Despite Reports, No Ban on Playground Tag

By Kristin Espeland

Laramie, WY – Reports of a ban on playground tag at an elementary school in Cheyenne--among other schools throughout the nation--sparked a blaze of media activity Thursday. The reports alleged that the game of tag proved too dangerous because of possible injuries and lawsuits. But Laramie school district superintendent Dan Stevens says those reports are false. Stevens says some rough play at Freedom Elementary school prompted educators to, in his words, stifle certain kinds of play. But Stevens says no such ban on tag exists. These kinds of bans however aren't unheard of. National program for playground safety spokeswoman, Heather Olsen, says her organization has been seeing a spate of schools ban recess, in part for fear of injury and in part to devote more time to classroom instruction. Olsen says decisions to ban certain forms of play are up to individual schools. But she says her organization does not believe children should be overprotected.