physical skills, and experience the pure joy of movement.
According to Rae Pica, who is a children's physical activity specialist,
recess may be the ...
research even shows that you learn ...
research even shows ...
that ...
when having physical activity at school,
you usually have more physical activity at home,
and children who don't have the opportunity
to be physically active during the school day
don't usually compensate during the after-school hours.
Running around helps the brain.
Thanks to advances in brain research,
we know that most of the brain is activated during physical activity
much more so than being a couch potato.
Now, stand up,
and do ten jumping jacks when I say go.
Go!
One, two, three, four, five,
six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
Now, sit down.
I imagine a world where every child gets lots of playtime.
I hope that if you have children,
you will make sure that those children get lots of playtime.
Thank you.
(Applause)