Outdoor/PE Time in Elementary School

[Anonymous]

I am planning to enroll my son at a DCPS WOTP elementary school next year, when he will be in 3rd grade. At the open house the principal told me that kids of that age only have a 45 minute recess per day, at lunch time, plus PE during the week.

That seems on the low side for a young child, especially for boys who need some physical exertion here and there. Isn’t there a little break at snack time mid morning? How often is PE and for how long? Does this vary from school to school?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

It varies from school to school. My children get a lot of running around at school between PE (1x week for younger, 2x week for older), recess and aftercare. They spend a lot of time running around outside in structured or unstructured play. On days I WFH (3x week) we walk or bike to school each way which also helps.

I think it’s weird in 2022 that you think ESPECIALLY boys need physical exertion. All children do.

[Anonymous]

It could vary slightly by school, whether they have the staffing to provide more PE time. There used to be reports published that documented the number of minutes of PE and recess at each school but I don’t remember what they were called and couldn’t find them when searching. There are laws that kids get at least 20 minutes of recess and 45 minutes of PE twice a week (we have yoga as one form of PE). Honestly, WOTP you’re probably going to find the most minutes.

[Anonymous]

Recess either before or after lunch is pretty standard in this area. I try to get to school early most days so my kid can play on the playground for 15 mins before going in. Same after school.

[Anonymous]

We’re entering first grade, and I was also disappointed. I wish they incorporated more physical movement, especially outdoors.

[Anonymous]

that seems fairly normal. is your current school lots better?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am planning to enroll my son at a DCPS WOTP elementary school next year, when he will be in 3rd grade. At the open house the principal told me that kids of that age only have a 45 minute recess per day, at lunch time, plus PE during the week.

That seems on the low side for a young child, especially for boys who need some physical exertion here and there. Isn’t there a little break at snack time mid morning? How often is PE and for how long? Does this vary from school to school?

Thanks!

I’m not sure if this is a troll post? 3rd graders don’t have a mid morning snack. 3rd grade is upper elementary. If your child needs mid-morning snack time, he might be better off in a private school or home school.

[Anonymous]

We have 25 minutes before lunch, but there are so many kids on playground that the younger ones keep to the corners (sit down, hunch together, hide from big kids) and simply wait for the lunch bell. They do enjoy the recess/snack combo as there are less of them, but we have been using the same playground for 6-7 months (there are 4). Kids are so tired of the same equipment, that is also often broken, and end up putting hands on each other.
PE is not what parents imagine, specially in younger grades. Most of the time is spent being lectured about not paying attention and then they move 10 minutes.
Let your children play before school - be it 10-15 minutes, and after school. Have play-dates in your yard and allow kids bring toys outside.
There is an extra 25-30 minutes of time for exercise at school, but it is used for games, blocks and mostly art. This is a very good time to be outside when the weather is nice. We have stayed in all day when it is cold, but we have never held this choice block outside to make up for being inside.
Don't count on that PE being an active class- it's yet another way to teach them listening and rules. Rules are important to keep them from hurting each other. There's not much exercise involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am planning to enroll my son at a DCPS WOTP elementary school next year, when he will be in 3rd grade. At the open house the principal told me that kids of that age only have a 45 minute recess per day, at lunch time, plus PE during the week.

That seems on the low side for a young child, especially for boys who need some physical exertion here and there. Isn’t there a little break at snack time mid morning? How often is PE and for how long? Does this vary from school to school?

Thanks!

At minimum your child would get 1 hour of PE per week. It's really based around scheduling aka while your child is in PE, their teacher is in a meeting/planning etc.

[Anonymous]

This is SO depressing and common. I am an MCPS teacher and it's the same there, too. Schools are caught between a rock and a hard place (testing requirements and some parents who think more time in the seat= 'smarter' students). I would love for there to be at least an hour of outdoor unstructured time in the elementary schools (at LEAST). I am sending my child to a WOTP elementary school for K next year but am really, really sad about this.

[Anonymous]

Our IB has open play from 8:15-8:45, then 30 minutes of recess after lunch & then 1 hour of PE 2x/6 days. ECE also has a second 30 minute outdoor recess period every day.

[Anonymous]

I am with everyone saying they'd like more unstructured outdoor playtime built into the day. I think it's valuable for a bunch of reasons -- obviously more exercise is great, many/most kids benefit from breaks to move their bodies, and I've also seen studies that say unstructured breaks actually facilitate with learning retention (and have also found it to be true for me).

But I'm also not as down on DCPS as some PPs. I have heard great things from my child about the PE classes she's taken. Yoga, dance, games, etc. It sounds like they keep it really fun for the kids and there is a focus on wellness and body awareness. This is a million times better than the PE classes I had in elementary school, which focused on competitive sports and games (like, yes, dodge ball) that could be exclusionary for many kids and was like torture for a lot of non-athletes. I think we would have benefitted from a broader range of fitness and movement.

I do wish there was more unstructured outdoor time, though our teachers do build it in where they can, sometimes starting the day with circle time outdoors and incorporating the school garden into lessons as a way to ensure additional outdoor time.

This is an EOTP ES, for the record.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It varies from school to school. My children get a lot of running around at school between PE (1x week for younger, 2x week for older), recess and aftercare. They spend a lot of time running around outside in structured or unstructured play. On days I WFH (3x week) we walk or bike to school each way which also helps.

I think it’s weird in 2022 that you think ESPECIALLY boys need physical exertion. All children do.

OP here. Thank you for your perspective. My kids get at least 1.5 hours at a local playground after school everyday, so I am not concerned about them not getting enough movement and outdoor time overall. However, I am concerned that keeping the kids focused on academics, without breaks, for too long may backfire and affect their focus, behavior and/or learning.

Even though it’s 2022 gender differences still exist, and I believe boys may have a harder time self-regulating when under stress, at least at a young age. Of course girls need outdoor time and breaks too! But I think they may be able to cope better even with less than ideal.

Does anybody know if kids may get some break in between classes? I cannot believe they have to go for 3/4 hours of classes without interruption. I am not at all familiar with how school works nowadays. Even we adults get breaks while working isn’t? Why shouldn’t we expect a more humane treatment of our children?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Recess either before or after lunch is pretty standard in this area. I try to get to school early most days so my kid can play on the playground for 15 mins before going in. Same after school.

Thanks! That’s a good idea. We do the after school part. We need to do it before school too next year given the situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am planning to enroll my son at a DCPS WOTP elementary school next year, when he will be in 3rd grade. At the open house the principal told me that kids of that age only have a 45 minute recess per day, at lunch time, plus PE during the week.

That seems on the low side for a young child, especially for boys who need some physical exertion here and there. Isn’t there a little break at snack time mid morning? How often is PE and for how long? Does this vary from school to school?

Thanks!

I’m not sure if this is a troll post? 3rd graders don’t have a mid morning snack. 3rd grade is upper elementary. If your child needs mid-morning snack time, he might be better off in a private school or home school.

OP here and not a troll. Why are you so condescending? Jeez I also get a mid morning snack! And as as I mentioned above, we adults can take breaks while working, why not the kids? They are not cattle. Let’s treat them with dignity and respect.