Indoor Play Space

What follows concerns a local matter--providing a school facility.  Some of the observations may have relevance elsewhere.

"We need to provide indoor play space for the children," was the sentiment passed on in a recent communication from the facilities planning committee.  I wished for context for the comment, and especially for a balancing comment such as some that I know have been expressed in the past.  Specifically, I remember hearing that the grade school teachers prefer that children play outside during recess, and that they are definitely not wishing for a big gym/community building attached to a school.

We don't have a gym, per se, at the high school, but we do have a building that offers play space large enough for a basketball court.  Outside that building is a cement slab with a volleyball court.  (The slab is in poor condition now, due to having doubled for many years as an entrance for Choice Books vans, and as a pad on which to set up the MCC canner every year.)  Having seen what happens during breaks at the high school over the past ten years, I offer the following  observations regarding high school student activities:

1.  Creativity is fairly minimal in choice of physical activities.  It's usually playing basketball or watching others play basketball.  (I'm not sure that watching others play qualifies as physical activity, actually.)

2.  Desire for physical activity is minimal in some cases.  Some students rely on after-school time to get in the required five 20-minute activity periods during one week.  Two such time periods are offered during school hours each day.  (I suspect that if the after-school time were not available, there would be an uptick in activity during the school day.  I'd be glad to see that happen.)

3.  Homeschooled students make do with only the space in and around their homes for physical exercise.  In the public high school I attended, no one played during break.  The gym was used for PE classes and after-school basketball practice.  What our high schoolers have come to expect is perhaps not actually an inalienable right.  These situations are relevant primarily in that they show that an education is possible without lots of organized team or competitive activities.  These activities are peripheral and not central to a good learning environment.  I recognize that the needs are somewhat different at the grade school level than at the high school level.

4.  A relatively inexpensive play space such as a greenhouse gym could serve the necessary purposes without incurring some of the hazards (over-use, for example--as a substitute for playing outside in beautiful weather) that a more luxurious facility might encourage, and would foster creativity that is lacking now.  (In warm, sunny weather, a greenhouse would be uncomfortable, and children would prefer outdoor play to greenhouse play.)

5.  What grade school teachers say they need regarding play space should take priority over observations by unidentified individuals--not because one person is more important than another, but because teachers have demonstrated a deep commitment to children's welfare, and their experience is directly relevant, while other input may or may not be based on similarly credible factors.