School Principal Bans Tag From Playground

Head Of Virginia Elementary School Says Game Causes Too Many Injuries

(AP)  Some northern Virginia elementary school students are getting a time-out from tag.

The principal of Kent Gardens Elementary School in McLean told students this month that they are not allowed to play the game of chasing and yelling "You're it!" at recess after determining the playground pastime had gotten out of hand.

Principal Robyn Hooker said she noticed that tag was sending too many students to the nurse's office. She hopes to restore tag - as well as touch football, which also is on hold - after administrators review recess policies.

The issue has divided parents. Some say it's best to err on the side of caution; others say the ban on tag is an example of overaggressive rulemaking that undermines children's development.

"We are regulating the fun out of normal childhood activity," said Jan van Tol, father of a Kent Gardens sixth-grader. "In our effort to be so overprotective, we are not letting children be children."

Fairfax County public schools' office of risk management has a list of activities that are prohibited at any school-sponsored events. Besides bungee-jumping and scuba diving, students are not permitted to break dance or play dodge ball or tug-of-war. Restrictions on tag are less common.

"This is not the old-fashioned tag, where you could use two fingers and you would be it and move on to someone else," Hooker said. The game has become much more aggressive, she said, and involves grabbing people who do not necessarily know they are playing and possibly bumping them to the ground.

"They pile on each other. (Sometimes) they call it 'jailhouse' or 'jailbreak,'" because the child has to break out, she said.

Since the ban on tag began, physical education teachers have begun a "chasing, fleeing and dodging" unit in first through fifth grades. Students essentially play variations of tag, and the teachers remind them about safety rules and point out athletic skills they can transfer to other sports.

Stephanie Sullenger, president of the Kent Gardens PTA, supports the principal. Sullenger said she suspects that children are acting out because of "spring fever," and that tag will be restored as their behavior improves.

[greeneyes222]

Banning tag is probably one of the stupidest ideas I''ve seen lately from an "education professional." If I lived in that district, I''d be in front of the school board asking for that principal to be fired.

[michellem99-2009]

Gramma,thank ye..That is what was done when I was school child. yes suh..Now they are treated like sisties..We played all manner of things..We were taught to win/lose gracefully..Now the parents/children throw a tizzy if the lose..Ye go to a ball game and all hell breaks lose if the home team does not win..

[clmsadjman]

What next are these so called educators going to remove from the kids. Everyone gets an award for participation, nobody loses everyone is a winner because god forbid children learn that maybe they need to try harder and they don''t always win. My generation has been the worst parents yet and our children are even worst than that. Its evidenced by parents calling their adult childs employers when this child gets a bad performance review. We are in big trouble as a country because our enemies don''t have this weakness on their side. Let kids be kids as its happened for thousands of years.

[sharednotion]

In an era in which there is so much concern about childhood (and adult) obesity, why forbid a game like "tag," which encourages children to, run, run, and have a good time? I remember how much I enjoyed "tag" as a child (regardless of who was winning the game)!! There are few ways to exercise that are more fun!

[gunownerdan]

We must ban recess and all sports! And don''t forget to ban automobiles and swimming pools. Our children are at risk!

[kwajmi]

I''''''''m all for taking care of children but you cannot prevent kids from getting cuts and bumps, it happens, everyone has done it...and look we all lived! Posted by dmyers110808

I am not concerned about the little cuts and bumps and yes we all survived, I am talking about the increase in violence among kids that we read about everyday on this website. Things have changed, it isn''''t like it used to be years ago. Violence among kids is growing everyday and if parents can''''t do their job then the school is going to do it for you.

The attitude seems to be if your little Billy knocks out little Johnny''''s teeth it is "way to go!" Unless it is little Johnny that knocks out YOUR little Billy''''s, of course.
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Posted by erasmus6 at 01:16 PM : Apr 15, 2008

Do you think that being our kids are now playing video games and watching TV all the time and NOT expending that pent-up energy is part of the reason that there''s increased violence? Kids need an outlet for that energy and playing tag, red-rover, red-light green-light, kickball, just being kids and PLAYING would be an outlet? I think so. I don''t even want to address not using a RED pen to correct papers...what are they going to school for if they don''t get graded? My kids were raised that if they did something wrong, I told them it was wrong, and then asked them to try it again. They''re just fine in their adulthood and raising their kids the same way.

