CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A grassroots movement co-founded by two Tennessee mothers is spreading across the country, advocating for more recess time and outdoor learning opportunities in elementary schools.
Kathryn Truman, mother of four energetic boys, helped co-found the Say Yes To Recess campaign alongside Morgan Garner. What started as a local effort has grown into a national movement in just 10 months.
"In 10 months of operation, we have started since January, we have crept into 30% of the nation," Garner said.
The campaign has already achieved significant success in Tennessee, leading to new state legislation requiring 40 minutes of recess in elementary schools. Garner now works with at least 15 other state chapters advocating for similar policies.
"So we want 60 minutes of daily recess, but we also want screen-free. A lot of schools they will go 'oh the playground's too soggy' or 'oh, it's a little too cold' or 'it's too windy' and it'll be a perfectly good day," Garner said.
The organization emphasizes that recess cannot be taken away as punishment and that walk time to the playground should not count toward the required recess minutes.
Beyond playground time, the nonprofit also advocates for more flexibility allowing teachers to take lessons outdoors when weather permits.
"On a beautiful day... my science teacher could say... let's go outside and have our lesson outside. That flexibility is not really there," said Garner.
"Teachers are amazing they are so creative, they are so resourceful there are ways to you know get the kids out get them physically moving," said Truman. "That is exactly how a child regulates their body and regulates their nervous system to go back into the classroom and be more ready to learn."
For Truman, the work represents more than policy change.
"It's a lot of work it's a labor of love but we are excited it's growing," Truman said.
The campaign continues to expand nationwide, driven by the belief that unfiltered joy and adequate playtime are essential components of childhood education.
Want to see how these Tennessee moms are revolutionizing recess across America? Watch Kim Rafferty's full report on the Say Yes To Recess movement and discover what outdoor learning could look like in your child's school. Share your school's recess experience or send Kim your education story ideas at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
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