This excerpt from Let the Children Play by Pasi Sahlberg and William Doyle (Oxford University Press, 2019) describes how a Long Island school district began giving children more time for unstructured play during the school day by doubling the recess period, extending lunch, launching optional play clubs, and creating spaces for unstructured activity. At the same time, the district superintendent de-emphasized test scores and discouraged homework. Students began coming to class better prepared for learning, disciplinary problems went down, and student attendance went up.
