” We are raising today’s children in sterile, risk-averse and highly structured environments. In so doing, we are failing to cultivate artists, pioneers and entrepreneurs, and instead cultivating a generation of children who can follow the rules in organized sports games, sit for hours in front of screens and mark bubbles on standardized tests. “
” The national nonprofit I founded, ‘KaBOOM!,’ is on a mission to save play for America’s children, and has long been championing the cause in high-need communities. “
” Increased physical activity during the school day can help children’s attention, classroom behavior, and achievement test scores. Meanwhile, the decline of play is closely linked to ADHD, behavioral problems, and stunted social, cognitive, and creative development. “
” It’s absolutely crucial that every child-serving organization – be it an elementary school, daycare, or community center – provide its children with time and space to play. “
” If there’s one thing that ‘No Child Left Behind’ has proven, it’s that more academics don’t make for smarter children – or even higher test scores. And yet we somehow refuse to accept this reality. “
” During the year, our schools are busy slashing P.E. and recess to make more time for math. During the summer, we get ourselves worked into a tizzy that our children will forget their fractions. “
” Sendak’s 1963 classic ‘Where The Wild Things Are’ has long been a favorite of mine because of the creative imagery, fantastic adventures and, most of all, because of how this timeless story shows us that children need to be free to roam, explore and invent in order to understand their place in the world that surrounds them. “
” We all have a natural instinct to protect children from harm. It’s never fun to see a child hurt, even if it’s just a scraped knee. But on the other hand, children need to take on physical challenges to learn and grow, and scraped knees and other bumps and bruises teach them valuable lessons about their own limits. “
” When given age-appropriate challenges, children tend to take them very seriously, in fact, the more obvious the risk is, the more cautiously a child will proceed. “
” No child wants to fall off a jungle gym or slide. Accidents are an unfortunate fact of life, but to lower every last slide and jungle gym to a height that would only interest a toddler is doing our children a grave disservice. “
” We know when children have a place to play they live healthier, happier lives. “
” Given that the biggest rise in childhood obesity rates are occurring in children ages 3 to 5 years, we must modify our efforts to place an emphasis on prevention versus intervention. “
” By providing our young children with opportunities for free, child-directed play, along with proper nutrition, we are setting them up for a lifetime of healthy habits, versus interventions needed later in life. “
” A cultural shift is needed to incorporate exercise into our children’s daily lives. “
All 14 Darell Hammond Quotes about Children in picture
Topics: Children quotes