The Hidden Curriculum of Recess

Abstract

As children enter the elementary program at Lexington Montessori School in Massachusetts, they are initiated into a culture of fort building by their peers. Many continued this form of play through sixth grade as their main recess activity. This paper examines the functions and meaning of this imaginary play in the lives of these children. Through interviews, surveys and observation, the paper looks at attitudes toward fort play on the part of the school’s community of children and their parents, as well as faculty and staff. Special attention is given to conflicts that emerge in the context of fort play, and to children’s perceptions of how best to organize and negotiate their needs and interests with one another. Recommendations are made for guidelines with which to prepare a recess environment that allows children to benefit from free play with one another and with the environment.