Figure 1.--Prep school children use their free time in many different ways. These boys are checking out some new publications in the library. |
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The children use it in a variety of ways, depending on the time and weather. Many younger children like free play, building forts or playing ad hoc games. There are also inside recreation. Some schools have gym for various games or other activities like rollar skating. The schools have a good supply of board games and chess is a prenial favotite. Several schools have model railroads. This is something that is difficult for boys to do in a small house, but with interested staff some schools have wonderful lay outs. Some children take the opportunity to go to the libray or read the newspaper. Generall television is not incouraged, except for the news. And now ith the computer, there are a whole range of interesting activities. Some of the older children might even use the time to catch up on their studies or pursue a reserach assignment.
Schools vary as to their policies on animals. Many schools have a kind of unoccicial school dog or cat. These are normally the pets of the headmaster's family or other sfaff member. Of course living at school, these animals have enormous attention lavished on them. Many of the dogs in particular learn who belongs at school and who doesn't. While the children are not allowed to bring their larger pet to school, some schools do allow them to keep smaller pets like guinea pigs and rabbits. The children play with them and look after them in their free time. There is somewhay of an overlap woth animals that might be kept in the classroom or science lan, these might include snakes, frogs, rats, and others depending on the teacher's interest and forebearance.
Now with the computer, there are a whole range of interesting activities.
Boys in the 1980s began playing with simple electronic games. They would seem too simple for us now, but they intrigued the boys at the time. They of course are now much more simplistic. Besides the electronic nature of the games, they were different than other games played at the schools. The basic difference was that they were individual games. You played with yourself in isolation. Other games be they board games or indoor action/skill games (ping-pong and pool) were social activities involving two or more children. A part of the value of games is of course developing socil skills. Electronic games on the other hand did not do this and allowed boys to in effect withdraw from the group. We notice a few schools that had bb-ball and hole games for the children, but they were not very common. The electronic games, however, were a smash hit with the boys. The girls didn't seem interested, but the boys definitely did. The schools adopted various attitudes toward the games.
Free play is popular with the younger children. One of the most popular activities for boys at many boarding schools with wooded areas was building forts and then of course stging raids on the opposing forts. There were many ad hoc games as well.
Some of the children, mostly the boys persue their interest in sports. During the summer some of the older boys take batting pratice in the cricket nets.
Many schools had gyms and these facilities were often used for recreational purposes, especially important during inclemet weather.
The children especially during the summer term at most prep schools were incouraged to persue outdoor games as much as possible. Given the Enhlish weather, however, this was not always possible. Thus schools had a range of indoor games that the children could persue. Some schools set in manor houses had spectacular billiard tables. The children allways play billards rather than pool. Most schools had ping pong tables. There were also a wide assortment of board games. Chess was a perenisl favorite. There are many other popular games which seem to go in and out of favor from time to time. And of course new games are always being added. Of course time is a factor. Games that take more than a half hour to play are a bit difficult to fit into free time periods, although games that last longer times can be played over the weekends.
Some children take the opportunity to go to the libray or read the newspaper which in schools without libaries is made available in commons areas.
Quite a number of schools have marvelous model railroad tracks which are laid out and managed by the boys.
This is something that is difficult for boys to do in a small house, but with interested staff some schools have wonderful lay outs. Usually this is an activity that does not interest the girls a great deal. Some were even equipped to issue tickets.
A popular activity for most boys is model building. This does not seem to appeal to the girls, but many boys love building models. Many schools have special rooms set up where the boys can work on their models in their free time. This is important because there has to be a place where the models can be kept while in progress without any one bothering them. This can't really be done in the dorotories. In addition the glue and paint involved are a potential problem. So a room is needed where a spill will not cause a problem with rugs and furniture. Here the boys can work without concern for damaging the room. In addition the supervising master and other boys can offer advise to the younger boys. Many schools not only have a model room, but also a model building clubs. Given the interest of the boys, this is an activity found at most schools.
Some of the children learmning musical instruments take advantage of free time to practice orhave fun with others learning instruments as well. Schools vary as to the availability of practice rooms.
Skate boarding was exceeding popular, at least among the boys. Schools varied to the extent that they allowed the boys to skate board. This was a California import that had become popular in Britain. Many boys wanted to bring their skate boards to school. The schools encountered a variety of problems. One was damage to the facilities--a partivular problem at some of the schools biolt around mannor houses. None of the schools had facilities buuilt for skate boarding. Another problem was that the boys sometimes sustained injuries. Usually scrapes and bruises. Sometimes more serious. Some schools simply bnned them. Other attempted to reglate their use, especially requiring the use of protective gear--especilly helmets.
Some of the older children might even use the time to catch up on their studies or pursue a reserach assignment.
Generally television is not incouraged, except for the news. Another exception are major events such as test matches. Sometimnes if a program has caught the interest of the children, at some schools. At one school the children were allowed to watch a weekly series about space, I forget nowc the title.