[gunownerdan]

ALL sports and other physical activities are the problem here.
Too many of our children are getting hurt every single day while playing sports or running around in playgrounds.
For the safety of our children we must ban all sports and playgrounds in our schools!
Instead of recess, we can let our children watch TV for an hour or play video games.
This would be much safer for everyone!
There is no need to ever go outside.
It''s just a big trash can out there anyways!

[gunownerdan]

ALl sports and other physical activities are the problem here.
Too many of our children are getting hurt every single day while playing sports or running around in playgrounds.
For the safety of our children we must ban all sports and playgrounds in our schools!
Instead of recess, we can let our children watch TV for an hour.
That would be much safer for everyone!
Welcome to crazy world!

[grammawhamma]

erasmus6: I understand your point but what happened to playground supervision? The kids play too rough...the adult steps in and stops it and warns them. They do it again...the aggressor gets punished by staying indoors for a few days.

[michellem99-2009]

Tag..Good God Allmighty people I played that when I was growing up..Are the children being taught this/that barred..I am glad I am older..I got tagged more so but so what..I had to listen to my class mates voices..They rob children of their fun years..

[libsrweak]

either that ... or they''''ll end up becoming mindless ignoramouses that can''''t think for themselves and blame everything on those who aren''''t like them.

Posted by bobnjersey at 01:49 PM : Apr 15, 2008
+ report abuse

******

you mean they turn from democrat to liberal democrat??

[displeased]

We made up or altered games as kids. It''s called imagination. We also got hurt when we did stupid things which is part of growing up. It wasn''t a result of violence. It was more of a learning process. Can''t a kid chose not to be part of the game if they feel intimidated or afraid?

[bobnjersey]

[these kids will just grow up and be wimps and end up being democrats]
[Posted by jamesm12341 at 01:06 PM : Apr 15, 2008]

either that ... or they''ll end up becoming mindless ignoramouses that can''t think for themselves and blame everything on those who aren''t like them.

[saransk]

Excuse me for living in the REAL WORLD, but what to screeds about ABC news, the Clintons, or WMD''s, have to do with overly protective parents in Northern Virginia.
Lastdance81 and slade999999 seemed to be in the wrong forum - the "Black Helicopters" and "Freemason are Satan'' forums are at www.foilonmyhead.com

[sassalin]

slade999999,

What is your problem? I see you all the time on the boards and you post things that make no sense and second have nothing to do with the story.

Are you slow or an idiot (I vote for both)?

Let kids be kids. You may get a scratch or a cut duting tag but I assure you it will heal.

[saransk]

What is it that has made our generation so fearful of everything that it is to be a child. Are we afraid that we will be judged as "bad" parents if we don''t have perfect kids??? Play is one of the ways children learn about life - about teamwork, about their abilities, about disappointment and loss. Children need to know how to win, but also how to lose. Parents need to "Get-A-Life" and stop trying to micromanage their kids'' lives. This principal and all like her need to be exiled and we should let our kids be kids.

[yankeerebel7]

Liberals...

[erasmus6]

I''''m all for taking care of children but you cannot prevent kids from getting cuts and bumps, it happens, everyone has done it...and look we all lived! Posted by dmyers110808

I am not concerned about the little cuts and bumps and yes we all survived, I am talking about the increase in violence among kids that we read about everyday on this website. Things have changed, it isn''t like it used to be years ago. Violence among kids is growing everyday and if parents can''t do their job then the school is going to do it for you.

The attitude seems to be if your little Billy knocks out little Johnny''s teeth it is "way to go!" Unless it is little Johnny that knocks out YOUR little Billy''s, of course.

[erasmus6]

Posted by MyOpinion1 at 12:55 PM : Apr 15, 2008

The point here is not that a kid falls down and gets a little scrape. The point here is that the kids feel the need to change what the original game is about to one that includes more violence.

When you go from touching someone and saying "you''re it" to shoving them to the ground and kids piling on top of one kid then you are asking for trouble. Why can''t the game stay the same?

I bet if your kid was playing this game, which is no longer the same as it used to be, and your kid was on the bottom and died from a blow to the head or received broken ribs or whatever, we would hear you screaming bloody murder.

[excoachken]

This is a prime example of a person who never got chosen for the team in her own school dyas, finally getting revenge on the "jocks" whom she has held a grudge for ever since. Don''t worry, however, no child will be "left behind" because they will be trampled by those darned "overly competitive Germans, Japanese , and Chinese kids who are playing tag and lovin'' it, right now!