GROW Healthy Kids, a nonprofit focused on whole-child wellness, is distributing more than 1,200 recess kits to 41 K-5 public schools across nine Central Florida counties.
Now in its ninth year, the initiative continues to expand access to movement-based play, thanks to support from donors and corporate partners, including Orlando Health, Orlando Soccer Foundation, Enterprise Mobility, Good Sports and Amber Brooke Farms.
More than jump ropes, cones, balls
Each kit is stocked with classic play supplies — think jump ropes, scoops, balls and cones — designed to get kids moving and interacting with one another.
“Today, we are packing up recess equipment to serve 41 schools, over 1,200 classrooms,” said Colleen Gonzalez, founder of GROW Healthy Kids. “These supplies will go out to nine counties, impacting almost 23,000 children.”
Portable and adaptable, the kits are built to turn outdoor spaces into dynamic play environments where students can explore, create and stay active. But for Gonzalez, the mission is about more than equipment.
“We are packing up classic play supplies for children to engage in productive recess,” she said.
Why recess matters
Gonzalez says that 20-minute window outside is more valuable than many people realize.
“Where they have that 20 minutes of time to go outside, create their own games and take that break that they need,” she said. “Socialize, problem solve, negotiate. These resources really help those children have those type of interactions.”
The science backs it up, too. Gonzalez points to the neurological benefits of play, noting its importance from the earliest stages of childhood development.
“When they play, it gets oxygen to the brain. What happens when you get oxygen to the brain? A child is able to learn better when they return to the classroom,” she said.
She also points to a cultural shift that has made the work of GROW Healthy Kids more urgent than ever.
“Since phones have become part of childhood, it has caused kids to move away from normal, organic play,” Gonzalez said.
Filling a gap schools can’t fund
Despite its benefits, recess is often an afterthought in school budgets — and that’s exactly the problem GROW Healthy Kids was built to solve.
“If schools don’t have supplies, if they don’t have access to playgrounds, they just get to go outside and play in a field,” Gonzalez said. “Our supplies are really intended to fill that gap, that need, so kids can go out and engage in just being…with each other.”
Beyond the physical benefits, Gonzalez says the skills developed on the playground are just as critical as anything taught inside the classroom.
“It really, really allows them to develop skills that are learned beyond the classroom, which is socialization, communication, problem-solving, just being creative,” she said.
A call to think beyond the backpack
This year’s distribution reaches students in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Volusia, Brevard, Lake, Polk, Pasco and Pinellas counties. And as the program looks to grow statewide, Gonzalez has a clear message for communities across Florida.
“We want all of Central Florida and the State of Florida to think beyond a backpack,” she said. “Think about recess and other tools needed for a child’s development — and that is play.”
Orlando Health is among the partners making the expansion possible.
“Keeping kids active is a crucial component of their health and wellness, so we’re thrilled to be partnering with GROW Healthy Kids to ensure they have the resources they need for a fun and lively recess,” said Megan Almasi, senior director of community relations at Orlando Health. “We look forward to seeing this collaboration expand and GROW’s continued success in benefiting students in their free time as well as in the classroom.”
The packing event was scheduled for Tuesday at H&A Farms in Mount Dora. Distribution is expected to happen across Central Florida on Friday.
For more details about GROW Healthy Kids, visit https://www.growhealthykids.org/