I used to work in my local Elementary Schools, and I know first-hand the value of providing recess to children. It not only helps kids decompress from the stresses of their day, (and YES, kids get stressed, too!) it also allows kids to get physical exercise and social interaction. Being cooped up at a desk all day is almost unnatural for small children. Kids need to be able to run, play, and explore the world around them. I know as the adult in charge, I looked forward to recess, since once the kids got their energy out, they were much more willing to participate in educational activities and were generally much better behaved. They were able to focus and concentrate more readily after having a chance to play a game of tag, Mum Ball, or Around The World. There even seemed to be less fighting!

That being said, schools nationwide have had to cut recess time due to limited resources, and some schools do not provide any playtime for students at all. In the past twenty years children have lost an average of 8 hours of recess a week. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the lack of playtime has become a national crisis leading to a growing epidemic: childhood obesity. Did you know that government and public health agencies recommend that growing children get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day? This amount of play time is essential for helping our children grow up to be fit, active adults. Not to mention, if kids got enough exercise, the childhood obesity epidemic we're now facing as a society would be far less severe.

With recess being threatened in our public schools, this is something that we, as parents, need to speak out against and let our collective voices be heard in an effort to keep recess in our children's daily routines. We need to let the school systems know that we care about our kids, and we recognize the value of playtime for proper physical, emotional, and social development.

I recently learned about an initiative put forth by Danimals, the leading yogurt company, called Rally For Recess. I am a huge fan of Danimals, and my kids eat these tasty snacks often. We recently tried the Danimals Smoothies and the Danimals Double Crush Cups. The Smoothies have been a favorite in my home for some time. They're great while on the go, since the yogurt can be drank right from the bottle! The Double Crush Cups were new to us, though. These awesome treats feature two different flavors of Danimals Yogurt in one "crushable" cup, creating a veritable taste sensation! We really liked the Straw-Banana-Rama flavor! Come on, doesn't that just SOUND fun?!

Anyway, I got a little sidetracked thinking about the delicious yogurt that Danimals has to offer. What I am even more excited about is their Rally For Recess initiative. Dannon Danimals - delicious and nutritious kids snacks that include on-the go smoothies and lowfat yogurts with calcium - is motivating Moms and kids to rally around this cause, by launching a national initiative called "Rally for Recess."

"Rally for Recess" creates healthy competition, pitting school against school. Five schools have the opportunity to win new playground equipment and an all-day recess celebration. Now you know your kids would love a brand new, $20,000.00 playground to explore and an all day play extravaganza!  Through February 8, 2012 purchasers can find codes on Danimals packaging (or free by mail) to enter and register their school online. The top school in each of the five categories (based on size) with the most codes registered wins! For more information visit: RallyforRecess.com.

So join me in rallying with the generous folks at Danimals and parents nationwide to show support for making recess something that is here to stay for our kids. After all, play time is one of the greatest parts of being a kid! Now go grab some Danimals Yogurt and head on over to RallyForRecess.com to enter your code and support your school! See you there!

***Disclosure:I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Danimals and received a gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.***